How can I remove a package from Laravel using PHP Composer?

When working with Laravel, you may need to remove a package that is no longer required. PHP Composer makes it easy to uninstall packages cleanly from your project. In this blog, we’ll go over the simple steps to remove a package from Laravel using Composer.

Steps to Remove a Package

1. Find the Installed Package

Before removing a package, you might want to check the installed packages in your Laravel project. You can do this by running:

composer show

This command lists all installed packages, helping you confirm the exact name of the package you want to remove.

2. Remove the Package Using Composer

To uninstall a package, use the following command:

composer remove vendor/package-name

For example, if you want to remove laravel/telescope, you would run:

composer remove laravel/telescope

3. Clear Configuration and Cache (Optional)

After removing a package, it’s a good practice to clear Laravel’s cache and configurations to avoid issues:

php artisan cache:clear
php artisan config:clear

4. Remove Unused Dependencies (Optional)

To clean up any unnecessary dependencies that may no longer be needed, run:

composer autoremove

5. Verify Removal

Check your composer.json file to ensure the package has been removed. Additionally, run:

composer dump-autoload

This regenerates the Composer autoload files, ensuring Laravel runs smoothly.