Fix Laravel Vite Assets Loading from Development Server in Production – Complete Guide

Deploying a Laravel application with Vite can sometimes throw unexpected issues. One of the most common headaches is when your production site tries to load assets from localhost:5173, instead of the compiled files from /public/build.

If your site is breaking in production because of this, don’t worry — this guide provides a real-world fix tested in multiple deployments. By the end, you’ll not only solve the issue but also set up a reliable workflow that ensures it never happens again.

Understanding the Problem

When working locally, Laravel with Vite uses a hot module replacement (HMR) server running at http://localhost:5173. This makes development fast and efficient, with instant browser updates.

But here’s the catch:

• In production, your server doesn’t run this dev server.
• Instead, it should serve the pre-built assets inside /public/build.
• If you see references like this in production:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://localhost:5173/resources/css/app.css">

instead of:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://yourdomain.com/build/assets/app-xxxx.css">

…it means Laravel is still trying to use the hot reload dev server.

The culprit? 👉 A leftover public/hot file that tells Laravel to keep using localhost:5173.

Quick Fix for Production

Run these commands on your production server:

cd /home/username/public_html
rm -f public/hot
php artisan config:clear
php artisan cache:clear
php artisan view:clear

✅ This removes the hot file and clears Laravel caches. ✅ Once done, reload your site — it should immediately use the compiled assets.

Permanent Fix with Deployment Workflow

Manually fixing is fine once. But if you deploy often, you want automation.

Step 1 – Update .gitignore

Make sure public/build is not ignored, since you need compiled assets in production:

# Keep build folder in repo
!public/build

Step 2 – Always Build Locally

Since your production server doesn’t have npm, build assets before pushing:

npm run build
git add .
git commit -m "Build assets for production"
git push origin main

Step 3 – GitHub Actions for Deployment

Update your GitHub Actions workflow to:

• Deploy code
• Remove public/hot
• Clear caches

Example workflow snippet:

- name: Remove hot file
  run: rm -f public/hot

- name: Clear Laravel caches
  run: |
    php artisan config:clear
    php artisan cache:clear
    php artisan view:clear

Best Practices – Do’s & Don’ts

✅ Do:

• Run npm run build before deploying
• Commit /public/build into your repo
• Automate cache clearing

❌ Don’t:

• Run npm run dev on production
• Commit public/hot
• Forget to build before pushing

Typical Deployment Workflow

Here’s what your development → production cycle should look like:

# Local development
npm run dev  

# Before deploy
npm run build  
git add .  
git commit -m "Production build"  
git push origin main  

Your CI/CD pipeline (GitHub Actions, Forge, etc.) will handle the rest.

Real-World Buyer Outcomes

By fixing this issue, buyers (your clients) get:

• A fully working production site without broken CSS/JS.
• Confidence that deployments won’t break again.
• Optimized workflow for Laravel + Vite projects.
• Reduced downtime, which directly impacts user experience and conversions.

This builds trust in your expertise and ensures repeat clients.

FAQs

Q1: Why is Laravel loading assets from localhost:5173 in production? Because the public/hot file still exists, making Laravel think it should use the dev server.

Q2: Can I fix this without GitHub Actions? Yes. Manually delete public/hot and rebuild assets locally before deploying.

Q3: Do I need to commit /public/build? Yes, since your production server may not have Node/NPM.

Q4: What if I use Laravel Forge or Vapor? Same process applies — always build assets locally and commit /public/build.

Q5: Should I ever run npm run dev in production? No, it’s only for local development. Use npm run build for production.

Q6: How do I know it’s fixed? Check your production HTML source. If asset URLs load from /build/assets/… instead of localhost:5173, you’re good!

Conclusion

Fixing Laravel Vite assets loading from development server in production is straightforward once you know the root cause — the public/hot file. With the quick fix and a robust deployment workflow, you’ll ensure production deployments always load the correct compiled assets.

This not only solves the immediate problem but also gives you a future-proof process that builds client trust and keeps production environments stable.