“Fix the Laravel error Vite manifest not found at /public/build/manifest.json in local development and production. Step-by-step guide with npm, Vite, and Laravel solutions for beginners and junior developers.” ✅ Beginner-Friendly Solution 1. What is the Error? Vite manifest not found at: /public/build/manifest.json Laravel + Vite uses manifest.json to load CSS & JS assets. If the file is missing, your frontend assets won’t load. Common causes: Dependencies not installed (node_modules missing) Vite not running or production build not generated Wrong paths in vite.config.js public/build moved or missing 2. Solution for Local Development Make sure Node.js & npm are installed. Install dependencies: npm install Start Vite development server: npm run dev This generates manifest.json in public/build. Keep the terminal running while working on the project. 3. Solution for Production Build production assets: npm run build Optimized CSS & JS files are created in public/build. manifest.json is generated automatically. Ensure vite.config.js paths are correct: export default defineConfig({ plugins: [vue()], build: { outDir: 'public/build', emptyOutDir: true, }, }); Clear Laravel caches: php artisan view:clear php artisan cache:clear php artisan config:clear Important: Make sure public/build is accessible and inside the public folder. 4. Best Practices Do not upload node_modules to production. Always run npm run build on the server after deployment. Keep vite.config.js consistent between local & production. Commit vite.config.js but ignore public/build in version control if desired. Back