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To move an NGINX web root, copy the site files to the new directory, change the active server block’s root directive, check any location-specific overrides, validate the configuration, reload NGINX, and test both the home page and a nested URL. Keep the old directory until those tests pass so you can roll back quickly.
What changes when you move an NGINX web root?
NGINX maps a request to the filesystem by taking the configured root directory and appending the request URI. If the server block contains root /srv/my-site/html;, a request for /images/logo.png is normally looked up as /srv/my-site/html/images/logo.png. Moving the root therefore changes the base directory without changing the public URLs.
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The change is usually limited to the server block, but a complete migration also requires checking more-specific location blocks, try_files rules, symlinks, directory traversal permissions, and any mandatory-access-control policy on the host. A second server block can also answer the request if its server_name is selected instead of the block you edited.
Before you start
Keep a rollback copy
Do not delete or rename the old document root at the beginning. Leave it intact until the new path serves the home page, a representative static asset, and an application route if the site has one. If the migration fails, restoring the previous root line and reloading NGINX gives you a fast rollback.
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Confirm the account and service
You need administrative access to create the destination, copy files, edit the server configuration, and reload the service. Make the change on the machine that actually runs NGINX. A reverse proxy or load balancer in front of this host can make a successful local change appear ineffective if traffic is going elsewhere.
Decide what must be preserved
For a live site, preserve ownership, permission modes, symbolic links, and extended attributes when those properties are part of your deployment or security model. Copying only the visible file contents can break links, private directories, or access controls even when the HTML itself is present.
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Find the active NGINX configuration
Configuration paths differ between distribution packages, source builds, and operating systems. Do not assume that every installation uses the same file. Ask the binary where it was compiled to look for its configuration:
nginx -V 2>&1 | awk -F: '/configure arguments/ {print $2}'Inspect the output for the compiled --conf-path. That path identifies the main configuration file. Follow its include directives to locate the server block that answers the site.
Ubuntu’s common layout
On Ubuntu package installations, the default site is commonly enabled from /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default, while the editable file is in /etc/nginx/sites-available/. If your site uses a separate file, edit that file rather than changing an unrelated default block. The enabled entry may be a symbolic link, so verify which file it resolves to before editing.
Identify the server block that matters
Look for the block whose listen and server_name match the request you will test. A configuration can contain several virtual hosts, and the first block you find may not serve your domain. Note the current root, index, location, and try_files directives before making edits. This record makes both review and rollback easier.
Create the new directory and copy the site
Choose a destination
The new path can be under a location such as /srv, provided the NGINX worker account can traverse every parent directory and read the files it must serve. Ubuntu documentation demonstrates /srv/my-site/html as a valid web-root location.
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sudo mkdir -p /srv/my-site/htmlCopy the existing contents, not the parent directory itself
Copy the contents of the old root into the new root so that the URL-to-file relationship remains unchanged. The trailing . in this example means hidden files are included without creating an extra html directory inside the destination:
sudo cp -a /var/www/html/. /srv/my-site/html/The archive mode preserves ordinary ownership, modes, timestamps, and symbolic links. If your site relies on extended attributes or other filesystem metadata, use a copy method and options that preserve those attributes on your system, then verify them before switching traffic.
Check the resulting layout
Confirm that the file previously served at / is now directly under the destination. For example, if the old path was /var/www/html/index.html, the new path should be /srv/my-site/html/index.html, not /srv/my-site/html/html/index.html. Check representative directories, uploads, generated files, and symlink targets as well.
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Edit the server block that serves the site and replace the old path. Keep the existing index directive and application handlers unless the application itself requires a change.
server {
listen 80;
server_name example.com www.example.com;
root /srv/my-site/html;
index index.html index.htm;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
}
}Only the filesystem base changes in this example. A request for /about.html is mapped below /srv/my-site/html, while the public URL remains /about.html. Do not add a second slash, filename, or URI prefix to the root value unless your directory layout specifically requires it.
Preserve application behavior
Changing root does not automatically rewrite upstream settings, script handlers, redirects, or fallback routes. Leave those directives as they were while moving static files. If an application stores uploads, caches, or generated assets outside the document root, decide separately whether those paths should move; changing the web root alone does not relocate them.
Audit location blocks and try_files rules
A server-level root is not necessarily the final path used for every request. A more-specific location can define its own root or alias, overriding the server-level value for matching URIs. Review every location that handles assets, downloads, APIs, or application fallbacks.
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How try_files resolves paths
try_files checks candidate files and directories using the current root or alias. In the example below, NGINX checks for a file or directory under the new root and returns a 404 when neither exists:
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
}If the new directory does not contain the same relative structure as the old one, try_files can return 404 even though the server block itself is valid. Single-page applications are especially sensitive to fallback rules, so test a client-side route rather than only the home page.
Look for stale or intentional overrides
Search the active configuration for additional root, alias, and try_files directives. An asset location may intentionally point to a separate directory, while an old override may still point at the previous web root. Determine whether each exception is deliberate before changing it; replacing every path indiscriminately can break downloads or private content.
Root and alias are not interchangeable
Use root when the request URI should be appended to a base directory. Use alias when a location’s URI prefix should be replaced by a different filesystem path. The distinction matters during a move because changing one directive can alter the resulting path.
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|---|---|---|---|
root /srv/my-site/html; |
Appends the complete request URI to the configured directory. | A whole site whose URL tree mirrors its directory tree. | Relative paths must exist below the new root. |
alias /srv/assets/; |
Replaces the matching location prefix with the alias path. | A location that exposes a directory under a different URL prefix. | Review prefix matching and trailing-slash behavior carefully. |
For example, with location /assets/ { alias /srv/assets/; }, the URI prefix is mapped according to the alias location rather than appended as a complete string. Alias locations require particular attention to trailing slashes and regular-expression locations. If you only intend to move the complete document root, leave an existing alias unchanged and audit it separately.
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Parent-directory traversal
NGINX must be able to traverse every parent directory in the path, not merely read the final file. A directory can contain world-readable files and still produce a 403 if one parent directory denies execute (traverse) permission to the worker account.
File readability
Files used for public responses must be readable by the NGINX worker account or by a group to which it belongs. Directories also need suitable traversal permission. Ubuntu’s baseline example uses:
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sudo chmod -R 755 /srv/my-site/htmlThis is a starting example, not a universal security policy. Adapt permissions to your deployment model. Private configuration, upload, and cache directories may need tighter modes, different ownership, or a separate location rule. Broadly granting read or write access can expose secrets or allow unwanted modification.
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Check every symbolic link in the copied tree. A link can still point into the old location, to a missing mount, or to a directory that NGINX cannot traverse. A 403 can also result from a mandatory-access-control policy such as SELinux or AppArmor. The correct remediation depends on the distribution and policy profile; inspect the policy audit records rather than disabling protection or applying a generic command.
Validate and reload NGINX
Always test the complete configuration before reloading:
sudo nginx -tProceed only when the test reports a successful syntax check. If it identifies an unknown directive, missing file, duplicate setting, or permission problem, correct that issue first. A successful test confirms that NGINX can parse the configuration; it does not prove that every requested file exists or that the selected server block is the one you intended.
After a successful test, reload the service:
sudo systemctl reload nginxA reload applies the new configuration without an intentional full stop. Use the equivalent service-manager command on systems that do not use systemd. Keep the old directory available while the new workers begin serving requests.
Verify the move with representative requests
Test the root URL
Request the site’s home page using the same hostname that clients use. A browser test confirms the rendered result, while a header request can quickly reveal the status code:
curl -I http://example.com/Use HTTPS when that is how the site is normally accessed. A redirect to HTTPS is expected if the configuration enforces it; follow the redirect and verify the final response as well.
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Test a nested static asset
Choose a known stylesheet, image, JavaScript file, or download below a directory. This catches an incorrectly copied tree, an extra directory level, and a location-specific root that the home page does not exercise.
curl -I http://example.com/path/to/asset.cssTest an application route
If the site uses a front-controller or fallback route, request a representative path that is not a physical file. Confirm that the expected handler receives it and that try_files does not return a 404 prematurely. Test an upload or generated asset only if that workflow is part of the site’s normal operation.
Use access and error logs
When a response is wrong, inspect the NGINX access and error logs while repeating the request. The access log shows which URI and status code were recorded; the error log often reveals a missing file, denied permission, failed symlink target, or upstream problem. Log locations vary with the active configuration, so use the paths declared by your installation rather than assuming a fixed filename.
Troubleshoot common migration failures
403 Forbidden immediately after the move
- Confirm that the request is reaching the server block whose
rootyou changed. - Check execute permission on every parent directory and read permission on the requested file.
- Inspect symlink targets and ensure they are reachable from the NGINX worker account.
- Review mandatory-access-control denials for the new path.
- Read the error log while making a fresh request; its message usually distinguishes a filesystem denial from a configuration mismatch.
Do not solve a 403 by making the entire filesystem writable or by disabling security controls. Correct the ownership, mode, path labeling, or location rule that caused the denial.
The old content is still served
Check for a more-specific location with its own root or alias. Then verify the selected server_name and listen address. Another server block may be answering the hostname, or a stale deployment symlink may still point to the old directory. Confirm that the reload succeeded and that your test request reaches this host.
Static files return 404
Compare the requested URI with the actual relative path under the new root. An extra directory level during copying is common. Next, inspect try_files and any location override. If the URI is handled by an alias, its replacement semantics—not the server-level root—determine the filesystem path.
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Read the exact file and line reported by nginx -t. Typical causes include a missing semicolon, a misspelled path, an edit made to a disabled file, or a directive placed outside its permitted context. Restore the last known-good line if necessary, retest, and only reload after the check succeeds.
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Each virtual host has its own server block and may have a different root. Update only the intended site, then test each hostname separately. A default server can make an unmatched hostname appear to work while the real domain still uses its previous configuration.
Rollback procedure
- Leave the new directory in place so no copied data is lost.
- Restore the previous
rootvalue in the active server block. - Run
sudo nginx -tand resolve any syntax error. - Run
sudo systemctl reload nginx. - Request the home page and a nested asset to confirm that the old path is serving again.
After the rollback, investigate logs and path differences before attempting another switch. Do not remove the old directory until the new location has passed the same tests and any deployment jobs, backups, or scheduled tasks have been updated.
Quick Recap
Migration checklist
- Identify the compiled configuration path with
nginx -V. - Locate the enabled server block for the hostname being moved.
- Create the destination directory, such as
/srv/my-site/html. - Copy the old root’s contents while preserving required metadata.
- Verify that the new directory has the same relative file layout.
- Change the intended server-level
rootdirective. - Audit more-specific
root,alias, andtry_filesdirectives. - Ensure parent directories are traversable and files are readable by NGINX.
- Check symlinks and mandatory-access-control policy.
- Run
sudo nginx -t. - Reload with
sudo systemctl reload nginx. - Test the home page, a nested asset, and an application route.
- Keep the old directory until verification and rollback needs are resolved.
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