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Guide · Open source

How to use Filament: install it in Laravel and build admin panels

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

Filament is an open-source UI framework for Laravel, the PHP web framework. It supplies ready-made tables, forms, infolists, notifications, dashboard widgets and action modals so you can build admin panels and app interfaces without designing every screen yourself. This guide explains what Filament is, what you need before installing it, how the install works, and which building blocks to learn first.

Filamentfilamentphp/filament · ★ 32.4k · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Confirm prerequisites. Check that you have PHP 8.2+, Laravel v11+ and Composer installed.
  2. 2Open your Laravel project. Change into the root directory of the Laravel application you want to extend.
  3. 3Install Filament. Run the install command from the README to add Filament to the project.
  4. 4Read the official docs. Follow the setup steps at filamentphp.com/docs for your Laravel version.
  5. 5Create a first panel. Set up one admin panel and one resource tied to an existing model.
  6. 6Add a table and a form. Use the table for listing records and the form for creating and editing them.
  7. 7Add a dashboard widget. Show a live metric from your data on the dashboard.

What Filament is and what it includes

Filament is a set of UI building blocks for Laravel applications. Instead of writing every table, form and modal by hand, you use components the framework already provides. It is built on Livewire, Alpine.js and Tailwind CSS, which is the TALL stack.

The main building blocks are listed below.

  • Tables: browse and filter large datasets with columns, actions and bulk operations.
  • Forms: build reactive forms from reusable, state-aware components.
  • Infolists: render read-only record views with structured layouts.
  • Notifications: show in-app feedback for actions, errors and system events.
  • Dashboard widgets: show metrics and trends using live, data-driven widgets.
  • Action modals: handle confirmations and data entry in focused modal workflows.

Check the requirements before you install Filament

Filament is a developer framework for PHP projects. The README lists PHP 8.2+, Laravel v11+ and Composer as prerequisites. If your project is not written in PHP or does not use Laravel, Filament is not the right tool.

Filament is not a no-code product. You need to write PHP to define what your panels show.

  • PHP 8.2 or newer
  • Laravel v11 or newer
  • Composer

Install Filament with Composer

Filament is installed as a package through Composer, the PHP dependency manager. The install command from the project README is shown below. Run it from the root of your Laravel project.

The README also points to the official documentation at filamentphp.com/docs for the full setup steps, which cover the current install flow for your version of Laravel.

git clone https://github.com/filamentphp/filament

Build your first admin panel

After installation, use the documentation at filamentphp.com/docs to create your first panel and resources. Start with one model, then add a table to list records and a form to create and edit them. This keeps the work small and shows how the components fit together.

Add dashboard widgets once the basic resource works. Widgets read live data, so they are most useful when they reflect real records.

  • Pick one Eloquent model to manage first.
  • Add a table with columns, filters and actions.
  • Add a form for creating and editing records.
  • Add a dashboard widget that shows a metric from that model.

Get help and report problems

If you find a bug, submit a detailed issue on the GitHub issue tracker and wait for a response. For questions or feature requests, start a discussion on GitHub. The project also runs a Discord community for quick help.

For security issues, follow the project's security policy in the SECURITY.md file rather than opening a public issue.

  • Bugs: submit a detailed issue on GitHub.
  • Questions and feature requests: start a GitHub discussion.
  • Quick help: ask in the Discord community.
  • Vulnerabilities: follow SECURITY.md.

What people use it for

  • Internal admin panels for managing users, orders or content in a Laravel app.
  • Data tables with filters, actions and bulk operations over large record sets.
  • Forms with reactive, state-aware fields for data entry.
  • Dashboards with live widgets showing key metrics for each user.
  • Confirmation and data-entry modals attached to record actions.

Frequently asked questions

Is Filament free to use?

Yes. Filament is open source and released under the MIT licence, as listed on its project page. You can read the licence file in the repository to confirm the terms.

What do I need to install Filament?

The README lists PHP 8.2+, Laravel v11+ and Composer. You install Filament into an existing Laravel project.

How do I install Filament?

The README gives the command git clone https://github.com/filamentphp/filament. For the full setup steps, follow the official docs at filamentphp.com/docs.

Can I use Filament without Laravel?

No. Filament is built for Laravel and requires it, so it does not work for non-PHP projects or PHP projects that do not use Laravel.

Is Filament a no-code tool?

No. Filament is a developer framework. You write PHP to define your tables, forms and panels.

How does Filament compare to Laravel Nova or Backpack for Laravel?

The project lists Laravel Nova, Backpack for Laravel, React Admin and AdminJS as comparable projects. Nova is a commercial product, while Filament is open source under the MIT licence. Compare them on the features and licence you need before choosing.

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Our verdict

Filament suits Laravel developers who want admin panels, data tables, forms and live dashboards without building the front end from scratch, especially if they already use the TALL stack. Pick something else if your project is not in PHP, you need a no-code tool, or you need a completely custom visual design system, since Filament ships with its own opinionated UI.

Install options & downloads