Nginx Configuration Generator
Generate Nginx server configurations. Create reverse proxies, SSL setups, load balancing, caching rules, and more with template support.
Preview
# Configure settings above to see preview
Installation Instructions
Generate your configuration
Configure settings above and download the generated nginx.conf file.
Place in Nginx directory
Copy the configuration to /etc/nginx/sites-available/yoursite or /etc/nginx/conf.d/yoursite.conf
Test configuration
Run nginx -t to validate syntax before applying.
Reload Nginx
Apply changes with nginx -s reload or systemctl reload nginx
Template Support
Pre-built templates for static sites, reverse proxies, WordPress, Node.js, and load balancers.
Security Features
Rate limiting, IP restrictions, SSL/TLS configuration with modern cipher suites.
Syntax Validation
Real-time validation ensures your configuration follows Nginx syntax rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Nginx?
Nginx is a high-performance web server, reverse proxy, and load balancer. It's known for its stability, rich feature set, simple configuration, and low resource consumption. Nginx is widely used to serve static content, reverse proxy to application servers, and handle SSL/TLS termination.
What is a reverse proxy?
A reverse proxy sits in front of web servers and forwards client requests to those servers. It provides benefits like load balancing, SSL termination, caching, and security. Nginx excels as a reverse proxy for Node.js, Python, Ruby, and other application servers.
How do I enable SSL/TLS in Nginx?
To enable SSL in Nginx, you need SSL certificate and key files. Use the ssl_certificate and ssl_certificate_key directives to specify their paths. Also configure listen 443 ssl for HTTPS, enable TLS protocols (TLSv1.2, TLSv1.3), and set cipher preferences for security.
What is proxy_pass in Nginx?
proxy_pass is an Nginx directive that forwards requests to another server (upstream). It's commonly used to proxy requests to application servers like Node.js (port 3000), Python (port 8000), or other backend services. Combined with proxy headers, it passes client information to the backend.
How does Nginx caching work?
Nginx can cache responses from upstream servers using proxy_cache or from FastCGI servers using fastcgi_cache. Configure proxy_cache_path to set cache location and size, then use proxy_cache in location blocks. Set proxy_cache_valid to specify how long different response codes are cached.
What is the difference between try_files and proxy_pass?
try_files checks if files exist on the filesystem before serving them, commonly used for static sites and SPAs. proxy_pass forwards requests to another server, used for dynamic content. You can use try_files first and fall back to proxy_pass if no static file is found.
How do I set up rate limiting in Nginx?
Rate limiting in Nginx uses limit_req_zone to define a zone that tracks request rates, then limit_req in server or location blocks to apply the limit. For example, limit_req_zone $binary_remote_addr zone=mylimit:10m rate=10r/s limits clients to 10 requests per second.
Can I test my Nginx configuration before applying it?
Yes, use 'nginx -t' to test your configuration for syntax errors before reloading. This validates the config without affecting the running server. Always test configurations before running 'nginx -s reload' or 'systemctl reload nginx' in production.