Nginx Config Snippet Generator
Generates a common nginx server block configuration snippet
About this generator
Nginx configuration mistakes are silent in the wrong way — the server starts, traffic flows, but a missing header means your app logs the wrong client IP, a missing try_files means SPA routes return 404 on refresh, and a missing redirect means HTTP traffic never reaches HTTPS. Each pattern this generator produces includes the directives it actually needs. One input controls the output: the Snippet dropdown — Reverse proxy, Static site, HTTPS redirect, or SPA fallback. The reverse proxy block proxies to 127.0.0.1:3000 with the four forwarding headers. The static site block serves files with try_files and adds 30-day cache headers. The HTTPS redirect returns a 301. The SPA fallback uses try_files with /index.html as the final fallback. Drop the block into a sites-available config, update server_name and paths, then run nginx -t to validate before reloading.
How to use
- Pick the snippet you need.
- Click Generate to produce the server block.
- Edit server_name and paths to match your setup.
- Run nginx -t, then reload nginx.
Use Cases
- •Setting up a reverse proxy to an app server
- •Serving a static site with sensible caching
- •Redirecting all HTTP traffic to HTTPS
- •Adding client-side routing fallback for an SPA
- •Recalling the proxy headers nginx must forward
Tips
- →Always run nginx -t before reloading to catch typos.
- →Terminate TLS with the HTTPS redirect plus a 443 server block.
- →Set long cache headers on hashed static assets.
- →Keep one server block per file in sites-available.
FAQ
which snippet patterns are available
Four: a reverse proxy (with forwarding headers for Host, X-Real-IP, X-Forwarded-For, and X-Forwarded-Proto), a static site (with try_files and long cache headers for static assets), an HTTPS redirect (a 301 from HTTP to HTTPS), and an SPA fallback (try_files with /index.html as the final fallback).
why does the reverse proxy include the X-Forwarded headers
Without these headers, the upstream app sees nginx as the client. X-Forwarded-For carries the original client IP, X-Real-IP provides a single clean IP value, and X-Forwarded-Proto tells the app whether the original request was HTTP or HTTPS — important for redirect logic and security rules.
what does the SPA fallback try_files line do
It serves the requested file if it exists, or the directory index if present, otherwise falls back to /index.html. That fallback lets the single-page app's router handle client-side routes on a hard refresh — without it a direct URL returns a 404.
how do I safely test an nginx config change
Run nginx -t to validate the syntax before applying. Then use nginx -s reload or systemctl reload nginx to apply without dropping existing connections. A syntax error found by nginx -t will never reach a live server.
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