The Tool Desk
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If an Nginx location block is not redirecting, first prove which server block and location handled the request. For a straightforward client-visible redirect, use an explicit return in the matching server or location context, then validate and reload the active configuration. The usual causes are location precedence, a URI pattern that does not match the request, a different server block, an internal redirect from try_files or error_page, or an upstream application sending a different response.
The quickest reliable fix
For one known path, start with an exact match and return:
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server {
listen 80;
server_name example.com;
location = /old {
return 301 https://example.com/new;
}
}The = modifier makes this an exact URI match. The return directive immediately sends a client-visible response; it does not ask Nginx to find another local handler for the old URI. A permanent redirect uses status 301. Change the destination and hostname to your actual values.
After editing, test the configuration and reload the same Nginx installation that serves the request:
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sudo nginx -t
sudo nginx -s reloadThen inspect the response rather than relying on a browser cache:
curl -I http://example.com/old
curl -v http://example.com/oldConfirm the status, the Location header, the Host you sent, the scheme, and whether the request URI includes or omits a trailing slash. If the response is not the one above, continue through the location-selection and logging checks below.
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The request may be reaching another server block
Nginx chooses a server block using the listening address and port and the request’s host name. A correct location in a file that is not included, or in a server block for another host or port, cannot affect the request. A request sent to an IP address, an unexpected port, or a different Host header can therefore appear to bypass a perfectly valid redirect.
Do not infer the active configuration from the file you edited. Use the expanded configuration output described in the diagnostic procedure, and verify the exact server_name, listen directive, and included file that should receive the request.
Location matching has a defined order
Nginx tests the request URI against all applicable location directives and applies the directives in the location it selects. The practical precedence is:
- An exact location such as
location = /oldis selected immediately. - If there is no exact match, Nginx retains the longest matching prefix location, such as
location /old/. - Regular-expression locations are then evaluated in their configuration order. A matching regular expression can replace the retained prefix.
- A longest prefix marked
^~, for examplelocation ^~ /old/, prevents regular-expression locations from overriding that prefix.
This means that adding a broad regex can change the result of a prefix block that previously worked. Conversely, adding ^~ can stop a regex redirect from ever being considered. Exact matches are useful when one path must win regardless of broader rules.
Match the actual URI, not the URL you have in mind
Location matching uses the request URI; query-string arguments do not determine which location matches. A rule for /old does not match /old/, and a rule for /old/ does not match the slashless form as an exact match. Case also matters for ordinary URI comparisons. Capture the request exactly with curl -v, including its trailing slash, and compare it character by character with every candidate location.
Choose return or rewrite
| Need | Preferred directive | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| A simple client-visible redirect | return |
Sends the chosen HTTP status and Location immediately; it is the clearest option. |
| Conditional matching with captures or a rewrite rule | rewrite |
Transforms a URI according to a pattern and flags; it may trigger another location search. |
| Internal routing without telling the browser to change URL | rewrite with deliberate flow control |
Processes another URI inside Nginx; the client may continue to display the original URL. |
| One old path to one new URL | return 301 or a temporary return status |
Produces an explicit external redirect that is easy to inspect with curl. |
Use return 301 https://example.com/new; when the move is permanent. Use a temporary redirect status while testing or when the destination can change; choose the status deliberately rather than changing a working rule later after clients have cached a permanent response. A temporary redirect can be represented with 302 or 307, depending on the behavior your application requires.
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Because return is unconditional within the context where it runs, put it in the narrowest location that should redirect. A return in the server context affects every request handled by that server, while a return in an exact or prefix location limits the scope.
Build the location pattern that matches your requirement
One exact path
location = /old {
return 301 https://example.com/new;
}This handles only /old. Requests for /old/, /old/page, and other paths require separate rules.
A directory or path prefix
location /old/ {
return 301 https://example.com/new/;
}This prefix can cover paths below /old/. Check for competing regular expressions, because a regex location can supersede a prefix unless the prefix is marked ^~.
A prefix that must beat regex locations
location ^~ /old/ {
return 301 https://example.com/new/;
}Use ^~ only when this prefix should prevent regex locations from taking over. It is a precedence choice, not a general fix for a malformed pattern.
A regular expression
location ~ ^/legacy/(.*)$ {
rewrite ^/legacy/(.*)$ /new/$1 last;
}Regex rules are useful when a capture is genuinely required. Keep the expression as narrow as possible, and inspect the other regex locations in their order because the first matching regex can determine the result.
Understand rewrite flags before using them
A rewrite can alter the URI that Nginx processes next. The flag controls whether Nginx searches for a new location:
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lastends the current rewrite set and starts a new location lookup using the rewritten URI. This is appropriate when the new URI should be handled by another location.breakstops the current rewrite processing but keeps the request in the current location. Use it when the remaining directives in that location should handle the rewritten URI.
For example, this intentionally rematches after changing the path:
location /legacy/ {
rewrite ^/legacy/(.*)$ /new/$1 last;
}
location /new/ {
# The new URI is handled here.
}Using last when the rewritten URI still matches the same rule can create an internal redirect cycle. A cycle may end in an error instead of the redirect you expected. Before choosing last, identify the location that should handle the resulting URI and ensure the new path cannot repeatedly re-enter the same rewrite. Use break when rematching would be wrong.
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If the reader must see a different URL, prefer an explicit return. An internal rewrite is not a substitute for a client-visible redirect: it can leave the browser showing the original address while Nginx serves another resource.
Why try_files and other directives change the result
try_files can perform an internal redirect. Instead of returning the response you expected from the original location, it may select another URI and location. For example, a fallback such as try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php; can send processing to the application entry point rather than to a redirect rule you thought would run first.
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try_filesfallbacks that name another URI;indexprocessing that selects a directory index;error_pagedirectives that internally route an error;- a proxy or FastCGI upstream returning its own redirect;
- application code issuing a redirect after Nginx has selected the expected location.
The header and status tell you where to look. A redirect generated by an upstream application can look like an Nginx location failure unless you compare the response while watching both access and error logs.
A complete diagnostic sequence
1. Dump the active, expanded configuration
Run:
sudo nginx -TUse appropriate privileges for your installation. The command prints the complete configuration after includes are expanded. Search the output for the intended server_name, listening port, every competing location, regex modifiers, try_files, error_page, and any rewrite or return directives. This often reveals that the edited file is not included, a second server block wins, or a broader rule appears earlier than expected.
2. Confirm which Nginx instance and paths are active
Run:
nginx -VThis exposes the compiled paths and build options. Use those paths when locating the configuration and log files, and make sure the reload and test commands address the same Nginx instance that owns the listening socket. Testing one installation while another process serves traffic produces misleading results.
3. Compare the request URI with each location
Check the host, port, scheme, path, trailing slash, and case. Remember that query arguments do not select a location. Test both slash forms when the rule is intended to cover both, and test a representative child path for a prefix rule.
curl -v http://example.com/old
curl -v http://example.com/old/
curl -v 'http://example.com/old?x=1'The verbose output records the request line and host header, so you can compare what was actually sent with the configuration.
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4. Reduce a simple redirect to an explicit return
Temporarily or permanently replace a complicated rewrite with an exact return in the intended location. If that works, the server and location are correct and the earlier problem is in rewrite flow, a competing regex, or a downstream directive. If it does not work, continue checking server selection and the active configuration instead of adding more rewrite rules.
5. Validate before reloading
sudo nginx -tDo not reload a configuration that fails syntax validation. A successful test confirms syntax for the configuration Nginx is reading; it does not prove that the request reaches the location you intended, so perform the curl test afterward.
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6. Inspect status and headers directly
Use curl -I for headers and curl -v when you need the complete exchange. Record the HTTP status and Location value, along with the host, scheme, and slash form. If there is no Location header, the response may be an internal rewrite, an upstream response, or a non-redirecting handler. If the destination is unexpected, inspect the rule or application that supplied that header.
7. Watch access and error logs during one request
Tail the configured logs while issuing a single request. Access logs show the request and resulting status; error logs expose rewrite cycles, configuration problems, and internal processing failures. The exact file paths vary by build, so use the active configuration and paths reported by nginx -V and nginx -T.
An error_log directive inside a server or location overrides inherited logging settings. If you are watching a parent-level file while the selected location defines another error_log, you may be looking in the wrong place.
8. Increase detail only for controlled troubleshooting
If the build supports it and normal logs are insufficient, temporarily raise the error_log level or enable debug logging for a controlled client address. Reproduce one request, capture the relevant entries, and restore the normal level afterward. Broad, long-running debug logging can generate excessive output and obscure the request you are investigating.
Common failure modes and targeted fixes
The rule matches /old, but the request is /old/
An exact match is literal. Add a deliberate rule for the slash form, use an appropriate prefix, or decide which canonical form should redirect to the other. Test both forms after reloading.
A regex defeats the prefix redirect
Inspect regex locations in configuration order. If the prefix must always win, use the ^~ modifier; if the regex is the intended handler, move or narrow the rule and make its scope explicit.
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Compare the request’s host and port with the selected server_name and listen directives in nginx -T. Requests sent to a default server, an IP address, or another port will not use a location from an unrelated virtual host.
The browser shows an old redirect
Test with curl to remove browser behavior from the diagnosis. A 301 communicates a permanent move, so use a temporary status while experimenting if the destination is not final. Verify the current server response before changing application code.
The response is from an application or proxy
Inspect the Location header and logs. If Nginx selected the expected location but the upstream supplied a redirect, fix the upstream rule or its understanding of host and scheme. A proxy response is not corrected by adding another unrelated location block.
A rewrite loops or ends with an internal redirect error
Trace the URI after every rewrite. With last, Nginx performs a fresh location lookup; if the new URI matches the same rewrite, the cycle repeats. Change the target so it exits the rule, or use break when processing should remain in the current location.
try_files sends the request to a fallback
Read the complete try_files sequence and identify its final URI. That internal redirect may be the path that eventually produces the response. Place the redirect where the selected flow can reach it, or remove the fallback only if it is not required by the application.
Choosing redirect status and scope
| Situation | Choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| The old URL has permanently moved | return 301 |
Communicates a permanent client-visible redirect. |
| You are testing or the destination may change | return 302 |
Keeps the redirect temporary while you verify behavior. |
| A temporary redirect must preserve the request method | return 307 |
Use when method-preserving temporary semantics matter to the client. |
| Only one URI should move | Exact location = |
Prevents unrelated paths from inheriting the redirect. |
| An entire path tree should move | Prefix location | Covers descendants, subject to regex precedence. |
Keep the redirect’s scope and status aligned. A broad permanent return in the server context can unexpectedly move every path, while a narrow exact rule can leave child URLs untouched.
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nginx -Tshows the edited file, the intended server block, and the competing locations.- The request host, port, path, case, and trailing slash match the rule you selected.
- Exact, prefix,
^~, and regex precedence produce the location you expect. - The redirect uses
returnwhen the browser must receive a new URL. - Any
rewriteuseslastorbreakintentionally and cannot re-enter itself indefinitely. try_files,index,error_page, proxy responses, and application redirects have been checked.nginx -tsucceeds before reload, and the reload targets the active Nginx instance.curl -Iorcurl -vconfirms the expected status andLocationheader.- Access and error logs for the selected server or location show the request you just made.
The Bottom Line
Most failed Nginx redirects are fixed by identifying the active server and winning location, then replacing unnecessary rewrite logic with an exact return. Validate with nginx -t, reload the correct instance, and confirm the status and Location header with curl while watching the selected logs.
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