Nginx Reverse Proxy Configuration

When deploying a Node or Python app, you often place a reverse proxy in front to handle SSL termination, compression, and static assets. This Nginx configuration listens on port 80, proxies /api requests to an upstream service, and serves static files from a public directory. Adjust paths and upstream hostnames for your environment.

server {
  listen 80;
  server_name example.com;
 
  # Serve static files
  location / {
    root /var/www/public;
    try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
  }
 
  # Proxy API requests
  location /api/ {
    proxy_pass http://backend:3000/;
    proxy_set_header Host $host;
    proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
  }
}

Save this as a file like /etc/nginx/conf.d/app.conf and reload Nginx. You can add SSL termination with listen 443 ssl; and certificates when ready for HTTPS. This pattern decouples your application server from web server concerns, improving security and scalability.