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Drupal clean URLs work on Nginx when the server sends every request that is not an existing file or directory to Drupal’s index.php. Set Nginx’s root to the directory containing that front controller, add try_files $uri /index.php?$query_string;, configure PHP-FPM correctly, test the configuration, and reload Nginx. Drupal has clean URLs enabled by default; Nginx simply needs the equivalent of Apache’s rewrite rules because it does not read .htaccess files.
What Drupal clean URLs are—and what Nginx must do
A clean Drupal URL uses a path such as /node/83 or /user/login. The older query-string form is /index.php?q=node/83. Drupal’s documentation says clean URLs are enabled by default and cannot be disabled. If a clean path produces a 404, the problem is normally the web server’s routing, not a Drupal switch.
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The essential behavior is:
- Serve a real file directly, such as an image, CSS file, JavaScript file, or
index.php. - Serve a real directory when appropriate.
- Pass every other path to Drupal’s front controller while preserving the query string.
That behavior is provided by try_files $uri /index.php?$query_string;. The rule does not execute PHP by itself; a separate FastCGI location must pass PHP requests to the correct PHP-FPM socket or TCP upstream.
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Check the Drupal layout before editing Nginx
Find the front controller
First locate the index.php that should receive browser requests. In a Composer-based Drupal project, the web-accessible directory is commonly named web, while the repository root contains files that should not be public. A typical layout is:
/var/www/drupal/
├── composer.json
├── vendor/
└── web/
├── core/
├── modules/
├── sites/
├── themes/
└── index.phpIn that example, Nginx must use /var/www/drupal/web as its root, not /var/www/drupal. On a non-Composer installation, the directory containing Drupal’s public index.php may be the project directory itself. Use the actual path on the server rather than copying the example.
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Confirm the host and PHP-FPM details
- Identify the Nginx
serverblock that answers the requested domain. A different enabled block can make an apparently correct edit ineffective. - Determine whether PHP-FPM listens on a Unix socket, such as
/run/php/php-fpm.sock, or on a TCP address and port, such as127.0.0.1:9000. - Check that the Nginx worker user can read Drupal’s code and that the public files directory is writable wherever Drupal must create generated assets or uploads.
Use a working Nginx server block
The following pattern contains the two pieces clean URLs require: a front-controller fallback and a PHP-FPM handler.
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server {
server_name example.com;
root /var/www/drupal/web;
index index.php;
location / {
try_files $uri /index.php?$query_string;
}
location ~ .php$ {
include fastcgi_params;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php-fpm.sock;
}
}Replace example.com, the root, and the fastcgi_pass value with local values. The socket shown is only an example. Some distributions provide a packaged FastCGI include file. You may use it if it supplies equivalent parameters, including a correct SCRIPT_FILENAME.
Why each directive matters
| Directive | Purpose | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
root |
Maps URL paths to the Drupal public directory. | It is the directory that contains the intended index.php; Composer projects often use web. |
index index.php |
Defines the default file for a directory request. | index.php exists below the configured root. |
try_files $uri /index.php?$query_string; |
Serves existing files and routes other paths to Drupal while retaining query parameters. | It is inside the active location / block and is not overridden by another server block. |
include fastcgi_params |
Provides standard FastCGI request variables. | The distribution’s include path is valid and does not omit required variables. |
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME ... |
Tells PHP-FPM which PHP file to execute. | The resulting path points to the real Drupal file, not the repository root or a nonexistent location. |
fastcgi_pass |
Sends PHP requests to PHP-FPM. | The Unix socket or TCP upstream exists, is running, and is accessible to Nginx. |
Do not add a second, conflicting PHP location merely to make a 404 disappear. Nginx location matching and include files can send requests to an unexpected handler. Keep one deliberate PHP-FPM path for the site and inspect the effective configuration if behavior is unclear.
Enable clean URLs step by step
- Identify the public directory. Locate the
index.phpthat should receive front-controller requests. Record its containing directory; this becomes the Nginxroot. - Open the active virtual-host configuration. Edit the file used by the domain’s enabled Nginx site, not an unused template. Confirm its
server_namematches the hostname you test. - Set the root and index. Set
rootto the Drupal public directory and includeindex index.php;. - Add the fallback. Inside
location /, addtry_files $uri /index.php?$query_string;. The$query_stringportion preserves parameters used by Drupal and by other applications or modules. - Configure PHP-FPM. Add a PHP location with valid FastCGI parameters. Set
fastcgi_passto the actual Unix socket or TCP upstream and makeSCRIPT_FILENAMEresolve beneath the configured root. - Check filesystem access. Ensure the Nginx worker can read Drupal core, modules, themes, and settings files. Ensure Drupal’s public files directory is writable for generated images, aggregated assets, and uploads where your deployment requires it. Avoid making the entire project writable.
- Validate syntax. Run
sudo nginx -t. Fix every reported error before reloading. A successful test means Nginx can parse the configuration; it does not prove that the root, socket, or permissions are correct. - Reload Nginx. On a systemd host, use
sudo systemctl reload nginxafter a successful test. Use the service manager appropriate to your operating system if it is not systemd. A reload applies the new configuration without unnecessarily stopping active workers. - Test a routed page. Request
/user/loginor another known Drupal route without adding?q=. Then request a static CSS file, a JavaScript file, an image, and a generated image style. - Read the logs if anything fails. Compare the Nginx error log with the PHP-FPM log at the exact time of the request. The status code usually identifies whether the issue is routing, permissions, or the PHP upstream.
Verify that PHP-FPM is really handling Drupal
A clean-URL failure can be a PHP failure in disguise. The fallback sends /user/login to /index.php; Nginx then needs to execute that file through PHP-FPM. If the PHP location is absent or points at the wrong upstream, the browser may show a 404, a 502, or even download PHP source instead of rendering Drupal.
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- Check the PHP-FPM service status using the service name installed by your operating system.
- Confirm that the socket path in
fastcgi_passexists, or that the configured TCP address is listening. - Check socket ownership and mode if Nginx reports permission denied.
- Verify that
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If direct access to /index.php works but /user/login returns 404, focus first on location / and the active server block. If both fail, repair PHP-FPM handling or the document root before changing rewrite rules.
Test static files and Drupal’s public files directory
Drupal’s CSS, JavaScript, image styles, and uploaded files are ordinary URL paths until Drupal generates or serves them. A working page with missing styling usually means the request is reaching the wrong root, a file is not readable, or a location rule is intercepting the request.
Check the URL-to-file mapping
Choose a known file below the public root and request its URL directly. Confirm that the URL path maps to the same relative path on disk. For generated files, verify that Drupal’s public files directory is the one configured for the site and that its parent directories allow traversal by the Nginx worker.
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Look for over-specific location blocks
A custom static-file location can bypass the front controller or point at a different directory. A PHP location that matches more broadly than intended can also intercept asset requests. Temporarily simplify the site to the documented location / and PHP location, test, and then reintroduce additional caching or security rules one at a time.
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Separate a missing file from a permission error
An Nginx 404 generally means the file is not at the path Nginx calculated, while a 403 commonly indicates permissions, directory traversal restrictions, or an explicit deny rule. The error log shows the filesystem path Nginx attempted, which is more useful than the browser’s generic error page.
Troubleshoot common Drupal-on-Nginx failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | Checks and repair |
|---|---|---|
/user/login returns 404, but /index.php works |
The front-controller fallback is missing, or the request is hitting the wrong server block or root. | Confirm the hostname selects the edited block, set the correct Drupal root, and add try_files $uri /index.php?$query_string; inside location /. |
| CSS, JavaScript, or image styles return 404 | The public-files path or document root is wrong, permissions block access, or another location handles static files. | Map a failing URL to its on-disk path, verify the configured public files directory, inspect permissions, and review location matching in the error log. |
| PHP source downloads or a PHP URL returns 404 | The PHP location is missing, ordered incorrectly, or not passing to PHP-FPM. | Use a deliberate location ~ .php$, include valid FastCGI parameters, set SCRIPT_FILENAME, and confirm the upstream. |
| 502 Bad Gateway | PHP-FPM is stopped, the socket path is wrong, the TCP upstream is unavailable, or Nginx cannot access the socket. | Check PHP-FPM status and logs, verify the socket or listening address, and correct ownership or permissions before reloading Nginx. |
| Routes work at the domain root but fail in a subdirectory | The installation is being served from a path prefix that the root and fallback do not reflect. | Adapt the filesystem root, front-controller fallback, Drupal base-path settings, and any proxy path-prefix handling to the actual subdirectory deployment. |
| Login redirects to the wrong scheme or host behind a proxy | Routing works, but Drupal does not trust or correctly interpret forwarded host and scheme headers. | Review the reverse-proxy settings and forwarded-header configuration in Drupal as well as the Nginx proxy configuration. Do not solve a URL-generation problem by changing try_files. |
nginx -t fails |
A syntax error, duplicate directive, invalid include path, or missing semicolon prevents loading. | Correct the line named in the test output, run the test again, and reload only after it reports a successful configuration test. |
Adapt the pattern to different deployments
Domain root versus a subdirectory
At a domain root, /user/login maps naturally to the site’s public root. A subdirectory deployment adds a path prefix, such as /drupal/user/login, and may involve an outer application. In that case, the Nginx location, filesystem root, Drupal base-path assumptions, and any proxy rewrite must agree. Test both a routed page and a static asset below the prefix; a page that renders while assets point to the domain root indicates a base-path or proxy-header mismatch rather than a missing clean-URL rule.
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A Unix socket is local to the host and is commonly represented by a path under /run/php. A TCP upstream uses an address and port and can point to a separate PHP-FPM host. The clean-URL rule is identical in both cases; only fastcgi_pass, network reachability, and access controls differ. A wrong socket produces an upstream or permission error, while an unreachable TCP service produces a connection failure in the Nginx error log.
Single site versus multisite
Each Drupal site needs a root and settings arrangement that matches its own public files and code layout. Do not assume that one server block’s root is correct for every host. For multisite configurations, verify the host-to-site selection and test a route and a public file for each domain after changing shared Nginx rules.
Direct Nginx termination versus a reverse proxy
When Nginx is the public-facing server, it must route requests, execute PHP through PHP-FPM, and serve static files. When another proxy or load balancer sits in front, Nginx may receive an internal scheme, host, or path prefix. Clean URLs still depend on the same front-controller fallback, but Drupal’s reverse-proxy and forwarded-header settings must be correct so login redirects and absolute URLs use the public request values.
Self-managed server versus managed Drupal hosting
Self-management gives control over Nginx, PHP-FPM, filesystem permissions, and deployment layout, but you are responsible for every service and security update. Managed Drupal hosting can be a better fit when you do not have root access or cannot safely edit the web server and PHP-FPM configuration. Ask the provider which directory is public, whether Nginx routing is preconfigured, how public files are writable, and how to inspect logs before migrating a site.
Security and maintenance checks after routing works
- Keep the Nginx root limited to Drupal’s intended public directory; do not expose the Composer repository root, backups, environment files, or version-control metadata.
- Protect Drupal’s private files and sensitive directories according to current Drupal security guidance. A working fallback must not make private files web-accessible.
- Review any rules that deny access to configuration, update, or temporary directories and make sure they still apply after adding custom locations.
- Use HTTPS at the public edge and ensure proxy headers and Drupal trusted-proxy settings agree when TLS terminates upstream.
- After Drupal core, PHP, Nginx, or deployment-layout changes, rerun a configuration test and request a routed page plus representative static files.
- Keep a known-good configuration copy and record the actual root and PHP-FPM endpoint. This makes rollback possible when a package upgrade changes socket names or include files.
Final verification checklist
- The active server block matches the hostname being tested.
- The Nginx
rootcontains the Drupal front controller. index.phpappears in the index list.location /containstry_files $uri /index.php?$query_string;.- The PHP location passes requests to the running PHP-FPM socket or TCP upstream.
SCRIPT_FILENAMEresolves to the real Drupal PHP file.- Nginx can read Drupal code and the public files directory has the required write permissions.
sudo nginx -tsucceeds before every reload.- A clean route such as
/user/loginloads without?q=. - CSS, JavaScript, uploaded files, and an image style load, and the logs show no corresponding 404, 403, or 502 errors.
Once these checks pass, Drupal’s clean URLs are enabled by the normal front-controller flow: Nginx serves files that exist and hands application paths to Drupal through index.php, with query parameters intact.
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