⌘ K
nginx · conf · indent · live

Format nginx.conf blocks

Splits server, location, and upstream blocks onto separate lines and indents them by depth. Directives end at semicolons. Runs locally.

Nginx Config Formatter
Input
87 B
1 lines
Output
124 B
10 lines
Status
ready
live
Ratio
1.43×
out/in
input · nginx.conf
output · formatted conf
server
{
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;
    location /
    {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
    }
}
Quick Start

How to format nginx.conf

Tokenises the file on {, } and ;, then re-emits each token at the right indent depth.

  1. 01

    Paste your config

    A minified one-liner, a full nginx.conf, or just a server { ... } excerpt.

    Parsing runs through Prettier’s standalone bundle (or the language-specific equivalent) loaded lazily — no parser ships until the tool is opened.

    nginxPrettierASTstandalonelazy
    input · sourceraw · AST
    server{listen 80;}
    loaded · parsedAST · ready
  2. 02

    Set indent width

    4 spaces is the nginx documentation default. 2 is also common for tight configs.

    Indent width, tab style, and print-width re-format through a memoised pass — switching 2 → 4 spaces never re-parses, only re-prints.

    optionsindentprint-widthmemoisedlive
    opts · optionsindent · live
    indent=4
    options applied · livelive
  3. 03

    Watch blocks align

    Each directive ends on its own line at semicolons. Nested location { ... } blocks indent one level deeper.

    The formatter is deterministic and idempotent: running it twice produces byte-identical output, which keeps diffs and git noise to a minimum.

    liveidempotentdeterministicdiff-cleanstable
    out · formattedindented · ready
    server {
    listen 80;
}
    formatted · liveidempotent
  4. 04

    Copy or download

    Save as nginx.conf or copy to clipboard. Source stays in your browser.

    Download writes a Blob with the language-appropriate extension; copy uses navigator.clipboard.writeText so the output preserves all whitespace exactly.

    exportclipboardbloblanguage MIMEclient-side
    ok · copiedready · done
    OK Copied
    shipped · ready to shipsuccess
Pro tips

Formatting tips that keep diffs sane

Pick one config and pin it

Inconsistent formatting causes diff churn. Commit .prettierrc / .editorconfig and enforce in CI.

Format on save

Editor integration is faster feedback than a pre-commit hook. Use both for belt-and-braces.

Idempotency matters

Running the formatter twice should produce identical output. Test this on a representative file.

Match the language community

Default to community conventions: 2 spaces for JS/CSS, 4 for Python, tabs for Go. Fights over indent are a productivity tax.

Print-width drives wrapping

80, 100, and 120 are the common targets. Wider lines parse fast but review slower side-by-side.

Don’t mix formatters and linters

Prettier handles whitespace; ESLint handles correctness. Disable overlapping rules to avoid fight-club configs.

Related toolsApache Config FormatterDockerfile FormatterBash FormatterDotenv FormatterYAML FormatterPowerShell Formatter
Use Cases

When to format nginx.conf

Production rollouts, config reviews, docs examples.

Production rollouts

Tidy a config before nginx -t and reload. Idempotent: running the formatter twice produces byte-identical output, which is the foundation of a clean CI gate. Pair with a pre-commit hook so PRs arrive already formatted, focusing review on logic.

idempotent

Config reviews

Normalise whitespace so diffs show real intent. Pairs with EditorConfig + .prettierrc for end-to-end consistency. Whitespace-only changes vanish so reviewers see real diffs, and git blame stays honest about who wrote what.

CI-ready

Snippet sharing

Format an excerpt before pasting in a ticket. Output respects your indent width, tab style, and print-width — settings carry over for repeat runs. Switching 2-space to 4-space costs nothing in CPU but standardises an entire codebase.

diff-clean

Docker images

Re-indent a packed nginx.conf baked into a layer. Format-on-save is the fastest feedback loop; CI is the safety net. Together they make inconsistent indentation a thing of the past and free up review cycles for genuine concerns.

PR-friendly

Quick fix

Reformat a one-liner from a tutorial. Whitespace-only changes don't trigger downstream content-hash invalidations, so CDN cache keys and CI cache layers stay warm. Real changes get all the rebuild budget.

review-ready

Docs examples

Standardise nginx examples for runbooks. Pairs with linters (ESLint, Stylelint, pylint) that catch what formatting alone can't — bugs, unused imports, dead code. Each tool stays in its lane, and the codebase stays clean.

deterministic
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

No. Run nginx -t for syntax and reference checks.
Lines starting with # may be merged onto adjacent directives — review before deploying.
Quotes are passed through but a literal ; inside a quote will still split lines. Inspect output.
No. Tokens are emitted in their original order; only whitespace changes.
No — the formatter runs locally in your browser tab.
Suggest a tool

Something missing?

Tell us what you need. We ship the top requests every two weeks.

Sent straight to the maintainers · no account needed
47 in queue·8 shipped this month
Request queued. Thanks!