Laravel: How to store Excel File in a given path?
Stefan Bogdanescu
Founder & Senior Architect · 2026-06-29
Title: Laravel: Storing Excel Files in a Specified Path Using Blade Views and Controller Functions
Introduction
Laravel provides various tools for creating efficient and scalable web applications, including the ability to export data into different formats like PDF or Excel. In this blog post, we will discuss how to save an Excel file downloaded from a view in Laravel. Following along with us, you'll learn how to store Excel files in a specified directory within your public folder (e.g., public/uploads/release).
Step 1: Create the Blade View for Exporting Data as an Excel File
Firstly, create a new Blade view file and name it something like `ReleaseExportView`. Within this view, you should write the necessary code to generate your desired Excel data. This could be anything from spreadsheets of user details to transaction reports - whatever your application requires. Ensure that you have properly configured your view file with the correct namespace and path.
Step 2: Create the Controller Function for Downloading the Excel File
Next, create a controller function in your `OutboundController` class (or any other relevant controller) to handle the downloading of the generated Excel file. You can use the Laravel Excel package's `download()` method for this purpose. This will allow users to either directly save or open the Excel file after downloading it from your application.
Here is a sample code snippet for the function:
```php
public function export_release()
{
return Excel::download(new ReleaseExportView(), 'release.xlsx');
}
```
Step 3: Route Configuration
You will need a route to call this controller function from your application. Make sure that the route is accessible only to authorized users and authenticated, if necessary. In Laravel, you can create a new route using the `Route::get()` method. For example, in case of the sample code:
```php
Route::Get('outbounds/export_release' ,'outboundController@export_release')->name('outbounds.export_release');
```
Step 4: Storing Excel Files in a Specified Path
To store the downloaded Excel file within the specified path, you would have to create a custom storage location for your files. One way of doing this is by using the Laravel's `Storage Facade`. You can save each Excel file in a subdirectory under the 'public/uploads/releases' path.
Sample code snippet for creating and saving the downloaded excel file:
```php
public function export_release()
{
$path = storage_path('app/public/uploads/releases');
if (!File::exists($path)) {
File::makeDirectory($path, 0775, true);
}
return Excel::download(new ReleaseExportView(), $path . '/' . 'release.xlsx');
}
```
Conclusion
In this comprehensive blog post, we have discussed the process of saving downloaded Excel files in a specified location within your Laravel application using Blade views and controller functions. By understanding these steps, you can efficiently manage file storage while providing users with an efficient exporting system for their data. For more detailed tutorials on Laravel functionality, visit https://laravelcompany.com/blog/.