Laravel Cannot Access Image Stored in Storage Folder after Uploading in Server
Stefan Izdrail
Founder & Senior Architect · 2026-06-29
Title: Understanding and Resolving Laravel Image Upload and Access Issues on Live Server
Introduction:
Image uploading and retrieval can be one of those tasks that may seemingly work flawlessly in your local development environment but fail to do so when deployed on a live server. In this article, we will discuss the possible reasons for such issues and provide solutions to rectify them so you can avoid frustrating moments with your Laravel application.
Issue Description:
In your Laravel project, everything works perfectly in your local development environment, but after deploying it on a live server, the uploaded image cannot be accessed when clicked through the provided link. You're using nginx web server, have tried running
php artisan storage:link, and you believe the path for accessing the stored image on your live server is correct. However, clicking the view button redirects to the homepage instead of displaying the image.
Potential Causes of the Issue:
There are several reasons why this might be happening, including:
1. Incorrect configuration in web server (nginx) or file permissions on the live server.
2. The provided link contains a typo or is not the exact path to access the image.
3. The URLs generated by Laravel's routing system could be causing issues with certain servers, browsers, or caching mechanisms.
Solutions and Fixes:
1. Ensure that your web server (in this case, nginx) is correctly configured for serving files from public storage folders and that the file permissions are proper. You can refer to https://laravelcompany.com/blog/how-to-configure-nginx-for-laravel-applications for more information on configuring your server settings.
2. Double-check the link generated by Laravel before using it in your code. If you're certain it is correct, use a web developer tool like DevTools to inspect the browser's network tab and verify if the image request returns a 404 or another error status code.
3. Try updating your application's routing file (`routes/web.php`) to use the `asset()` helper instead of generating URLs manually:
// Instead of this:
<a href="{{ url('/storage/images/'.$file->file_name) }}" title="">View</a>
Use this:
<a href="{{ asset('storage/images/'.$file->file_name) }}" title="">View</a>