nginx

To safely add an nginx reverse-proxy vhost, place the configuration in sites-available, create a symlink in sites-enabled, and run nginx -t before reloading. This validate-then-apply workflow prevents bad configuration reloads from taking down production edges.

Trailing-slash 404 errors in nginx location blocks occur when redirect companion rules are missing for browsable /name/ locations. You must configure matching redirect rules for every trailing-slash directory to prevent subtle 404 errors during routing.

Certbot manages TLS lifecycles for nginx vhosts by handling listen 443 configurations and automated renewals. You must apply surgical edits to HTTPS blocks rather than overwriting certbot-managed live files from repository templates to keep TLS stable.

The best way to structure multiple nginx project vhosts is using sites-available as the source-of-truth and sites-enabled via symlinks for active hosts. This symlink discipline keeps multi-project layouts organized and allows safe project removal.

You cannot overwrite certbot-managed HTTPS blocks when deploying nginx config templates from a repo. Overwriting live certbot files breaks TLS, so you must apply surgical edits to existing HTTPS configurations instead of replacing them entirely.

You need to run nginx -t before every configuration reload to enforce operational safety. This validation step checks your syntax and configuration integrity, preventing bad reloads from taking your production reverse-proxy edge down.