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NGINX does not read Apache .htaccess files. When a site is moved from Apache, its RewriteRule and RewriteCond directives remain inactive unless you translate their behavior into the NGINX server and location configuration. Without an application fallback, NGINX checks the configured document root for a matching file or directory and returns 404 for a pretty URL that exists only inside your application.
The usual front-controller fix is try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;, but that line is correct only when the active root, PHP handler, virtual host, and application entry point match your deployment. The guide below shows how to convert the intent safely and how to find the cause when a translation still returns 404.
Why an Apache rewrite works there but returns 404 on NGINX
Apache evaluates .htaccess files in the directory that contains them, applying their rules to requests handled by that directory. NGINX has no equivalent per-directory file that it discovers automatically. Copying an Apache .htaccess file into the web root therefore changes nothing: directives such as RewriteEngine On, RewriteCond, and RewriteRule are never parsed by NGINX.
For a request such as /products/red-shoes, NGINX selects a server block and then a location. It maps the URI to the active root or alias and checks the filesystem. If there is no real file or directory at that path, and no rule sends the request to your application, NGINX ends the request with 404. The homepage can still work because / may resolve to an actual index.html or be handled by a separate index directive, while every application route misses the filesystem lookup.
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The repair is not to make NGINX interpret Apache syntax. Put equivalent behavior in the loaded NGINX configuration, then validate and reload that configuration. The correct directive depends on the original intent: an external redirect, a regular-expression URI transformation, a file-existence test, or a handoff to an application server.
Identify the NGINX configuration that is actually serving the request
Editing the wrong file or virtual host produces the same symptoms as a missing rule. Establish which binary, configuration path, host, and location handle the failing URI before changing rewrite logic.
- Check the installed binary and build options with
nginx -vandnginx -V. The latter displays the compiled default configuration path and enabled options. - Find the service’s loaded configuration path. Distribution packages commonly use a main file that includes files from a directory such as
conf.dorsites-enabled, but the exact layout varies. Use the path shown by your service or package rather than assuming a filename. - Open the
serverblock whoseserver_namematches the hostname in the failing request. A default virtual host can answer the request if the intended host is absent, misspelled, or not enabled. - Within that block, locate the
locationthat matches the URI. A regular-expression location for PHP, an exact location, or a longer prefix can bypass a generallocation /containingtry_files. - Confirm the
rootoraliasused by that location. A deployment that changed from a project directory to apublicdirectory can leave NGINX looking in the wrong place even when the files exist elsewhere.
Do not rely on the presence of a file on disk alone. The file must be under the root selected for this request, and the selected location must contain an appropriate handler for the final URI.
The standard front-controller translation
Most PHP frameworks and many custom applications have one entry point that receives routes which are not real files. The common NGINX shape is:
server {
root /var/www/example/public;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
}
location ~ .php$ {
# Add the PHP-FPM settings required by this deployment.
}
}This is a pattern, not a universal copy-and-paste server block. Replace the path and fallback with the values used by your application, and supply a working PHP-FPM or other upstream handler where required.
What each try_files argument does
$uritests the requested URI as a file beneath the activerootoralias. A request for/css/site.csscan therefore be served directly when that file exists.$uri/tests the URI as a directory. This permits directory handling, including an index file or a separate location, when a real directory exists./index.php?$argsis the final fallback. If neither candidate exists, NGINX internally redirects the request to the application entry point while preserving the original query arguments.
The final parameter is an internal redirect, not a browser-visible 301 or 302. The browser continues to display the original pretty URL, while the application receives the fallback URI. The fallback must exist under the configured root and match a handler; otherwise the rewrite appears to work but the next phase returns 404 or another upstream error.
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Static-site variant
A site with no application server usually should not send unknown paths to PHP or a proxy. Use an explicit failure or a static fallback that exists:
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
}For a single-page application, the intentional fallback may instead be a real HTML entry point:
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.html;
}Choose the final target based on how the site is built. Sending requests to a nonexistent fallback merely moves the 404 one step later.
Reverse-proxied application variant
An application listening on an upstream socket or port needs a proxy fallback rather than a PHP file. One common structure is:
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try_files $uri $uri/ @app;
}
location @app {
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
}The upstream address, headers, timeout settings, and URI behavior are deployment-specific. The important distinction is that try_files handles local static assets first, then sends non-file requests to a named application location.
Choose the NGINX directive that matches the original intent
| Original intent | Preferred NGINX tool | Processing result | Typical failure to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Send a client to a new, fixed URL | return |
External redirect or explicit status | Wrong status code or malformed target |
| Transform a URI with a regular expression | rewrite |
URI change, optionally followed by a new location search | Rule order, loops, or lost query arguments |
| Serve an existing file or directory, otherwise continue | try_files |
Local file serving or internal fallback | Wrong root, alias, or final URI |
| Pass an application request to a process | proxy_pass, FastCGI, or a named location |
Upstream application handling | No matching upstream handler |
Use return for simple redirects
When every request matching a condition should move to one known URL, a direct return is clearer than a regular expression. For example, a permanently moved path can use a return 301 directive in the appropriate server or location context. Because this is an external redirect, the client makes a new request and the address bar changes.
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Use rewrite for regular-expression URI changes
Use rewrite when the destination depends on captured parts of the incoming URI. Rules run in order, and a rewrite can cause NGINX to search for a new matching location. Keep patterns narrow and test both matching and non-matching paths. NGINX limits repeated rewrite processing to ten cycles; a rule that sends a URI back into a location that rewrites it again can therefore end in a rewrite-loop error rather than fixing the route.
Query-string handling needs deliberate attention. A replacement that includes a new argument string changes how existing arguments are handled; a trailing question mark has historically been used to discard the original arguments in configurations that support that syntax. Verify the behavior you want instead of assuming an Apache substitution has identical semantics.
Use try_files for existence checks
try_files asks the filesystem question directly: does this candidate file or directory exist under the current root or alias? NGINX checks candidates in order. The last parameter is either an internal URI, a named location, or a configured status such as =404. This is usually safer and easier to reason about than translating every Apache condition into an if statement.
Converting common Apache patterns
Translate the behavior of a rule, not its spelling. The following examples show the decision involved in several common migrations.
“If it is not a file or directory, send it to the front controller”
Apache configurations often combine two conditions that exclude real files and directories before rewriting everything else. In NGINX, the direct equivalent is:
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
}Do not add a second rewrite for the same purpose. If the application entry point is app.php, a named proxy location, or another path, substitute that actual endpoint and ensure it has a matching handler.
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“Redirect an old path to a new fixed path”
For a known permanent move, prefer a direct return in the location that matches the old path. This tells clients and search engines that the destination is intentional. Use a temporary status only when the move is genuinely temporary.
“Capture part of a URI and build a new URI”
Use a carefully scoped regular-expression rewrite and test the resulting location. Confirm whether the operation should be internal or external, whether the original query string must survive, and whether the replacement URI can match the same rule again.
“Block access to a real file while allowing other files”
This is a policy decision rather than a front-controller fallback. Put the restriction in a specific location for the sensitive filename or extension, and return an explicit status. Do not place a broad deny rule where it intercepts application routes that should have reached the fallback.
Root, alias, and location matching: the three causes of false misses
Verify the effective root
try_files constructs filesystem paths using the root that applies in the current context. If the project is deployed at /var/www/example but public assets and the entry point are in /var/www/example/public, using the parent directory can make every candidate miss or expose files that should not be public. Set the root to the directory intended to be web-visible and keep the fallback there.
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alias replaces the part of the URI matched by a location with a filesystem path. Its trailing-slash form and the location prefix must agree, or NGINX can construct an unexpected filename. When troubleshooting, temporarily map one known static URI and compare the resulting path with the actual file location. Avoid mixing a broad root assumption with an alias-specific location without checking which directive applies.
Check location precedence
NGINX does not simply choose the first block written in the file. Exact matches, longest prefixes, and regular-expression locations participate in selection. A PHP regular-expression location might process /index.php correctly while a more-specific prefix location handles the pretty URL without the intended try_files. Review all locations that could match the failing URI, including included files.
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| Symptom | Likely configuration cause | What to inspect |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage works; every nested route is 404 | No application fallback in the general location | try_files or equivalent in location / |
| Static files return 404 after adding a fallback | Incorrect root or alias | Effective filesystem path for one known asset |
| Only one directory fails | A more-specific location overrides the general rule | Prefix and regular-expression locations for that URI |
| Fallback URI itself returns 404 | Entry point is absent or has no handler | File location and PHP/upstream configuration |
A disciplined 404 troubleshooting sequence
- Reproduce one failing URI. Record the exact host, path, query string, and response status. Test a known static file from the same host so you have a control request.
- Confirm the virtual host. Check
server_name, listening address, and port. If the request lands in a default server, changes to another host’s configuration cannot affect it. - Validate before reloading. Run the deployment’s configuration test, commonly
nginx -t. Fix every syntax or include error before attempting a reload. - Reload through the service manager. Use the reload command appropriate to the operating system and package. A successful command means the new configuration was accepted; it does not prove that the intended location matches the request.
- Trace location and root selection. Re-read the matching
serverandlocationblocks, including snippets and included files. Confirm the root or alias and the order oftry_filescandidates. - Check the fallback endpoint directly. Request
/index.php, the named proxy location’s upstream path, or the chosen static fallback as appropriate. If that endpoint is 404, repair its file placement or handler before changing the original route. - Inspect access and error logs. The access log shows the requested URI and status; the error log can reveal an open-file miss, permission problem, rewrite cycle, or upstream failure. Use the log paths configured for this NGINX installation rather than assuming a single distribution default.
- Compare file and directory permissions. A path that exists but cannot be traversed by the NGINX worker may appear as a miss or produce a different error. Check execute permission on parent directories and read permission on static files.
- Look for repeated rewrites. If the error log indicates a rewrite cycle or the URI changes repeatedly, remove overlapping rules, narrow the regular expression, or make the destination exempt from the source rule.
Changing application routes before completing these checks can hide a server-selection problem. First prove that NGINX reaches the intended fallback; then debug framework routing or controller code inside the application.
PHP-FPM details that commonly break a correct fallback
A front-controller line can be correct while the PHP location is not. The fallback URI must be handled by FastCGI settings appropriate to the installed PHP-FPM socket or TCP listener. The script filename passed to PHP-FPM must resolve under the same public root, and the location should not accidentally deny the entry point.
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Query strings, trailing slashes, and internal versus external redirects
Preserve arguments intentionally
Applications often use parameters for searches, pagination, or signed requests. The common front-controller form /index.php?$args preserves the incoming arguments during the internal fallback. A regular-expression rewrite can replace, append, or discard arguments depending on its replacement syntax. Test a URL containing two representative parameters and inspect the application’s received request before deploying the rule.
Do not confuse a URI rewrite with a browser redirect
An internal redirect keeps the original address visible to the client and is normally appropriate for front-controller routing. A return 301 or return 302 sends a response that instructs the client to make another request. Using an external redirect merely to reach an application entry point can expose implementation details, create extra round trips, and alter canonical URLs.
Handle slash policy in one place
If the application requires or forbids a trailing slash, implement that policy with one narrowly scoped rule. Avoid combining a slash redirect, a front-controller rewrite, and a directory index rule that can redirect the same URI repeatedly. Test the bare path, the slash form, and a path containing a file extension.
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Migration mistakes and their repairs
| Mistake | Why it fails | Repair |
|---|---|---|
Leaving .htaccess in the document root |
NGINX never reads Apache per-directory files | Translate the behavior into loaded server and location blocks |
Copying RewriteEngine, RewriteCond, or RewriteRule into NGINX syntax |
Those are Apache directives and cause an invalid or ignored configuration depending on where they are placed | Choose return, rewrite, try_files, or an upstream handler based on intent |
Translating every condition into if |
It obscures location selection and can introduce unexpected processing interactions | Prefer try_files, a specific location, or a server-level rule when those express the requirement |
| Putting the rule in another virtual host | The request never reaches the edited block | Match the exact hostname and listening socket, then reload the active instance |
| Using the project root instead of the public root | Filesystem candidates and the entry point are resolved from the wrong directory | Set the effective root to the intended web directory and verify one static file and the fallback |
| Omitting the fallback handler | The internal URI exists conceptually but has no PHP, proxy, or static handler | Add and test the matching handler for the actual entry point |
| Dropping or duplicating query arguments | Rewrite replacement syntax controls how the original query string is treated | Test parameterized requests and specify preservation or replacement deliberately |
| Creating a rewrite loop | The destination matches the source rule again | Exclude the destination, narrow the pattern, or replace the rewrite with a direct return |
Verification checklist before declaring the 404 fixed
- The request is handled by the intended
server_nameand port. - The matching location contains the rule, or deliberately delegates to a named location that does.
- The active
rootoraliasresolves one known static file to the path you expect. - A real file is served without being sent through the application unnecessarily.
- A real directory behaves according to your index and slash policy.
- A nonexistent pretty URL reaches the intended application, proxy, or explicit 404 fallback.
- The final fallback endpoint exists and has a working FastCGI, proxy, or static handler.
- Query arguments survive or are replaced exactly as the application requires.
nginx -tsucceeds before reload, and the reload affects the running instance.- Access and error logs show the expected status and no rewrite-cycle or upstream errors.
When a 404 is actually the correct result
Not every unknown path should be routed to an application. A static site may intentionally return =404. A security-sensitive location may reject direct access even when a file exists. An application may also return its own 404 after NGINX successfully forwards the request. Distinguish these cases by checking the response headers, access log, error log, and whether the fallback endpoint receives the request.
The practical rule is simple: use NGINX configuration to express the routing decision that Apache’s .htaccess previously supplied, and make the filesystem root, location match, fallback endpoint, and handler agree. Once those four pieces align, pretty URLs stop depending on an Apache file that NGINX cannot see.
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