This document provides a cheat sheet on how to configure the Nginx web server for common use cases such as setting ports and domain names, serving static files, redirects, reverse proxying, TLS/SSL encryption, load balancing, and access logging. It includes configuration examples for listening on ports, setting server names, serving static assets, 301 and 302 redirects, basic and upgraded reverse proxying, HTTPS setup, and load balancing multiple servers.

1. Nginx Cheat Sheet
Nginx is a web server which can also be used as a reverse proxy, load balancer, mail
proxy and HTTP cache.
by lam
󰅂General Settings
Port (listen)
server {
# standard HTTP proto
col
listen 80;
# standard HTTPS prot
ocol
listen 443 ssl;
# listen on 80 using
IPv6
listen [::]:80;
# listen only on IPv6
listen [::]:80 ipv6on
ly=on;
}
Domain name (server_name)
server {
# Listen to yourdomai
n.com
server_name yourdomai
n.com;
# Listen to multiple
domains
server_name yourdomai
n.com www.yourdomain.co
m;
# Listen to all sub-d
omains
server_name *.yourdom
ain.com;
# Listen to all top-l
evel domains
server_name yourdomai
n.*;
# Listen to unspecifi
ed hostnames (listens t
o IP address itself)
󰅂Serving Files
Static assets
server {
listen 80;
server_name yourdomai
n.com;
location / {
root /path/to/w
ebsite;
}
}
Static assets with HTML5
History Mode
server {
listen 80;
server_name yourdomai
n.com;
root /path/to/websit
e;
location / {
try_files $uri
$uri/ /index.html;
}
}
󰅂Redirects
301 Permanent
Useful for handling
www.yourdomain.com vs.
yourdomain.com or
redirecting http to https. In
this case we will redirect
www.yourdomain.com to
yourdomain.com.
server {
listen 80;
server_name www.yourd
omain.com;
return 301 http://you
rdomain.com$request_ur
i;
}
302 Temporary
server {
listen 80;
server_name yourdomai
n.com;
return 302 http://oth
erdomain.com;
}
Redirect on speci c URL
Can be permanent (301) or
temporary (302).
server {
listen 80;
server_name yourdomai
n.com;
location /redirect-ur
l {
return 301 htt
p://otherdomain.com;
}
}
󰅂Reverse Proxy
Basic
server {
listen 80;
server_name yourdomai
n.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://
0.0.0.0:3000;
# where 0.0.0.0:300
0 is your Node.js Serve
r bound on 0.0.0.0 list
ing on port 3000
}
}
󰅂TLS/SSL (HTTPS)
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2. server_name "";
}
Access Logging (access_log)
server {
# Relative or full pa
th to log file
access_log /path/to/f
ile.log;
# Turn 'on' or 'off'
access_log on;
}
Miscellaneous (gzip,
client_max_body_size)
server {
# Turn gzip compressi
on 'on' or 'off'
gzip on;
# Limit client body s
ize to 10mb
client_max_body_size
10M;
}
Basic+
upstream node_js {
server 0.0.0.0:3000;
# where 0.0.0.0:3000 i
s your Node.js Server b
ound on 0.0.0.0 listin
g on port 3000
}
server {
listen 80;
server_name yourdomai
n.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://no
de_js;
}
}
Upgraded Connection
(Recommended for Node.js
Applications)
Useful for Node.js
applications with support for
WebSockets like socket.io.
upstream node_js {
server 0.0.0.0:3000;
}
server {
listen 80;
server_name yourdomai
n.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://n
ode_js;
proxy_redirect off;
proxy_http_version
1.1;
proxy_set_header Up
grade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Co
nnection "upgrade";
proxy_set_header Ho
st $host;
# not required but
useful for application
s with heavy WebSocket
usage
# as it increases t
he default timeout conf
If you are looking for free
SSL certi cates, Let's
Encrypt is a free,
automated, and open
Certi cate Authority. Also,
here is a wonderful step-by-
step guide from Digital
Ocean on how to setup
TLS/SSL on Ubuntu 16.04.
server {
listen 443 ssl;
server_name yourdoma
in.com;
ssl on;
ssl_certificate /pat
h/to/cert.pem;
ssl_certificate_key
/path/to/privkey.pem;
ssl_stapling on;
ssl_stapling_verify
on;
ssl_trusted_certific
ate /path/to/fullchai
n.pem;
ssl_protocols TLSv1
TLSv1.1 TLSv1.2;
ssl_session_timeout
1d;
ssl_session_cache sh
ared:SSL:50m;
add_header Strict-Tr
ansport-Security max-a
ge=15768000;
}
# Permanent redirect f
or HTTP to HTTPS
server {
listen 80;
server_name yourdoma
in.com;
return 301 https://
$host$request_uri;
}
󰅂
Large Scale
Applications
Load Balancing
upstream node_js {
server 0.0.0.0:3000;
server 0.0.0.0:4000;
server 123.131.121.12
2;
}
server {
listen 80;
server_name yourdomai
n.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://n
ode_js;
}
}
󰏪
󰅢

3. CheatSheetMaker.com SimpleCheatSheet.com
iguration of 60
proxy_read_timeout
80;
}
}
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