Laravel RefreshDatabase "Migration ... failed" in CI

RefreshDatabase migrates the testing connection at the start of the run. If a migration uses syntax the CI database does not support (common when tests use sqlite but migrations assume MySQL) or references a table created out of order, the whole suite aborts during setup.

What this error means

Tests never run their assertions; setup fails with a QueryException inside a migration, such as "SQLSTATE[HY000]: near ...: syntax error" on sqlite or a foreign key error on a missing table.

phpunit

  Illuminate\Database\QueryException

  SQLSTATE[HY000]: General error: 1 no such table: users
  (SQL: alter table "posts" add constraint ... foreign key ("user_id"))

Common causes

Migrations assume MySQL but tests use sqlite

A migration uses MySQL-only column types or inline DDL that sqlite cannot parse, so RefreshDatabase fails on the testing connection.

A foreign key references a table not yet created

Migration ordering or a dropped table leaves a constraint pointing at a table sqlite has not built, aborting setup.

How to fix it

Run tests against the same engine as production

Use a MySQL/Postgres service for tests instead of sqlite.
Point the testing connection at that service.
Re-run so migrations execute on the engine they were written for.

.github/workflows/ci.yml

services:
  mysql: { image: mysql:8.0, env: { MYSQL_DATABASE: testing, MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: password }, ports: ['3306:3306'] }

Make migrations portable

Split foreign key constraints into a later migration and avoid engine-specific raw DDL so both sqlite and MySQL migrate cleanly.

database/migrations/xxxx_add_fk.php

Schema::table('posts', function (Blueprint $t) {
    $t->foreignId('user_id')->constrained();
});

How to prevent it

Test on the same database engine you deploy to.
Keep migrations portable if you must run sqlite in CI.
Order foreign keys after the referenced tables exist.