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Data & Volumes

Where Laradock keeps your data, why it survives rebuilds, and how to back it up or wipe it.

The two kinds of storage​

Laradock mounts exactly two things from your host into the containers:

  • Your code, bind-mounted live. APP_CODE_PATH_HOST (default ../, the folder that holds Laradock) is mounted at APP_CODE_PATH_CONTAINER (/var/www). Edit a file on your host and the container sees it instantly, which is why there's no "copy into the container" step.
  • Service data (databases, caches, uploads), stored under DATA_PATH_HOST (default ~/.laradock/data). Each service gets its own sub-folder: MySQL in ~/.laradock/data/mysql, PostgreSQL in ~/.laradock/data/postgres, Redis in ~/.laradock/data/redis, and so on.

Because both live on your host, not inside the containers, your data is safe when you stop, delete, or rebuild containers.

Your data survives rebuilds​

Stopping or deleting containers never touches your data:

./laradock remove

Both remove the running containers but leave everything under DATA_PATH_HOST on disk. Start the services again and your databases are exactly where you left them. The only things that erase data are deleting its folder yourself (below) or a --no-cache rebuild that reinitializes a volume.

Back up a service's data​

Since data is just files on your host, a backup is a copy of the folder. Stop the service first so the files are consistent:

./laradock stop mysql          # or: docker compose stop mysql
cp -r ~/.laradock/data/mysql ~/mysql-backup

For databases, a logical dump is more portable across versions than copying raw files. Run it from inside the container:

./laradock exec mysql mysqldump -udefault -psecret mydatabase > backup.sql

Reset or wipe one service​

To start a service from a clean slate, for example to apply a new database password (credentials are only baked in on the first boot) or to clear a corrupted database, delete that service's data folder:

./laradock stop mysql          # or: docker compose stop mysql
rm -rf ~/.laradock/data/mysql
./laradock start mysql         # or: docker compose up -d mysql

The service reinitializes fresh on the next start. This affects only the service you delete; the rest are untouched.

warning

Deleting a data folder is permanent. Back it up first if there's any chance you'll want it.

Separate data per project​

Running more than one Laradock at once? Give each project its own DATA_PATH_HOST (and COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME) in its .env so their databases never mix:

COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME=myproject
DATA_PATH_HOST=~/.laradock/data-myproject

See Running Multiple Projects for the full setup.