Laravel 12 + PostgreSQL CRUD Tutorial for Beginners (Step-by-Step Guide)

Introduction: “I Just Want to Build Something… But Where Do I Start?”

Imagine this: You're staring at your laptop, filled with excitement to build your first web application. You’ve heard great things about Laravel — how it's elegant, modern, and developer-friendly. You’ve also heard PostgreSQL is a rock-solid database system used by giants like Instagram and Reddit. But then, you pause...

"How do I even connect Laravel to PostgreSQL? And what’s CRUD anyway?"

Don’t worry — you’re not alone! If you’re a beginner, this tutorial is designed just for you. We'll walk through every step of setting up Laravel 12 with PostgreSQL and building a full CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) system.

By the end, you'll have a simple app up and running, and most importantly — you’ll understand how it works.

Let’s get building! 🔨

🧰 What You’ll Need (Requirements)

Before diving in, make sure you have the following installed:

PHP ≥ 8.2
Composer
Laravel 12
PostgreSQL
A code editor (like VS Code)
Postman (optional, for testing APIs)

📦 Step 1: Create a New Laravel Project

composer create-project laravel/laravel laravel12-postgres-crud

Navigate into your project:

cd laravel12-postgres-crud

🛠 Step 2: Configure PostgreSQL in Laravel

Open the .env file in your project and update the database section:

DB_CONNECTION=pgsql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=5432
DB_DATABASE=laravel_crud
DB_USERNAME=your_postgres_user
DB_PASSWORD=your_postgres_password

Create the database in PostgreSQL:

CREATE DATABASE laravel_crud;

👉 Tip: Use pgAdmin if you're more comfortable with a GUI!

🧱 Step 3: Create a Model, Migration, and Controller

Let’s say we’re building a Book Management App. Run this command:

php artisan make:model Book -mcr

This will generate:

Book.php (Model)
A migration file
BookController.php

📄 Step 4: Define the Database Schema

Open the migration file in database/migrations/xxxx_xx_xx_create_books_table.php and edit it like this:

public function up(): void
{
    Schema::create('books', function (Blueprint $table) {
        $table->id();
        $table->string('title');
        $table->string('author');
        $table->text('description')->nullable();
        $table->timestamps();
    });
}

Run the migration:

php artisan migrate

👏 Now your books table is ready in PostgreSQL!

✍️ Step 5: Set Up Routes (web.php)

In routes/web.php, add:

use App\Http\Controllers\BookController;

Route::resource('books', BookController::class);

This creates RESTful routes like:

/books (GET) → list books
/books/create (GET) → form to add book
/books (POST) → save new book
/books/{id} (GET) → show one book
/books/{id}/edit (GET) → edit book form
/books/{id} (PUT/PATCH) → update book
/books/{id} (DELETE) → delete book

🎨 Step 6: Create Views Using Blade

Create a new folder: resources/views/books

Here are some basic views:

📘 index.blade.php

<h1>All Books</h1>
<a href="{{ route('books.create') }}">➕ Add Book</a>

@foreach($books as $book)
    <div>
        <h3>{{ $book->title }} by {{ $book->author }}</h3>
        <p>{{ $book->description }}</p>
        <a href="{{ route('books.edit', $book) }}">✏️ Edit</a>
        <form method="POST" action="{{ route('books.destroy', $book) }}">
            @csrf
            @method('DELETE')
            <button type="submit">🗑 Delete</button>
        </form>
    </div>
@endforeach

(Repeat similarly for create.blade.php and edit.blade.php)

🧠 Step 7: Fill In the Controller Logic

Here’s a basic BookController.php:

use App\Models\Book;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;

public function index() {
    $books = Book::all();
    return view('books.index', compact('books'));
}

public function create() {
    return view('books.create');
}

public function store(Request $request) {
    Book::create($request->all());
    return redirect()->route('books.index');
}

public function edit(Book $book) {
    return view('books.edit', compact('book'));
}

public function update(Request $request, Book $book) {
    $book->update($request->all());
    return redirect()->route('books.index');
}

public function destroy(Book $book) {
    $book->delete();
    return redirect()->route('books.index');
}

Don't forget to allow mass assignment in Book.php:

protected $fillable = ['title', 'author', 'description'];

✅ Step 8: Test It!

Run the Laravel development server:

php artisan serve

Visit http://127.0.0.1:8000/books — your CRUD app is now live!

🎉 You did it! From project setup to full PostgreSQL integration, you're now managing data in a real web app.

🧠 Recap: What Did You Learn?

How to install Laravel 12
Connect Laravel to a PostgreSQL database
Create a model, migration, controller, and views
Perform full CRUD operations
Structure a beginner-friendly web app

📣 Your Turn!

Now it’s time to customize this app — maybe add more fields, user authentication, or even use Bootstrap for styling. Every step you take builds confidence and skills!

💬 What will you build next with Laravel? Share your ideas in the comments below!

❓FAQ: Common Beginner Questions

Q1: Why choose PostgreSQL over MySQL?
A: PostgreSQL offers advanced features (like JSONB, full-text search, etc.) and better compliance with SQL standards.

Q2: What is a migration in Laravel?
A: A migration is a version control system for your database. It allows you to define and modify your DB schema using PHP.

Q3: Can I use this CRUD app as a REST API?
A: Absolutely! Just modify your controller methods to return JSON and remove the Blade views.