---
title: "Nginx: Sample Configuration Files"
category: nginx-lifehacks
filename: nginx-configs-examples
date: 2023-03-26
---
Sometimes there is a need to quickly create an nginx configuration file: for hosting a static website,
to create a simple proxy server, etc.

This article provides simple examples of Nginx configs for different purposes.

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For the following configs to work, you need to put them in the path `/etc/nginx/conf.d/<some_name>.conf`, then check
config validity:

```bash
nginx -t
```

Then run the command to apply the config:

```bash
sudo service nginx reload
```

## Example 1: hosting a static site.

```nginx
server {
  listen 80;
  server_name example.com www.example.com;

  access_log /var/log/nginx/example.com.log;

  location / {
    root /var/www/example.com;
    index index.html;
  }
}
```

## Example 2: proxy server

```nginx
server {
  listen 80;
  server_name example.com www.example.com;

  access_log /var/log/nginx/example.com.log main;

  location / {
    proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:5000;
    proxy_buffering off;
    proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Host $host;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Port $server_port;
  }
}
```

## Example 3: caching proxy

In `/etc/nginx/nginx.conf` add:

```nginx
http {
  proxy_cache_path /data/nginx/cache levels=1:2 keys_zone=STATIC:10m;
  inactive=24h max_size=1g;
}
```

In `/etc/nginx/conf.d` put the following config:

```nginx
server {
  listen 80;
  server_name example.com www.example.com;

  access_log /var/log/nginx/example.com.log main;
  location / {
    proxy_pass http://1.2.3.4;
    proxy_set_header Host $host;
    proxy_cache STATIC;
    proxy_cache_valid 200 1d;
    proxy_cache_use_stale error timeout invalid_header updating http_500 http_502 http_503 http_504;
  }
}
```