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To serve a static HTML site with Nginx, place the files in a directory, point a server block at that directory with root, set index index.html, and use try_files to return existing files or a deliberate 404. Test the active configuration, reload Nginx, then request the home page, a known file, an asset, and a missing path.
Use this minimal configuration
Create a server block in the Nginx configuration loaded by your installation. This example serves files from /data/www for two host names:
server {
listen 80;
server_name example.com www.example.com;
root /data/www;
index index.html;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
}
}Create /data/www/index.html, plus files such as /data/www/about.html. A request for /about.html maps to /data/www/about.html. A request for / uses the configured index file. A request for a path that does not identify an existing file or directory returns HTTP 404 because of the final =404 fallback.
The server block must be inside the configuration’s http context. The exact file that contains the active block depends on how Nginx was packaged for your operating system, so confirm which configuration your running instance loads instead of editing a similarly named, unused file.
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What each directive controls
| Directive | Purpose | Effect in this static site |
|---|---|---|
listen |
Selects the local address and port accepted by the virtual server | Accepts HTTP connections on port 80 |
server_name |
Matches the host name from the request | Matches example.com and www.example.com |
root |
Sets the filesystem directory used to construct file paths | Appends the request URI to /data/www |
index |
Defines files to try when a request identifies a directory | Checks index.html for the site root |
location |
Controls which requests use a set of directives | Applies the static-file rules to requests beginning with / |
try_files |
Checks candidate files or directories in order | Tests the requested path, then its directory form, then returns 404 |
Prepare the files and configuration
Create a document root
Choose a directory that will contain only the files you intend to publish. The Beginner’s Guide uses /data/www; you can use another absolute path if it matches your server layout. Keep the path consistent between the filesystem and the root directive. Nginx does not search your whole machine for an HTML file: it constructs a specific path from the active root and the request URI.
Add an index and a second page
Create an index.html in the root directory and, for example, an about.html beside it. The filenames are case-sensitive on systems whose filesystems are case-sensitive. If the file is named Index.html but the configuration asks for index.html, the index lookup will not find it.
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<html lang='en'>
<head>
<meta charset='utf-8'>
<title>Example site</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>It works</h1>
<p>This page is served as a static file by Nginx.</p>
</body>
</html>Save the document as /data/www/index.html. A link such as <a href='/about.html'>About</a> requests the second file directly; no application runtime is needed for either page.
Find the packaged configuration path
Installations differ in how they divide configuration files. Some use a main nginx.conf with an include directory; others enable individual virtual-host files through a package-specific directory. Edit the file that is actually included by the running Nginx process, and ensure the server block is nested under http. If you edit a file that is not included, syntax tests and reloads can succeed while the live site remains unchanged.
How Nginx turns a URL into a file
1. Select a virtual server
Nginx first considers the listening address and port, then compares the request’s host name with available server_name values. Names can be exact, wildcard, or regular-expression names. An exact name such as example.com is appropriate when one site should answer for one known host. If several server blocks listen on the same address and port, a request whose host does not match the intended block can be handled by another block, often the package’s default site.
2. Select a location
After choosing a server, Nginx evaluates its location directives. The location / block is a broad prefix match for ordinary site requests. More specific locations can handle an asset directory, a custom error document, or another path with different rules. The selected location determines which root or alias applies while Nginx constructs the filesystem path.
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3. Construct the path with root
With root /data/www, Nginx appends the request URI to that directory. The URI /about.html therefore becomes the local path /data/www/about.html. For a request such as /images/logo.svg, the same root would produce /data/www/images/logo.svg.
root is a directory mapping, not a filename setting. Do not set it to /data/www/index.html; doing so would make path construction incorrect for other requests. Use index to name the default document instead.
How the home page is found
The index directive defines files used as an index. In the example, a request for / causes Nginx to check index.html in the mapped directory. The documented default is also index.html, but declaring it explicitly makes the intended behavior visible and avoids confusion when another configuration changes the inherited value.
Index filenames are checked in the order configured. You could list more than one filename when a site has a deliberate fallback, but every listed name should exist where it is expected and should be treated as a published document. Finding an index causes an internal redirect to that file’s URI; Nginx processes that URI through location selection again. Consequently, a more specific location can affect how the index file is ultimately served.
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If index.html is absent, the result depends on the rest of the configuration and the directory’s handling. A directory may produce an error rather than a page. The most predictable static-site behavior is to keep the index file present and use try_files for explicit missing-path handling.
Use try_files for predictable 404 responses
The directive try_files checks candidates in order and uses the first one that exists. Each candidate is converted into a path using the active root or alias. In the minimal configuration:
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try_files $uri $uri/ =404;$uritests the requested URI as a file or path.$uri/tests the directory form, allowing a directory request to proceed to index processing.=404stops processing with an explicit HTTP 404 when neither candidate exists.
This ordering means /about.html is served when the file exists, while a directory such as /docs/ can continue to its index handling. A typo such as /abotu.html does not fall through to an unrelated default document; it receives 404.
The final argument can instead be a URI for a fallback page. If you choose that design, define a corresponding location and make sure the fallback itself exists. Ordered checks can also include paths such as $uri/index.html or $uri.html when the site’s URL design requires them, but adding fallbacks changes which requests return content and should be intentional.
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A site can keep images or other static assets outside the main document root. The Beginner’s Guide demonstrates this mapping:
location /images/ {
root /data;
}With that location, a request for /images/logo.svg maps beneath /data, producing /data/images/logo.svg. The location-specific root overrides the broader root for matching requests. Verify the resulting path on disk before troubleshooting the browser: the URL prefix and the filesystem directory must line up exactly.
Use a separate location when the directory genuinely needs different treatment, such as cache headers or a distinct filesystem boundary. Otherwise, keeping assets under one document root is easier to audit because every URL follows the same mapping rule.
Add a custom 404 page and cache rules
Nginx’s example configuration includes a custom /404.html location and static-file patterns with cache headers. A simple arrangement is to place 404.html in the document root, configure an error-page URI, and define a location for that file:
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error_page 404 /404.html;
location = /404.html {
root /data/www;
}The custom page must be a real file. Test a missing URL after reloading and confirm that the response status remains 404 even though the body is your friendly error document. If a fallback should return a normal page with status 200 instead, that is a different behavior and should be configured deliberately.
Long-lived cache headers can reduce repeat downloads for versioned assets such as files whose names change whenever their contents change. Apply cache rules only to the locations and file patterns for which that policy is appropriate. Do not cache an HTML entry document for a long period if you expect it to change without a filename change; visitors could continue seeing an older copy.
Check ownership and permissions
Nginx worker processes must be able to traverse every parent directory and read the files they serve. A correct root with unreadable files still produces an error. Check the directory permissions, file permissions, and ownership used by the Nginx worker account on your operating system. Also check any operating-system access-control mechanism that can deny reads even when traditional mode bits look correct.
- Confirm that the configured root directory exists.
- Confirm that each parent directory allows traversal by the worker account.
- Confirm that
index.htmland assets are readable. - Check that a separate asset root, if used, has the same access requirements.
- Keep private files outside the document root rather than trying to hide them with a URL convention.
Do not solve a read failure by making the entire filesystem or every file world-writable. Grant the minimum directory traversal and read access required by the Nginx worker processes.
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- Place
index.html, any additional HTML files, and known assets in the configured root. - Edit the active configuration and confirm that the server block is inside the
httpcontext. - Run the platform’s Nginx syntax test.
nginx -tis the customary command, but package wrappers and privilege requirements differ. - Only after a successful test, reload Nginx through the service manager or the Nginx control command supplied by your operating system. The appropriate reload command is platform-specific; use the method documented for your installation.
- Request the home page, a known HTML file, a known asset, and an intentionally missing path.
| Request | Expected result | What it verifies |
|---|---|---|
/ |
HTTP 200 with the contents of index.html |
Server selection, root mapping, and index handling |
/about.html |
HTTP 200 with the about page | Direct file mapping |
| A known asset path | HTTP 200 with the asset | Asset location and permissions |
| An intentionally missing path | HTTP 404, optionally with the custom error body | try_files and error handling |
Use a request tool or browser developer tools to inspect the status code and response body. A browser can retain cached content, so compare the returned URL, status, and response headers when a recent edit appears not to have taken effect.
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The browser shows a 404 for a file that exists
- Compare the URL’s path and capitalization with the actual filename.
- Calculate the path Nginx should use by appending the URI to the active
root. Check that exact path on disk. - Verify that the request matched the intended
server_nameandlistenpair rather than a default server. - Check whether a more specific
locationchanged the root or alias. - Inspect
try_filesordering and its final fallback. A candidate that is not present will continue to the next candidate.
The home page is not displayed at /
Check that the directory contains the configured index filename and that the worker can read it. Confirm that index index.html; appears in the server or applicable location context. If the request is being handled by another server block, correct the host name or virtual-server selection first.
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Nginx returns 403 for a directory
A directory request normally needs an index file. Add the expected index.html, ensure it is readable, and make sure parent directories are traversable. If directory listing was never intended, returning an error for a directory without an index is preferable to exposing a file listing.
Nginx serves an old or unexpected page
Check which server block answered the request by verifying the host name and port. Remove or disable an unintended default site only through your operating system’s package conventions. Then test the configuration and reload. Also check browser or intermediary caches when the response headers permit caching.
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Read the reported file and line number, then check braces, semicolons, directive spelling, and context. A server block placed outside http is a structural error. Do not reload a configuration that fails the syntax test; restore the last known-good version, test again, and then make one change at a time.
Choose a configuration pattern deliberately
One document root
Use one root when HTML, images, stylesheets, and scripts form one site and share the same access policy. The mapping is easy to predict: append each URI to the same directory, and keep one broad location / with the ordered try_files check.
Separate asset roots
Use location-specific roots when assets live in another directory or require a different cache policy. Document the URL-to-path mapping for each location so future changes do not create files in a directory Nginx never reads.
Implicit versus explicit index handling
Relying on the documented index.html default can work for a minimal installation, but an explicit index index.html; communicates the contract in the server block. Explicit configuration is especially useful when inherited settings or included files may change later.
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Direct 404 versus a fallback URI
Use =404 when nonexistent URLs should fail clearly. Use a fallback URI only when the site has a defined error or routing page and the fallback’s status and location behavior have been tested. Every additional fallback makes it possible for a typo to display content that was not intended for that URL.
Exact host names versus wildcard names
List exact host names when the site should answer only for known domains. Wildcard or regular-expression names can cover families of hosts, but they also broaden matching and make it easier for an unexpected host to reach the server block. Test the host names you intend to support and the host names you do not.
Quick Recap
Operational checklist
- The requested host and port match the intended
serverblock. - The
serverblock is insidehttpand is included by the running Nginx configuration. - The root is an absolute directory containing the published files.
index.htmlexists with the expected capitalization.try_files $uri $uri/ =404;appears in the static location when explicit 404 behavior is desired.- Asset locations map to directories that actually exist.
- Nginx workers can traverse directories and read files.
nginx -t, or the installation’s equivalent syntax test, succeeds before every reload.- After reloading, tests cover the home page, a direct HTML file, an asset, and a missing path.
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