When you push git push origin main , your code should test, build, deploy, and migrate without you logging into a server. If you are SSH'ing into a box to run composer update , you have lost the DevOps game.

DevOps isn't a job title. It's a set of practices. For a Laravel developer, that means treating your servers, queues, caches, and deploys as part of the codebase.

Here is how you stop "deploying" like a junior and start "releasing" like a pro. If you are using FileZilla to upload files to a shared hosting server, stop reading this and fix that first. Modern Laravel DevOps requires a repeatable environment.