Configuration

Configure the environment, database, and LaraOwl-specific settings.

LaraOwl is configured through the .env file in the project root, following standard Laravel conventions. This page covers the variables that matter most for a LaraOwl deployment.

After changing any .env value in production, clear the cached configuration so the new values take effect: php artisan optimize:clear (Composer) or docker compose restart (Docker).

Application

APP_NAME=LaraOwl
APP_ENV=production
APP_KEY=              # set with `php artisan key:generate`
APP_DEBUG=false
APP_URL=https://your-domain.com
APP_HOSTNAME=your-domain.com

# Allow public sign-ups. Keep false and create users manually for a private instance.
ALLOW_REGISTRATION=false

Always set APP_DEBUG=false in production. Debug mode can expose sensitive configuration and stack traces.

Database

LaraOwl defaults to PostgreSQL. To use MySQL, set DB_CONNECTION=mysql and adjust the port to 3306.

PostgreSQL

DB_CONNECTION=pgsql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=5432
DB_DATABASE=laraowl
DB_USERNAME=laraowl
DB_PASSWORD=your-secure-password

When using Docker, DB_HOST is the Compose service name (db), not 127.0.0.1.

Queue, cache, and broadcasting

For production performance, back the queue, cache, and broadcasting with Redis and Reverb:

QUEUE_CONNECTION=redis
CACHE_STORE=redis
BROADCAST_CONNECTION=reverb

REDIS_CLIENT=phpredis
REDIS_HOST=127.0.0.1
REDIS_PASSWORD=your-secure-password
REDIS_PORT=6379

Under Docker, REDIS_HOST is the redis service name. The queue connection must be a durable driver (redis or database) — the sync driver would process every ingested record in the request lifecycle and defeat LaraOwl’s asynchronous ingestion.

Reverb (real-time WebSockets)

Reverb powers the live dashboard. Generate a random app ID, key, and secret for each deployment — never reuse the defaults.

REVERB_APP_ID=000000               # 6-digit ID
REVERB_APP_KEY=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx   # 20-character key
REVERB_APP_SECRET=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx # 20-character secret

# Backend connection (Laravel → Reverb)
REVERB_HOST=localhost
REVERB_PORT=8080
REVERB_SCHEME=http

# The address Reverb binds to
REVERB_SERVER_HOST=0.0.0.0
REVERB_SERVER_PORT=8080

The frontend reads its own set of VITE_ variables at build time so the browser can open the WebSocket connection:

VITE_REVERB_APP_KEY="${REVERB_APP_KEY}"
VITE_REVERB_HOST="ws.${APP_HOSTNAME}"
VITE_REVERB_PORT="${REVERB_PORT}"
VITE_REVERB_SCHEME="${REVERB_SCHEME}"

VITE_ variables are compiled into the frontend bundle. After changing any of them you must rebuild assets with npm run build (or rebuild the Docker image) — clearing the config cache is not enough.

Mail (for alerts and team invitations)

LaraOwl sends email for team invitations and email-channel alerts. Point the mailer at your SMTP provider:

MAIL_MAILER=smtp
MAIL_HOST=smtp.example.com
MAIL_PORT=587
MAIL_USERNAME=your-username
MAIL_PASSWORD=your-password
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS="[e-mail]"
MAIL_FROM_NAME="${APP_NAME}"

Client-side variables

The following variables are not set on the LaraOwl server — they belong in the .env file of each Laravel application you monitor, provided by the laraowl/client package:

LARAOWL_SERVER_URL=https://your-laraowl-server.com
LARAOWL_TOKEN=your_project_api_token

# Optional: forward application logs to LaraOwl
LOG_STACK=stack,laraowl

You can find each project’s API token in Project Settings → API Keys in the dashboard. See Getting started for the full client setup.