Fix this error

SQLSTATE[HY000] [1045] Access denied for user

Dasun Kalupahana Updated November 10, 2026 323 views

Error

SQLSTATE[HY000] [1045] Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost' (using password: YES)

Why it happens

The database server is running, but it rejected the username or password, or that user is not allowed to connect from this host.

DB_USERNAME / DB_PASSWORD in .env are wrong.
The password contains # or spaces and is not quoted, so .env cuts it off.
On shared hosting (cPanel) the user name has a prefix such as account_user, or the user was never added to the database.
The config is cached with old values.

Check the credentials in .env. Quote passwords that contain special characters: DB_PASSWORD="p#ss word".
On cPanel, use the full prefixed names and add the user to the database (MySQL Databases → Add User To Database, all privileges).
Run php artisan config:clear.
If you manage MySQL yourself, create the user and grant access (below).

CREATE USER 'app'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'strong-password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON laravel.* TO 'app'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

#laravel #mysql #database

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