Laravel Add a new column to existing table in a migration

I can't figure out how to add a new column to my existing database table using the Laravel framework.

I tried to edit the migration file using...

<?php

public function up()
{
    Schema::create('users', function ($table) {
        $table->integer("paid");
    });
}

In terminal, I execute php artisan migrate:install and migrate.

How do I add new columns?

To create a migration, you may use the migrate:make command on the Artisan CLI. Use a specific name to avoid clashing with existing models

for Laravel 5+:

php artisan make:migration add_paid_to_users_table --table=users

for Laravel 3:

php artisan migrate:make add_paid_to_users

You then need to use the Schema::table() method (as you're accessing an existing table, not creating a new one). And you can add a column like this:

public function up()
{
    Schema::table('users', function($table) {
        $table->integer('paid');
    });
}

and don't forget to add the rollback option:

public function down()
{
    Schema::table('users', function($table) {
        $table->dropColumn('paid');
    });
}

Then you can run your migrations:

php artisan migrate

This is all well covered in the documentation for both Laravel 4 / Laravel 5:

• Schema Builder
• Migrations

And for Laravel 3:

• Schema Builder

• Migrations

Edit:

use $table->integer('paid')->after('whichever_column'); to add this field after specific column.

I'll add on to mike3875's answer for future readers using Laravel 5.1 and onward.

To make things quicker, you can use the flag "--table" like this:

php artisan make:migration add_paid_to_users --table="users"

This will add the up and down method content automatically:

/**
 * Run the migrations.
 *
 * @return void
 */
public function up()
{
    Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
        //
    });
}

Similarily, you can use the --create["table_name"] option when creating new migrations which will add more boilerplate to your migrations. Small point, but helpful when doing loads of them!

laravel 5.6 and above

in case you want to add new column as a FOREIGN KEY to an existing table.

Create a new migration by executing this command : make:migration

Example :

php artisan make:migration add_store_id_to_users_table --table=users

---

In database/migrations folder you have new migration file, something like :

2018_08_08_093431_add_store_id_to_users_table.php (see the comments)

<?php

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;

class AddStoreIdToUsersTable extends Migration
{
    /**
     * Run the migrations.
     *
     * @return void
     */
    public function up()
    {
        Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
            
            // 1. Create new column
            // You probably want to make the new column nullable
            $table->integer('store_id')->unsigned()->nullable()->after('password');
            
            // 2. Create foreign key constraints
            $table->foreign('store_id')->references('id')->on('stores')->onDelete('SET NULL');
        });
    }

    /**
     * Reverse the migrations.
     *
     * @return void
     */
    public function down()
    {
        Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
            
            // 1. Drop foreign key constraints
            $table->dropForeign(['store_id']);

            // 2. Drop the column
            $table->dropColumn('store_id');
        });
    }
}

---

After that run the command :

php artisan migrate

---

In case you want to undo the last migration for any reason, run this command :

php artisan migrate:rollback

---

You can find more information about migrations in the docs

If you're using Laravel 5, the command would be;

php artisan make:migration add_paid_to_users

All of the commands for making things (controllers, models, migrations etc) have been moved under the make: command.

php artisan migrate is still the same though.

You can add new columns within the initial Schema::create method like this:

Schema::create('users', function($table) {
    $table->integer("paied");
    $table->string("title");
    $table->text("description");
    $table->timestamps();
});

If you have already created a table you can add additional columns to that table by creating a new migration and using the Schema::table method:

Schema::table('users', function($table) {
    $table->string("title");
    $table->text("description");
    $table->timestamps();
});

The documentation is fairly thorough about this, and hasn't changed too much from version 3 to version 4.

In Laravel 8

php artisan make:migration add_columnname_to_tablename_table --table=tablename

then after creating migration in

public function up()
    {
        Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {

            // 1. Create new column
            $table->datatype('column_name')->nullable();
        });
    }
public function down()
    {
        Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {

            // 1. Create new column
            $table->dropColumn('column_name');
        });
    }

then run

php artisan migrate

if you face error then rename the migration name with the date before the table created and then run again php artisan migrate

Laravel 7

1. Create a migration file using cli command:

   php artisan make:migration add_paid_to_users_table --table=users

2. A file will be created in the migrations folder, open it in an editor.

3. Add to the function up():

Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
    // Create new column
    // You probably want to make the new column nullable
    $table->integer('paid')->nullable()->after('status');
}

4. Add to the function down(), this will run in case migration fails for some reasons:

   $table->dropColumn('paid');

5. Run migration using cli command:

   php artisan migrate

---

In case you want to add a column to the table to create a foreign key constraint:

In step 3 of the above process, you'll use the following code:

$table->bigInteger('address_id')->unsigned()->nullable()->after('tel_number');

$table->foreign('address_id')->references('id')->on('addresses')->onDelete('SET NULL');

In step 4 of the above process, you'll use the following code:

// 1. Drop foreign key constraints
$table->dropForeign(['address_id']);
// 2. Drop the column
$table->dropColumn('address_id');

this things is worked on laravel 5.1.

first, on your terminal execute this code

php artisan make:migration add_paid_to_users --table=users

after that go to your project directory and expand directory database - migration and edit file add_paid_to_users.php, add this code

public function up()
{
    Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
         $table->string('paid'); //just add this line
    });
}

after that go back to your terminal and execute this command

php artisan migrate

hope this help.

WARNING this is a destructive action. If you use this ensure you back up your database first

you can simply modify your existing migration file, for example adding a column in your table, and then in your terminal typing :

$ php artisan migrate:refresh

First rollback your previous migration

php artisan migrate:rollback

After that, you can modify your existing migration file (add new , rename or delete columns) then Re-Run your migration file

php artisan migrate

Add column to your migration file and run this command.

php artisan migrate:refresh --path=/database/migrations/your_file_name.php

Although a migration file is best practice as others have mentioned, in a pinch you can also add a column with tinker.

$ php artisan tinker

Here's an example one-liner for the terminal:

Schema::table('users', function(\Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint $table){ $table->integer('paid'); })

(Here it is formatted for readability)

Schema::table('users', function(\Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint $table){ 
    $table->integer('paid'); 
});

First you have to create a migration, you can use the migrate:make command on the laravel artisan CLI.Old laravel version like laravel 4 you may use this command for Laravel 4:

php artisan migrate:make add_paid_to_users

And for laravel 5 version

for Laravel 5+:

php artisan make:migration add_paid_to_users_table --table=users

Then you need to use the Schema::table() . And you have to add the column:

public function up()

{

    Schema::table('users', function($table) {

        $table->integer('paid');

    });

}

If you don't want to split the blueprint(schema) into two migration file then the best thing you can do is drop the table from the database and then rename the migration file's last number and do

php artisan migrate

This helps you to protect the data of other tables.

Run this command: php artisan migrate:fresh --seed it will drop the table and re add it updating all the columns adding to the database

What you can do is Like,

Schema::create('users', function ($table) { $table->integer("paid"); });

After Writing this write command php artisan migrate or php artisan refresh What i personally prefer is to refresh rather than fresh migration because if you do fresh migrate it will remove all the data refresh will not.

but only exception is if you do refresh and if you have any foreign key in table so it will not going to re-establish the relationship so you will get error like,

> Cannot add foreign key constrain

If none of the solve worked, you might have recreated the migration file then added a new column and tried to run php artisan migrate to update the old table which will try to create that table but the table already exists so it gives an error. To solve that rename the migration file as previously named (started with a date), then add new column run php artisan migrate that will actually update the old one instead of create, solved my problem.