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Storage Link Error in Laravel - How to Fix
This error occurs when creating the symbolic link between public/storage and storage/app/public fails.
The Error
Error Message
symlink(): Permission denied / The public/storage link already existsCommon Causes
- 1 Symbolic link already exists
- 2 Permission denied (especially on Windows)
- 3 Shared hosting doesn't support symlinks
- 4 Wrong file permissions on directories
Solutions
1
Remove existing link and recreate
Bash
# Remove existing symbolic link
rm public/storage
# Or on Windows
del public\storage
# Create new link
php artisan storage:link
2
On Windows, run as Administrator
Bash
# Open Command Prompt as Administrator
# Navigate to project directory
php artisan storage:link
# Or create manually
mklink /D public\storage storage\app\public
3
Manual symlink for shared hosting
PHP
// Add temporary route in routes/web.php
Route::get('/create-symlink', function () {
$target = storage_path('app/public');
$link = public_path('storage');
symlink($target, $link);
return 'Symlink created!';
});
// Visit /create-symlink then remove the route
4
Alternative: Use public disk directly
PHP
// In config/filesystems.php, add custom disk
'public_uploads' => [
'driver' => 'local',
'root' => public_path('uploads'),
'url' => env('APP_URL').'/uploads',
'visibility' => 'public',
],
// Use in code
Storage::disk('public_uploads')->put('file.jpg', $content);Need Help With Your Laravel Project?
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