Laravel 12 How to Import Large CSV Files 10x Faster

In this Laravel 12 tutorial titled “Laravel 12: How to Import Large CSV Files 10x Faster”, you will learn how to import large csv files very fast without using any package.

When working with large CSV files (hundreds of thousands or millions of rows), Laravel’s traditional import methods like DB::table()->insert() or Excel packages can become slow and memory-hungry. In such cases, MySQL raw queries provide the fastest possible way to import data in Laravel.

MySQL’s LOAD DATA INFILE or LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE bypasses PHP processing entirely, reading files directly into the database at high speeds—up to 10x faster for millions of rows.

This approach suits Laravel developers handling bulk data from user uploads or exports, avoiding timeouts and high resource use.

Why Normal CSV Imports Are Slow in Laravel

Common Laravel import approaches:

DB::table()->insert()
Eloquent models
Laravel Excel (Maatwebsite)

These methods:

Process data row by row or in chunks
Consume PHP memory
Add framework overhead

For small to medium files, this is fine.
For large CSV files, performance drops drastically.

What Is LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE?

LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE is a native MySQL command that imports CSV data directly into a table, bypassing PHP entirely.

Key benefits:

Extremely fast (10–50x faster)
Minimal memory usage
Ideal for bulk imports

When Should You Use MySQL Raw CSV Import?

Use it when:

CSV file is very large
You want maximum performance
Data structure already matches the database table
You’re using MySQL or MariaDB
Import is a one-time or batch operation

Avoid it when:

You need validation or transformations per row
You must hash passwords with Hash::make()
Database is SQLite or PostgreSQL
File size is small (overkill)

Prerequisites and Configuration

Enable MySQL local_infile

In my.ini or my.cnf:

[mysqld]
local_infile=1

[client]
local_infile=1

Restart MySQL.

Enable PDO Option in Laravel

Enable local_infile in Laravel’s config/database.php:

'mysql' => [
    // ...
    'options' => [
        PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_LOCAL_INFILE => true,
    ],
],

Restart your server and clear config cache with:

php artisan config:clear

Read Also : How to Import Large Excel and CSV Files in Laravel 12 Complete Guide

Step-by-Step Implementation

Step 1: Create a controller

In this step, we will create a controller and define a method to handle the file upload and data import.

<?php
 
namespace App\Http\Controllers;
 
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use App\Models\User;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\DB;

class UserController extends Controller
{ 
    public function index(){
 
        $users = User::orderBy("id")->paginate(10);
        return view('import',compact('users'));
    }
     
 
    /**
    * Import data from Excel/CSV
    */
    public function import(Request $request) 
    {
        $request->validate([
            'file' => 'required|mimes:xlsx,xls,csv',
        ]);
 
        
         try {

            $filePath = addslashes(
                str_replace('\\', '/', $request->file('file')->getRealPath())
            );
          DB::table('users')->truncate();
             // Disable checks for speed
            DB::statement('SET @@session.unique_checks = 0');
            DB::statement('SET @@session.foreign_key_checks = 0');
            
            DB::statement("
                LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE '{$filePath}'
                IGNORE
                INTO TABLE users
                FIELDS TERMINATED BY ','
                ENCLOSED BY '\"'
                LINES TERMINATED BY '\r\n'
                 IGNORE 1 LINES
                (@column1,@column2,@column3)
                SET name=@column2,email=@column3,created_at = NOW(), updated_at = NOW()
            ");

    
            // Re-enable checks
            DB::statement('SET @@session.unique_checks = 1');
            DB::statement('SET @@session.foreign_key_checks = 1');
            
            unlink($filePath); // Clean up

            return back()->with('success', 'Users Imported successfully!');

        } catch (\Exception $e) {

            return back()->with('error', 'Error importing file: ' . $e->getMessage());

        }
    }

}

Explanation:

->truncate():Deletes all existing users, Resets AUTO_INCREMENT
Skips uniqueness & foreign key checks temporarily , Makes bulk import much faster,Only safe if your CSV is trusted.
LOCAL INFILE: read file from client
IGNORE: skip duplicate rows
FIELDS TERMINATED BY ‘,’: CSV separator
LINES TERMINATED BY ‘\r\n’: Windows-style line ending
ENCLOSED BY ‘”‘: handles quoted CSV values
IGNORE 1 LINES: skips CSV headers
@column1:Temporary variable (ignored)
SET name=@column2:Maps CSV column to DB column
unlink($filePath);:Removes uploaded file from temp directory,Prevents disk clutter

id is not mentioned, so MySQL auto-increment works correctly.

Step 2: Create Routes

In this step, you will register routes to handle file uploads and render the imported data.

<?php
 
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;
use App\Http\Controllers\UserController;
 
Route::controller(UserController::class)->group(function(){
    Route::get('users', 'index')->name('users.index');
    Route::post('users/import', 'import')->name('users.import');
    
});

Read Also: Laravel 12 with Vue.js Complete Setup Guide for Beginners

Step 3: Create View

In this step, we will define routes for uploading the file and viewing the imported data.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>How to Import Large Excel and CSV Files in Laravel 12 Complete Guide</title>
    <link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap@5.3.8/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
</head>
<body>
    <div class="container mt-5">
        <div class="card">
            <h5 class="card-header">How to Import Large Excel and CSV Files in Laravel 12 Complete Guide - ItStuffSolutiotions</h5>
            <div class="card-body">
                 <!-- Success/Error Messages -->
            @if(session('success'))
                <div class="alert alert-success">{{ session('success') }}</div>
            @endif
            @if(session('error'))
                <div class="alert alert-danger">{{ session('error') }}</div>
            @endif
            @if($errors->any())
                <div class="alert alert-danger">
                    <ul class="mb-0">
                        @foreach($errors->all() as $error)
                            <li>{{ $error }}</li>
                        @endforeach
                    </ul>
                </div>
            @endif

            
            <form action="{{ route('users.import') }}" method="POST" enctype="multipart/form-data" class="mb-4 border p-4 rounded bg-light">
                @csrf
                <div class="row align-items-end">
                    <div class="col-md-5">
                        <label class="form-label fw-bold">Select File (XLSX, CSV)</label>
                        <input type="file" name="file" class="form-control" required>
                    </div>
                    <div class="col-md-3">
                        <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary w-100">Import Users</button>
                    </div>
                   
                </div>
            </form>
                <table class="table table-bordered data-table">
                    <thead>
                        <tr>
                            <th>#</th>
                            <th>Name</th>
                            <th>Email</th>
                            <th>Created At</th>
                            <th>Updated At</th>
                        </tr>
                    </thead>
                     @forelse($users as $user)
                    <tr>
                        <td>{{ $user->id }}</td>
                        <td>{{ $user->name }}</td>
                        <td>{{ $user->email }}</td>
                        <td>{{ $user->created_at->format('d M Y') }}</td>
                        <td>{{ $user->updated_at->format('d M Y') }}</td>
                    </tr>
                    @empty
                    <tr>
                        <td colspan="5" class="text-center">No Users Found!!</td>
                    </tr>
                    @endforelse
                </table>
                 <!-- Pagination -->
            <div class="d-flex justify-content-center">
                {{ $users->links() }}
            </div>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
    <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap@5.3.8/dist/js/bootstrap.bundle.min.js"></script>
    
   
</body>

</html>

Step 4: Run The Application To Import CSV Data

Once all the steps are completed successfully, start the Laravel development server.

php artisan serve

Next, open your browser and navigate to http://127.0.0.1:8000/users.

Laravel 12 How to Import Large CSV Files 10x Faster — Laravel Excel Import Demo File

Select the CSV file you want to import, and you will see how quickly the data is imported into your database table.

When NOT to Use MySQL Raw Import

Small CSV files
Complex data mapping
Multiple relations
Cross-database support needed
Real-time user uploads

In such cases, use:

DB::table()->insert()
Laravel Excel
LazyCollection

Conclusion

In this Laravel 12 tutorial, you learned how to import large CSV files 10x faster by using MySQL’s native LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE command instead of traditional Laravel import methods or third-party packages. This approach completely bypasses PHP row-by-row processing and allows MySQL to read and insert data directly into the database, making it ideal for handling hundreds of thousands or even millions of records efficiently.

By configuring MySQL and Laravel correctly and executing a raw SQL query with DB::statement(), you can significantly reduce memory usage, avoid timeouts, and achieve maximum import performance. This technique is especially useful for bulk data migrations, admin-only imports, and batch processing tasks where validation and per-row transformations are not required.

However, performance always comes with trade-offs. For small files, complex validations, password hashing, or multi-database support, Laravel’s standard methods like DB::table()->insert(), Eloquent, or Laravel Excel remain the better and safer choice.

In short, when speed and scalability matter most, MySQL raw CSV imports are the best solution in Laravel 12. Use the right tool for the right scenario, and you’ll be able to handle large datasets efficiently without sacrificing application stability.

Table of Contents