nginx · rewrite · redirect · proxy_pass · live

Build an nginx server block

Compose location blocks, rewrites, redirects, and proxy_pass directives with sensible defaults. Force HTTPS toggle included.

Nginx Rewrite Builder
server_name
example.com
host
Rules
2
directives
Force HTTPS
on
redirect
Bytes
601
config
server_name
input · rules
output · nginx.conf
server {
    listen 80;
    listen [::]:80;
    server_name example.com;
    return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
}

server {
    listen 443 ssl http2;
    listen [::]:443 ssl http2;
    server_name example.com;
    root /var/www/html;
    index index.html;

    location ~ ^/old/(.*)$ {
        return 301 /new/$1;
    }

    location /api/ {
        proxy_pass http://localhost: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;
    }
}
Quick Start

How to build nginx blocks

Each rule becomes a location or rewrite directive in a single server block. Proxy rules add the standard X-Forwarded-* headers.

  1. 01

    Set server_name

    The host this block answers for. Multiple hosts go in one space-separated list.

    Lookups reference the IANA registries (MIME, HTTP status, TLDs) bundled at build time — no live network calls, no rate limits, no leaked queries.

    hostIANAregistryofflinelive
    server_name · queryhost · IANA
    example.com
    loaded · IANA bundlespec · ready
  2. 02

    Toggle force-HTTPS

    Adds a second port-80 server that 301-redirects to the HTTPS variant.

    Builders emit canonical syntax per the relevant RFC (9110 for HTTP, 5322 for headers, 3986 for URLs) so the output passes spec-compliant parsers.

    tlsRFC 9110canonicalspec-compliantlive
    ssl · options443 · live
    return 301 https://...
    options applied · livecanonical
  3. 03

    Add rules

    redirect / rewrite / proxy_pass — pick what you need.

    Validation flags common pitfalls — uppercase header names, smart quotes inside Content-Type, missing ;charset=utf-8 — before they bite production.

    rulesvalidationlintpitfallslive
    rules · looked uptype · ready
    location · rewrite
    result · livevalidated
  4. 04

    Copy + deploy

    Test with nginx -t before reloading.

    Copy writes the snippet directly into your clipboard; downloads emit the right extension and MIME so curl/httpie pick them up correctly.

    deployclipboardMIME-correctblobcurl-ready
    ok · copiedready · done
    nginx -t && reload
    shipped · ready to shipsuccess
Pro tips

Web-spec details that bite later

Idempotency saves retries

POST/PUT/DELETE should be safely retried. Use idempotency keys and return the same response on duplicate requests.

Match RFC 9110 status codes

Don’t invent codes. 422 for validation errors, 409 for conflicts, 429 for rate limits. Standard codes work with off-the-shelf clients.

Set <code>Cache-Control</code> deliberately

Default browser caching is conservative. Use max-age + stale-while-revalidate for hot endpoints.

Validate Open Graph in dev

OG tags break silently. Use a previewer like OG Generator + Facebook’s debugger before launch.

CORS is a server concern

The browser sends the preflight; the server decides. Wildcard origins disable credentials — be explicit.

MIME drives behaviour

Servers must send the right Content-Type. Browsers sniff but the spec says they shouldn’t — be explicit to avoid surprises.

Use Cases

When to write nginx blocks

Reverse proxy, redirects, edge config.

Reverse proxy to app

Front your Node/Python app with nginx on port 443. Bundled from IANA registries at build time — no live network call, no rate limit, no leaked queries. The MIME, TLD, and status-code tables are baked in so the tool works offline once loaded.

spec-compliant

Static + API split

Serve static files, proxy /api to a backend. Output is canonical per the relevant RFC (9110 for HTTP, 5322 for headers, 3986 for URLs), so spec-compliant parsers accept it as-is. Cross-browser and cross-library behaviour stays consistent.

offline

Bulk redirects

Migrate URLs without touching application code. Pairs with the curl-to-fetch converter for end-to-end test stubs — copy the curl from DevTools, paste, get an idiomatic fetch() body. Drop into Playwright/Vitest fixtures without manual translation.

IANA-backed

Force HTTPS

Drop the canonical http→https redirect once. Catches common pitfalls (uppercase header names, smart quotes inside Content-Type, missing ;charset=utf-8) before they bite production. Validation flags rather than auto-corrects so you stay in control.

RFC-aligned

A/B routing

Send a percentage of traffic to a new backend. Validation runs as you type — copy only when the output is shaped correctly. The output drops directly into nginx, Apache, or CDN configs without re-formatting or re-quoting.

production-grade

Multi-tenant edge

One nginx, many server blocks per host. Same input plus same options always produces identical canonical output, so the tool is safe to embed in CI scripts that diff against expected configs.

curl-ready
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Usually /etc/nginx/sites-available/yoursite, symlinked into sites-enabled/, or directly in /etc/nginx/conf.d/.
Run nginx -t to validate, then nginx -s reload (or systemctl reload nginx).
TLS cert paths, gzip/brotli, rate limits, access logs. Add those once your routing is right.
It restarts location matching with the new URI. Use 'break' to stop processing inside the same location.
Yes. Generation is entirely client-side.
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