Custom Login and Registration in Laravel

Custom Laravel login and register systems boost app security, control, and performance required in modern web app development, where user trust and session safety are crucial.

Key Points

Web apps built on Laravel are 30% faster to develop than generic PHP apps.
Over 67% of developers prefer Laravel for web app development due to its built-in security features.
60% of users abandon web apps with poor login experiences or insecure authentication flows.

Co-Founder

Harsh Abrol

3 min read

With Over 14 years of Experience in the IT Field, Helping Companies Optimise there Products for more Conversions

custom login and registration in Laravel featuring the Laravel logo and a user engaging with a login form

Laravel is a powerful PHP framework widely used by developers and web development companies for creating robust, scalable, and secure web applications. While Laravel comes with built-in authentication solutions like Breeze and Jetstream, there are many cases in custom web app development where you need more control. That’s when building your own custom login and registration system from scratch becomes important.

In this detailed tutorial, we will show you how to set up a custom authentication system in Laravel, perfect for web app development that demands flexibility, customization and security.

Technology Stack Used

Laravel (v8 to v10): One of the most popular open-source PHP frameworks for building secure and scalable web apps.
Blade Templating Engine: Laravel's built-in engine for creating dynamic HTML views.
MySQL: Relational database used to store user data securely.
Composer: PHP dependency manager to install Laravel and packages.
Eloquent ORM: Laravel’s object-relational mapper for interacting with the database in a simple, expressive way.

Wondering whether to go the traditional route or embrace modern tools? Discover the pros and cons of coding vs. no-coding to decide what’s best for your career or project.

Laravel File Structure Breakdown

Understanding Laravel’s folder structure helps in managing your application better, especially during custom web application development.

                                        Route definitions for auth: routes/web.php
Manage Registration, login, Logout: app/Http/Controllers/Auth/AuthController.php
Registration form UI: resources/views/auth/register.blade.php
Login form UI: resources/views/login.blade.php
Eloquent model for users: app/Models/User.php

Each of these files contributes to building a secure and functional authentication module a must for any web development company aiming to deliver quality solutions.

Step-by-Step Setup Process

Step 1: Create a New Laravel Project

Use Composer to start a new Laravel project:

                                        composer create-project laravel/laravel my-app
cd my-app

This command creates a new Laravel application named “my-app” the starting point for your web app development project.

Step 2: Configure the Database

Open your Laravel project’s .env file and configure the database settings:

                                        DB_DATABASE=laravel_app
DB_USERNAME=root
DB_PASSWORD=your_password

Make sure your MySQL server is running and that the database named laravel_app is created. This database will store user records and other authentication details.

Step 3: Run Migrations

Laravel comes with a built-in migration file for the users table. Run the migration to create the table:

This command sets up essential tables in your database, including the users table, which is crucial for storing login and registration data securely.

Defining Routes

In Laravel, routes define how URLs map to controller methods. In routes/web.php, add the following:

                                        use App\Http\Controllers\Auth\AuthController;


Route::get('/register', [AuthController::class, 'showRegister'])->name('register');
Route::post('/register', [AuthController::class, 'register']);


Route::get('/login', [AuthController::class, 'showLogin'])->name('login');
Route::post('/login', [AuthController::class, 'login']);
Route::post('/logout', [AuthController::class, 'logout'])->name('logout');

These routes are essential for managing the user authentication flow:

GET /register: Shows the registration form
POST /register: Submits new user data to be stored in the database
GET /login: Displays the login form
POST /login: Processes login credentials
POST /logout: Logs the user out and ends the session

Create AuthController to Handle Authentication Logic

Now we’ll create a controller that contains all the methods for registering, logging in, and logging out users.

                                        php artisan make:controller Auth/AuthController

Now, open app/Http/Controllers/Auth/AuthController.php and paste the following code:

                                        <?php

namespace App\Http\Controllers\Auth;
use App\Http\Controllers\Controller;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use App\Models\User;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Validator;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Hash;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Auth;
use Exception;

class AuthController extends Controller
{
   // Show Registration Form
   public function showRegister()
   {
       return view('auth.register');
   }

}
// Handle Registration
   public function register(Request $request)
   {
       $request->validate([
           'name' => 'required|string|max:255',
           'email' => 'required|email|unique:users',
           'password' => 'required|confirmed|min:6',
       ]);

       try {
           $user = new User();
           $user->name = $request->name;
           $user->email = $request->email;
           $user->password = Hash::make($request->password);
           $user->save();

           return redirect()->route('login')->with('success', 'Registration successful!');
       } catch (Exception $e) {
           return redirect()->back()->with('error', $e->getMessage());
       }
   }

This controller is the backbone of your authentication system. It ensures user inputs are validated, passwords are encrypted, and sessions are managed securely, essential for any web development company aiming for high standards in custom website development.

showRegister()

Purpose:

Displays the user registration form.

Functionality:

Returns the auth.register view, which contains the registration form where users can input their details to create a new account

Blade Views (UI)

resources/views/auth/register.blade.php

                                        <form method="POST" action="{{ route('register') }}">
   @csrf
   <input type="text" name="name" placeholder="Full Name" required>
   <input type="email" name="email" placeholder="Email" required>
   <input type="password" name="password" placeholder="Password" required>
   <input type="password" name="password_confirmation" placeholder="Confirm Password" required>
   <button type="submit">Register</button>
</form>

Register(Request $request)

Purpose:

Handles the user registration process.

Functionality:

Validates the incoming request data to ensure all required fields are present and meet specified criteria.
Hashes the user's password for secure storage.
Creates a new user record in the database with the provided details.
Redirects the user to the login page upon successful registration.
Catches any exceptions during the process and redirects back with an error message if something goes wrong.

ShowLogin()

Purpose:

Displays the user login form

Functionality:

Returns the login view, which contains the login form where users can input their credentials to access their accounts.

                                        // Show Login Form
    public function showLogin()
    { return view('login');
     }

Blade Views (UI)

resources/views/login.blade.php.

                                        <form method="POST" action="{{ route('login') }}">
   @csrf
   <input type="email" name="email" placeholder="Email" required>
   <input type="password" name="password" placeholder="Password" required>
   <button type="submit">Login</button>
</form>

login(Request $request)

Purpose:

Handles the user login process

Functionality:

Validates the incoming request data to ensure both email and password are provided.
Attempts to authenticate the user using the provided credentials.
If authentication is successful, it regenerates the session to prevent session fixation attacks and redirects the user to the home page.
If authentication fails, it redirects back to the login page with an error message.

                                        // Handle Login
   public function login(Request $request)
   {
       $credentials = $request->validate([
           'email'    => 'required|email',
           'password' => 'required',
       ]);


       if (Auth::attempt($credentials)) {
           $request->session()->regenerate();
           return redirect()->route('home'); // Make sure you define this route
       }


       return redirect()->back()->with('error', 'Invalid credentials');
   }

logout(Request $request)

Purpose:

Logs the user out of the application

Functionality:

Logs out the currently authenticated user.
Invalidates the session to prevent session hijacking.
Regenerates the CSRF token to prevent CSRF attacks.
Redirects the user to the login page after logging out.

                                        // Logout
   public function logout(Request $request)
   {
       Auth::logout();
       $request->session()->invalidate();
       $request->session()->regenerateToken();


       return redirect()->route('login');
   }

Key Security Features

Laravel’s authentication is built with security in mind:

CSRF Protection: @csrf ensures no cross-site request forgery.
Hashing: Passwords are encrypted using bcrypt via Hash::make().
Session Regeneration: Prevents session fixation during login/logout.
Validation: Ensures user inputs are clean, safe, and meet requirements.

Why Use This Custom Setup for Web App Development?

As a web development company, having full control over the login and registration process allows you to:

Customize user flows and add role-based access
Integrate advanced features like OTP, 2FA, or Google login
Maintain a lean codebase without unnecessary packages
Deliver personalized authentication experiences for each client

This approach is ideal for custom website development where off-the-shelf solutions don’t offer the needed flexibility.

Final Words

Creating a custom login and registration system in Laravel helps you build secure, flexible, and scalable web apps. Whether you're an individual developer or a professional web development company, mastering these fundamentals gives you the edge in delivering high-quality custom website development solutions.

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Tech Stack & Version

Frontend

HTML5
CSS3
Bootstrap 5

Backend

Laravel 10
PHP 8.1+

Deployment

DigitalOcean
Laravel Forge
Heroku

1.1K

441

Custom Login and Registration in Laravel: A Complete Guide

Technology Stack Used

Laravel File Structure Breakdown

Step-by-Step Setup Process

Step 1: Create a New Laravel Project

Step 2: Configure the Database

Step 3: Run Migrations

Defining Routes

Create AuthController to Handle Authentication Logic

showRegister()

Purpose:

Functionality:

Blade Views (UI)

Register(Request $request)

Purpose:

Functionality:

ShowLogin()

Purpose:

Functionality:

Blade Views (UI)

login(Request $request)

Purpose:

Functionality:

logout(Request $request)

Purpose:

Functionality:

Key Security Features

Why Use This Custom Setup for Web App Development?

Final Words

Get a summary via Google for

Tech Stack & Version

Frontend

Backend

Deployment

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