Composer Autoload Error in Laravel - How to Fix
This error occurs when Composer's autoloader cannot find classes, usually after installing packages or moving files.
The Error
Class not found after composer install
Common Causes
- 1 Autoload files not regenerated after changes
- 2 Namespace doesn't match directory structure
- 3 Package not properly installed
- 4 PSR-4 configuration incorrect in composer.json
- 5 Cached autoloader using old paths
Solutions
Regenerate autoload files
# Basic regeneration
composer dump-autoload
# Optimized for production
composer dump-autoload -o
# Clear everything and reinstall
rm -rf vendor
composer install
Check PSR-4 in composer.json
{
"autoload": {
"psr-4": {
"App\\": "app/",
"Database\\Factories\\": "database/factories/",
"Database\\Seeders\\": "database/seeders/"
}
}
}
Add custom namespace
// In composer.json, add your custom namespace
"autoload": {
"psr-4": {
"App\\": "app/",
"Modules\\": "modules/"
}
}
// Then run
composer dump-autoload
Clear Laravel caches
php artisan clear-compiled
php artisan cache:clear
php artisan config:clear
composer dump-autoload
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