How to Replace “php artisan” With a Short Command in Windows PowerShell

Why I Wanted a Shorter Laravel Command

If you use Laravel every day, you type the same command again and again:

php artisan ...

For example:

php artisan optimize
php artisan migrate
php artisan make:model User

After typing this dozens of times per day, it becomes slow and annoying.
So I decided to make my workflow faster. My goal was simple:

Use just one letter — “a” — instead of “php artisan”.

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Why a Normal Alias Does Not Work in Windows PowerShell

Windows PowerShell does not support this kind of alias correctly.
If you try to create a simple alias, you will see errors like:

Could not open input file: optimize

This happens because PowerShell incorrectly runs:

php optimize

instead of:

php artisan optimize

To fix this, we need a function that sends all arguments directly to php artisan.

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Step-by-Step: Create the “a” Command in PowerShell

Follow these steps to make your custom a command work everywhere.

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1. Open PowerShell

Press Start → PowerShell.

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2. Check Your Profile File Path

Run:

echo $PROFILE

You will see something like:

C:\Users\YourName\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1

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3. Open the Profile File

Run:

notepad $PROFILE

If the file does not exist, choose Yes to create it.

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4. Add This Function Inside the File

This is the correct function that makes a work exactly like php artisan:

function a {
    & php .\artisan @args
}

This line:

• runs php artisan
• passes all arguments to it (@args)
• works in any Laravel project folder
• supports all Artisan commands normally

Save the file and close Notepad.

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5. Reload the Profile

Run:

. $PROFILE

(important: dot, space, then $PROFILE)

Your new command is now active.

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How to Use the New “a” Command

Now you can replace anything like this:

php artisan optimize

with:

a optimize

More examples:

a migrate
a tinker
a config:cache
a make:model Product
a make:controller Admin/DashboardController

It behaves 100% the same as:

php artisan ...

but much faster to type.

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Why This Saves Time

If you run multiple Artisan commands during development, this simple shortcut:

• saves keystrokes
• speeds up your workflow
• makes repetitive tasks easier
• keeps your hands on the keyboard
• reduces typing effort

It takes less than one minute to set up but improves your daily coding speed immediately.

See my blog post: https://eddie-goldman.com/how-to-replace-php-artisan-with-a-short-command-in-windows-powershell/