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To password-protect one folder in Nginx, add auth_basic and auth_basic_user_file to the location block that serves that folder, then reload Nginx. The credentials file is a flat file generated by Apache’s htpasswd utility. Keep that file outside the public document root, make sure Nginx workers can read it, and serve the protected URL over HTTPS because Basic Authentication only base64-encodes credentials.
The example below protects /private/ while leaving other paths available. Paths, package names, service commands and configuration-file locations vary by operating system and installation method, so substitute the paths used by your installation.
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How Nginx folder protection works
Nginx’s ngx_http_auth_basic_module limits access to a resource by validating a username and password through the HTTP Basic Authentication protocol. Authentication is applied where the directives are placed:
- A
locationblock protects one URL path, such as/private/. - A
serverblock protects every location in that virtual host unless a nested location turns authentication off. auth_basicsets the login realm shown by the browser.auth_basic_user_filepoints to the file containing usernames and password hashes.
The URL path and filesystem path are related by the location’s content mapping. In the example, /private/ is served from a directory below /var/www/html; use the actual root or other content mapping in your server configuration.
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Before you begin
Confirm the protected URL and server block
Decide the exact URL that should require a login. This article uses https://example.com/private/. Locate the server block for that hostname and identify the location that serves the folder. Authentication placed in the wrong server block or location can protect a different site or leave the intended path public.
Use an HTTPS listener
Basic Authentication sends the user ID and password in a base64-encoded HTTP header. Base64 is encoding, not encryption, so anyone able to observe an unencrypted connection could recover the credentials. Configure TLS and use the HTTPS URL for every authenticated request. The sample configuration therefore listens on port 443 with SSL enabled.
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Creating a password file in a system directory and editing Nginx configuration normally requires an account that can use sudo. The exact configuration directory and service name depend on how Nginx was installed.
Install the htpasswd utility
The htpasswd command creates and updates flat files used by HTTP Basic Authentication. Install the package for your distribution:
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| Operating-system family | Package to install | Utility provided |
|---|---|---|
| Debian or Ubuntu | apache2-utils |
htpasswd |
| RHEL, CentOS or Oracle Linux | httpd-tools |
htpasswd |
Use your operating system’s package manager to install the listed package. Package-manager syntax and service names are not universal, so follow the conventions of the distribution and installation method in use.
Create the password file
Create the first account
Run:
sudo htpasswd -c /etc/nginx/.htpasswd aliceEnter the password when prompted. The -c option creates a new file. In this example, the file is /etc/nginx/.htpasswd and the first username is alice. Treat that path as an example: choose a location that the Nginx worker can read and that is not inside the publicly served document root.
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Add another account without recreating the file
For a second user, omit -c:
sudo htpasswd /etc/nginx/.htpasswd bobOmitting -c updates the existing file. Reusing -c when adding a user can recreate the file and remove the accounts already stored there, so use it only for the initial creation.
Understand what the file contains
The file is a line-oriented credential store containing usernames and password representations that Nginx can validate. It is not intended to be downloaded or displayed to visitors. The Nginx Basic Auth module supports crypt, Apache’s apr1, and RFC 2307 formats. Nginx warns that unsalted SHA-1 entries using {SHA} should not be used for new passwords.
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Protect one folder with a location block
Add authentication to the location that maps to the private folder:
server {
listen 443 ssl;
server_name example.com;
location /private/ {
root /var/www/html;
auth_basic "Private files";
auth_basic_user_file /etc/nginx/.htpasswd;
}
}Here, auth_basic "Private files"; enables Basic Authentication and supplies the realm text shown in the login prompt. auth_basic_user_file /etc/nginx/.htpasswd; tells Nginx where to validate the submitted credentials. Replace example.com, /private/, the root directory and the password-file path with values from your installation.
Only requests handled by this location require the credentials. Other locations in the same server remain governed by their own configuration. A request with valid credentials can then access resources below the protected URL path; a request without valid credentials receives an authentication challenge.
Protect an entire site, then make a nested path public
If authentication belongs on most of a virtual host, put the directives at server level:
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server {
auth_basic "Private site";
auth_basic_user_file /etc/nginx/.htpasswd;
location /public/ {
auth_basic off;
}
}Settings inherited from the server apply to nested locations. Set auth_basic off; in a public location to cancel the inherited authentication there. The password-file directive can remain at server level while the public location disables the challenge.
Choose the narrowest scope that matches the requirement. A folder-specific location reduces the chance of accidentally challenging unrelated pages, while server-level protection is useful when nearly the entire virtual host is private.
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Place it outside the document root
Store the file outside directories that Nginx serves as web content whenever possible. A path such as /etc/nginx/.htpasswd keeps it separate from /var/www/html in the example. Do not put the file in the protected folder itself merely because that folder requires a login: a configuration mistake could otherwise expose the file as a downloadable resource.
Check Nginx worker access
Nginx worker processes open the password file for authenticated requests. The worker account must be able to read the file and traverse the directories leading to it. If workers cannot read it, every authenticated request can fail even when the username and password are correct. Verify the absolute path and filesystem permissions after moving or replacing the file.
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Do not confuse URL protection with file secrecy
Basic Auth controls requests that reach the configured location; it does not make a password file safe when that file is directly exposed by another location, an alias, a backup route or another web server. Keep the credential file out of all public content mappings and review overlapping locations if an unexpected download is possible.
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- Save the edited configuration.
- Run the syntax and file-reference test:
sudo nginx -t - If the test succeeds, reload Nginx without stopping the service:
sudo systemctl reload nginx - Request the protected URL in a browser or with an HTTP client. It should display a username-and-password prompt.
The service-manager command can differ by installation method. Use the reload operation provided by your environment, and never skip the configuration test: a failed test means the new configuration was not safely accepted.
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Unauthenticated request
Open the protected URL in a fresh browser session or an HTTP client that has no credentials cached. Nginx should challenge for credentials. The official Nginx guidance describes incorrect credentials as producing HTTP 401 (Authorization Required).
Valid credentials
Enter a username and password that exist in the file. The request should proceed to the content served by the protected location. If it does not, check the absolute password-file path, worker read access and whether the account was added to the file without accidentally recreating it.
Public location
If you configured server-level authentication with a public exception, request the exception path separately. A location containing auth_basic off; should not prompt, while other inherited locations should continue to require credentials.
Troubleshoot common failures
Every protected request fails, including correct passwords
- Confirm that
auth_basic_user_filecontains the correct absolute path. - Check that the Nginx worker account can read the file and traverse its parent directories.
- Make sure the file exists on the machine and in the environment where the active Nginx workers run.
- Run
sudo nginx -tagain after correcting the path or permissions, then reload Nginx.
The browser repeatedly returns 401
- Verify the username spelling and password.
- Confirm that the user was added to the intended file, not to a similarly named file.
- If the file was created again with
-c, recreate the required users without-cso all intended entries are present. - Clear cached credentials or use a fresh client session when testing a changed account.
The supposedly public path still prompts
- Check whether authentication is inherited from a
serverblock or a broader location. - Put
auth_basic off;in the exact nested public location that handles the request. - Test the URL path actually requested, including a trailing slash where your location pattern expects one.
The password file appears downloadable
- Move it outside the public document root.
- Review
root, alias and other location mappings for a route that exposes the file. - Test the file URL directly after the change and remove any public copy or backup.
The configuration test fails
Do not reload until nginx -t succeeds. Read the reported file and line, then correct syntax, quotation marks, braces or paths. Package layouts and included configuration files differ, so the error may be in an included file rather than the main file you edited.
Choose the right protection scope
| Approach | Scope | Credential storage | Operational complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location-level Basic Auth | One URL location, such as /private/ |
Flat htpasswd file |
Low; suitable for a small set of accounts |
| Server-level Basic Auth with exceptions | Whole virtual host, with selected locations made public using auth_basic off; |
Flat htpasswd file |
Low, but requires careful inheritance checks |
| External identity system | Determined by the identity and access-control design | External identity store | Higher; useful when centralized or multi-user access control is required |
Regardless of scope, Basic Auth requires HTTPS/TLS for credential confidentiality. A flat file is convenient for a small deployment, while an external identity system may be more appropriate when accounts, auditing or access policies must be managed centrally.
Quick Recap
Operational checklist
- Install
apache2-utilson Debian or Ubuntu, orhttpd-toolson RHEL-family systems. - Create the first account with
htpasswd -c; omit-cfor subsequent accounts. - Store the file outside the public document root.
- Use an absolute path in
auth_basic_user_file. - Ensure Nginx workers can read the file.
- Put
auth_basicandauth_basic_user_filein the intended location or server context. - Use
auth_basic off;to cancel inherited authentication for a public nested location. - Run
sudo nginx -tbefore reloading. - Reload Nginx, then test unauthenticated, valid-credential and public-path requests.
- Use HTTPS for every authenticated request.
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