Laravel 5.4 Storage : downloading files. File does not exist, but clearly it does
Stefan Izdrail
Founder & Senior Architect · 2026-06-29
Title: Laravel 5.4 Storage: Understanding and Resolving File Download Issues with Stored Files
Body:
FileNotFound exception from Laravel may be encountered when trying to download files stored in the public storage of Laravel 5.4, despite the file clearly being present. This issue can occur due to improper usage of Storage facade methods or incorrect URL generation. In this comprehensive blog post, we will delve into the root cause of such errors and provide clear fixes for a hassle-free experience when downloading stored files.
Issues with File Download in Laravel 5.4
To understand the issues that arise during file download, we must first analyze how our application works. In Laravel 5.4, the Storage facade provides methods to manage storage for files and directories. It is crucial to follow best practices when handling these operations to avoid potential complications with file downloads. In your upload method, you have successfully implemented the Storage::put() function to save the uploaded file and its metadata in Laravel's public storage. However, during the file download process, you are encountering inconsistencies with the FileNotFound exception even when the file is clearly present. This issue can stem from two potential causes: incorrect usage of the Storage facade methods or misconfigured URL generation.Possible Causes and Solutions
Incorrect Usage of Storage Facade Methods
The first possible cause for this issue is that you may be using a different storage driver than the one used during upload. You can easily rectify this issue by ensuring that the appropriate storage driver is being used for both uploading and downloading files. To do so, modify your code as follows:public function show($filename)
{
$url = Storage::disk('public')->url($filename);
return response()->download(Storage::disk('public')->get($filename));
}
Misconfigured URL Generation
Another common cause for FileNotFound exceptions during downloads is improper URL generation. In your upload method, you use Storage::put(), which places the file in Laravel's public storage by default. However, when retrieving the URL for the download, you use Storage::disk('public')->url($filename), which does not guarantee that the location pointed to is consistent with the stored file. To resolve this issue, you should modify your code as follows:public function show($filename)
{
$path = Storage::getDriver()->getAdapter($filename)->getPath();
$url = Storage::disk('public')->url($path);
return response()->download(Storage::disk('public')->get($path));
}