Fix 500 error on admin access: make navigation layout resilient and auto-run pending migrations on admin entry

app/Http/Controllers/AccountController.php

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ use Illuminate\Http\RedirectResponse;
 use Illuminate\Http\Request;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Auth;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Hash;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
 use Illuminate\Validation\Rule;
 use Illuminate\View\View;
 
@@ -26,11 +27,14 @@ class AccountController extends Controller
             ->latest()
             ->get();
 
-        $communications = Communication::where('user_id', $user->id)
+        $communications = collect();
-            ->orWhere('email', strtolower($user->email))
+        if (Schema::hasTable('communications')) {
-            ->with('replies')
+            $communications = Communication::where('user_id', $user->id)
-            ->latest()
+                ->orWhere('email', strtolower($user->email))
-            ->get();
+                ->with('replies')
+                ->latest()
+                ->get();
+        }
 
         return view('account.index', compact('user', 'orders', 'communications'));
     }

app/Http/Controllers/Admin/CommunicationController.php

@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@ use App\Models\Communication;
 use App\Models\CommunicationReply;
 use Illuminate\Http\RedirectResponse;
 use Illuminate\Http\Request;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Artisan;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Auth;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Log;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Mail;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
 use Illuminate\View\View;
 
 class CommunicationController extends Controller
@@ -20,6 +22,10 @@ class CommunicationController extends Controller
      */
     public function index(Request $request): View
     {
+        if (! Schema::hasTable('communications')) {
+            Artisan::call('migrate', ['--force' => true]);
+        }
+
         $query = Communication::with(['user', 'order', 'replies'])->latest();
 
         // Status filter

app/Http/Controllers/Admin/CustomerController.php

@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ use App\Models\Order;
 use App\Models\User;
 use Illuminate\Http\Request;
 use Illuminate\Pagination\LengthAwarePaginator;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Artisan;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
 use Illuminate\View\View;
 
 class CustomerController extends Controller
@@ -17,6 +19,10 @@ class CustomerController extends Controller
      */
     public function index(Request $request): View
     {
+        if (! Schema::hasTable('communications')) {
+            Artisan::call('migrate', ['--force' => true]);
+        }
+
         $search = trim($request->input('q', ''));
 
         // Query registered non-admin users

app/Http/Controllers/ContactController.php

@@ -9,9 +9,11 @@ use App\Models\Order;
 use App\Models\Setting;
 use Illuminate\Http\RedirectResponse;
 use Illuminate\Http\Request;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Artisan;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Auth;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Log;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Mail;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
 use Illuminate\View\View;
 
 class ContactController extends Controller
@@ -60,6 +62,10 @@ class ContactController extends Controller
             }
         }
 
+        if (! Schema::hasTable('communications')) {
+            Artisan::call('migrate', ['--force' => true]);
+        }
+
         $communication = Communication::create([
             'user_id' => Auth::id(),
             'order_id' => $orderId,

app/Http/Middleware/EnsureUserIsAdmin.php

@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ namespace App\Http\Middleware;
 
 use Closure;
 use Illuminate\Http\Request;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Artisan;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Log;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Response;
 
 class EnsureUserIsAdmin
@@ -23,6 +26,16 @@ class EnsureUserIsAdmin
                 ->with('error', 'Je hebt geen beheerderstoegang tot deze pagina.');
         }
 
+        // Auto-migrate check: Ensure that new database tables (like communications) are migrated
+        // automatically when an admin enters the admin panel, avoiding 500 errors on Coolify/production.
+        try {
+            if (! Schema::hasTable('communications')) {
+                Artisan::call('migrate', ['--force' => true]);
+            }
+        } catch (\Throwable $e) {
+            Log::warning('Auto-migration in EnsureUserIsAdmin failed: '.$e->getMessage());
+        }
+
         return $next($request);
     }
 }

resources/views/layouts/admin.blade.php

@@ -51,7 +51,14 @@
                         </a>
 
                         @php
-                            $draftBadgeCount = \App\Models\Product::where('status', 'draft')->count();
+                            $draftBadgeCount = 0;
+                            try {
+                                if (\Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema::hasTable('products')) {
+                                    $draftBadgeCount = \App\Models\Product::where('status', 'draft')->count();
+                                }
+                            } catch (\Throwable $e) {
+                                $draftBadgeCount = 0;
+                            }
                         @endphp
                         <a href="{{ route('admin.makerworld.staging') }}" class="px-3 py-1.5 rounded-lg transition flex items-center space-x-1.5 {{ request()->routeIs('admin.makerworld.staging*') ? 'bg-slate-900 text-white font-semibold' : 'text-slate-600 hover:text-slate-900 hover:bg-slate-100' }}">
                             <i data-lucide="layers" class="w-3.5 h-3.5"></i>
@@ -74,7 +81,14 @@
                         </a>
 
                         @php
-                            $unreadCommCount = \App\Models\Communication::where('status', 'new')->count();
+                            $unreadCommCount = 0;
+                            try {
+                                if (\Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema::hasTable('communications')) {
+                                    $unreadCommCount = \App\Models\Communication::where('status', 'new')->count();
+                                }
+                            } catch (\Throwable $e) {
+                                $unreadCommCount = 0;
+                            }
                         @endphp
                         <a href="{{ route('admin.communications.index') }}" class="px-3 py-1.5 rounded-lg transition flex items-center space-x-1.5 {{ request()->routeIs('admin.communications.*') ? 'bg-slate-900 text-white font-semibold' : 'text-slate-600 hover:text-slate-900 hover:bg-slate-100' }}">
                             <i data-lucide="message-square" class="w-3.5 h-3.5"></i>
@@ -101,7 +115,14 @@
                 <!-- Right Actions -->
                 <div class="flex items-center space-x-2.5">
                     @php
-                        $isShopOffline = \App\Models\Setting::get('shop_offline', '0') === '1';
+                        $isShopOffline = false;
+                        try {
+                            if (\Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema::hasTable('settings')) {
+                                $isShopOffline = \App\Models\Setting::get('shop_offline', '0') === '1';
+                            }
+                        } catch (\Throwable $e) {
+                            $isShopOffline = false;
+                        }
                     @endphp
 
                     <!-- Webshop Offline / Online Status Switcher -->
@@ -175,7 +196,7 @@
     </header>
 
     <!-- Offline Alert Banner -->
-    @if($isShopOffline ?? (\App\Models\Setting::get('shop_offline', '0') === '1'))
+    @if(!empty($isShopOffline))
         <div class="bg-rose-500 text-white px-4 py-2.5 text-xs font-medium border-b border-rose-600 shadow-sm flex flex-col sm:flex-row items-center justify-between gap-3 sticky top-16 z-20">
             <div class="flex items-center space-x-2">
                 <span class="w-2 h-2 rounded-full bg-white animate-pulse shrink-0"></span>

tests/Feature/CustomerCommunicationTest.php

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ use App\Models\Order;
 use App\Models\User;
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\RefreshDatabase;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Mail;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
 use Tests\TestCase;
 
 class CustomerCommunicationTest extends TestCase
@@ -231,4 +232,14 @@ class CustomerCommunicationTest extends TestCase
         $this->actingAs($this->customer)->get(route('admin.communications.index'))->assertRedirect(route('home'));
         $this->actingAs($this->customer)->get(route('admin.customers.index'))->assertRedirect(route('home'));
     }
+
+    public function test_admin_layout_does_not_crash_even_if_communications_table_is_initially_missing(): void
+    {
+        Schema::dropIfExists('communication_replies');
+        Schema::dropIfExists('communications');
+
+        // Layout renders with HTTP 200 without 500 server error even when table was absent
+        $response = $this->actingAs($this->admin)->get(route('admin.content.index'));
+        $response->assertStatus(200);
+    }
 }