Nginx Location Directive Explained With Examples

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The NGINX location directive decides which configuration handles each request URI. NGINX first looks for an exact match, then records the longest matching prefix, optionally evaluates regular expressions, and finally uses the remembered prefix when no regex wins. An exact location = ends the search immediately; ^~ prevents regex locations from taking over a prefix subtree; otherwise the first matching regex in configuration order wins.

What the NGINX location directive does

A location block groups directives that should apply to a particular request path. Those directives might serve files, proxy traffic to an application, rewrite a URI, return a status, or set headers. The block is selected by comparing the request URI with the location modifiers and patterns in the active server block.

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Location selection is separate from the directives that run after selection. For example, try_files, proxy_pass, and root do not decide which location wins; they operate inside the location NGINX has selected. A rewrite using last can change that result by starting a new location search.

NGINX location precedence, step by step

1. Check exact locations. A location beginning with = must match the complete URI. If it matches, NGINX stops searching and uses that block.
2. Find prefix matches. Locations without a regular-expression modifier are compared as prefixes. NGINX remembers the longest matching prefix.
3. Honor ^~. If the longest prefix has the ^~ modifier, NGINX skips every regular-expression location and uses that prefix.
4. Check regular expressions. Without ^~, NGINX tests regex locations in the order they appear in the configuration. The first matching regex wins, even when a longer ordinary prefix also matched.
5. Fall back to the remembered prefix. If no regex matches, the longest prefix selected in step two handles the request.

This explains a common surprise: a regex location can override a plain prefix that appears more specific, because regex evaluation occurs after prefix scanning. The ^~ modifier is the explicit way to protect a prefix tree from that override.

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Location modifiers and their exact behavior

The regular-expression modifiers apply only to regex locations. A plain prefix such as /images/ is not a regex, so characters such as a period have no special pattern meaning there.

A complete configuration example

server {
    # Exact match: only /health
    location = /health {
        return 200 "okn";
    }

    # Longest prefix; regex locations cannot override this subtree
    location ^~ /assets/ {
        root /srv/www;
    }

    # Case-sensitive PHP extension match
    location ~ .php$ {
        proxy_pass http://php_backend;
    }

    # Case-insensitive image extension match
    location ~* .(jpg|jpeg|png|gif)$ {
        root /srv/images;
    }

    # General fallback prefix
    location / {
        proxy_pass http://app_backend;
    }
}

In this example, the exact health endpoint wins before any prefix or regex is considered. Requests below /assets/ use the ^~ block, so an image filename under that tree does not reach the image regex. A PHP-looking URI outside that tree can reach the case-sensitive regex. Everything else falls through to the application proxy.

Worked request outcomes

Choosing between root, alias, and try_files

Using root

root appends the request URI to the configured filesystem path. With location /static/ { root /srv/site; }, a request for /static/app.css is mapped beneath /srv/site/static/app.css. This behavior is convenient when the URI path mirrors the directory layout.

Using alias

alias replaces the part of the URI matched by the location with a filesystem path. For a directory location, keep the trailing slash convention consistent:

location /static/ {
    alias /srv/site/static/;
    try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
}

With alias, verify the resulting URI-to-file mapping rather than assuming it behaves like root. A missing or extra slash can point NGINX at a different path than intended. Use a prefix location for a whole directory tree; choose a regex location only when the selection genuinely depends on a filename pattern.

Using try_files

try_files checks candidates in the order written. It tests files or directories, then internally redirects to a URI or returns the specified status when no candidate exists. In the example above, NGINX checks the requested path, then a directory form, and returns 404 if neither exists. Keep the final fallback explicit so missing assets do not silently become application requests.

Reverse proxy locations

A common layout sends application traffic through a general prefix while handling selected assets separately:

server {
    location / {
        proxy_pass http://app_backend;
    }

    location ~* .(jpg|jpeg|png|gif)$ {
        root /srv/images;
    }
}

Because / is an ordinary prefix, the image regex can win for matching filenames. If the application owns a subtree that must never be intercepted, give that subtree a ^~ prefix, for example location ^~ /uploads/. Place a regex location after it or elsewhere in the file; the modifier, not visual order against prefixes, is what suppresses regex evaluation for that subtree.

When using proxy_pass, remember that the proxy directive runs only after location selection. A request reaching the wrong block is therefore a matching problem first, not a proxy-backend problem. Inspect the URI and the modifiers before changing upstream settings.

Rewrites: when location selection starts again

Rewrite directives execute sequentially. A rewrite with the last flag changes the URI and triggers a new location search, so the request may enter a different block. A rewrite with break changes processing while remaining in the current location. This distinction matters when a rewrite appears to be ignored: the rewritten URI may be selecting another location, or a break may intentionally prevent a second search.

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location /old/ {
    rewrite ^/old/(.*)$ /new/$1 last;
}

location /new/ {
    proxy_pass http://app_backend;
}

Here, a request under /old/ is rewritten and then evaluated against the available locations again. If the directive used break instead, processing would continue inside the original block.

Why an NGINX location block is being ignored

The URI is not the one you think

Check the actual request path, including a leading slash, extension, and letter case. Query strings are not part of the URI used for location matching, so a condition that appears to depend on a query parameter cannot be implemented by a normal path location alone.

An exact location wins first

A matching location = prevents every broader rule from running. Remove or narrow an unintended exact block if a request always lands there.

A regex is winning over a prefix

If an ordinary prefix and a regex both match, the regex is tested after prefix scanning and can win. Convert the prefix to ^~ when that subtree must be handled by the prefix, or adjust the regex so it no longer matches those URIs.

A different regex appears earlier

Regex locations use configuration order and the first match wins. Two overlapping ~ or ~* blocks can therefore produce a result that seems unrelated to their apparent specificity. Put the intended rule first and make patterns mutually exclusive where possible.

Case sensitivity differs

~ treats case as significant, while ~* ignores case. A request for PHOTO.JPG will not match a lowercase-only pattern under ~ unless the expression accounts for it.

A rewrite caused a second search

Trace every rewrite and its flag. last starts location selection again with the new URI; break stays in the current location. The block you inspect in the file may not be the block handling the rewritten request.

Filesystem mapping is wrong, not matching

Once the intended location is confirmed, inspect root versus alias, trailing slashes, and the candidate order in try_files. A correct match can still produce a 404 when the computed filesystem path is incorrect.

A practical design method

1. Start with exact endpoints that need unambiguous behavior, such as a health check.
2. Add protected directory prefixes with ^~ when regex rules must not intercept them.
3. Add regex locations only for real pattern-based requirements, such as extensions, and decide explicitly whether case matters.
4. Define one ordinary prefix as the application fallback.
5. For static content, choose root when URI and directory structure align; choose alias when the URI should map to a different directory.
6. Use try_files with an explicit final URI or status so missing files have predictable behavior.
7. Review rewrites separately, noting which ones use last and therefore perform another location lookup.

Location-selection checklist

• Is there an exact match that terminates the search?
• Which ordinary prefix is the longest match?
• Does that prefix use ^~?
• If regex evaluation is allowed, which regex appears first and matches?
• Are you using ~ or ~* intentionally?
• After selection, does root or alias produce the expected path?
• Does try_files test candidates in the required order?
• Does a rewrite with last send the request into a different location?

Key takeaway

Think of NGINX location matching as two passes: exact and prefix discovery first, then optional regex evaluation. Exact matches stop immediately; the longest ^~ prefix blocks regex overrides; otherwise the first matching regex in file order wins, with the longest prefix as the final fallback. Once that order is clear, most “ignored location” problems can be resolved by inspecting modifiers, regex order, URI case, rewrites, and filesystem mapping in that sequence.

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