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A reverse proxy server sits between clients and backend servers: it receives requests intended for a service, forwards them to an appropriate server or handles them itself, then returns a response to the client. It represents the servers, not the client making the request.
What is a reverse proxy server?
A reverse proxy is an intermediary placed in front of one or more backend, or origin, servers. Clients connect to the public-facing service; the proxy manages how requests reach the servers behind it. Depending on its configuration, it can forward a request, return eligible cached content, or handle aspects of the request and response.
The term describes the proxy’s position and role in the traffic flow, not a specific product or a guarantee of particular features. MDN’s overview of proxy servers explains the distinction between reverse and forward proxies.
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How does a reverse proxy work?
- A client connects to the service’s public address. The client requests a site or service using its public-facing name. How that name resolves depends on the deployment. In Cloudflare’s documented setup, HTTP and HTTPS traffic for DNS records marked as proxied passes through Cloudflare on its way to the origin.
- The proxy receives the request. It selects or is configured to use an upstream backend server. With NGINX, for example, a proxy configuration sends a request to a specified server, retrieves the response, and returns it to the client.
- The proxy may process the exchange. Depending on the implementation, it can modify headers or buffer an upstream response. NGINX documents proxying for HTTP and protocols including FastCGI, uwsgi, SCGI, and memcached.
- The client receives a response. The proxy can relay the backend’s response or, in some configurations, respond with eligible cached content without sending that request to the origin.
These are deployment-dependent behaviors, not requirements shared by every reverse proxy. Cloudflare’s description of proxied DNS documents its managed traffic path, while NGINX’s proxy module documentation describes configurable upstream behavior.
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What is a reverse proxy server used for?
A reverse proxy can combine several functions, but the available features and their effects depend on the product and configuration.
- Load balancing: Distribute incoming requests among backend servers. Some configurations can send traffic to another server if one fails.
- Caching: Store eligible content, such as static images, so later requests can be served without reaching the origin each time.
- TLS handling: Terminate incoming TLS connections and establish encrypted connections toward clients or origins as configured. This can reduce cryptographic work at an origin in deployments designed for that purpose.
- Origin shielding: Put a managed proxy in the client-facing route so clients ordinarily connect through it rather than directly to the origin. This can make direct targeting harder, but does not prove the origin is unreachable or fully protected.
- Request and response handling: Modify headers or buffer responses. NGINX notes that buffering can allow an upstream server to finish processing while the proxy serves a slower client.
- Compression and authentication: These are among the use cases MDN lists for reverse proxies; their availability is not universal or necessarily enabled by default.
For an overview of these general use cases, see MDN’s proxy-server guide. Product-specific behavior should be checked in the relevant configuration and documentation.
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Reverse proxy vs. forward proxy
The key difference is which side the intermediary represents. A forward proxy acts for clients making outbound requests; a reverse proxy sits in front of servers handling inbound requests.
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| Reverse proxy | Backend servers | Between incoming clients and the servers providing a service |
That distinction is about the proxy’s role, not whether it is managed by a provider or installed as software. MDN explains the forward-proxy role, and Cloudflare’s reverse proxy overview describes the server-facing role.
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Managed service or self-managed software?
A managed edge service and a self-managed proxy such as NGINX can both serve as reverse proxies, but their traffic paths and operational responsibilities differ. Choose based on the actual setup rather than assuming one approach is best for every service.
- Control and operations: Identify who configures upstream routing, headers, buffering, and other behavior, and who operates the proxy.
- DNS and origin reachability: Check what address DNS returns and whether clients can still connect to the origin directly. Cloudflare’s documented routing behavior applies to records set to proxied status; it is not a universal reverse-proxy rule.
- Required functions: Confirm that the selected implementation and configuration provide the load balancing, caching, TLS handling, or request controls you need.
- Backend compatibility: Verify that the proxy supports the protocols used by the upstream application. NGINX documents HTTP as well as FastCGI, uwsgi, SCGI, and memcached support.
What a reverse proxy does not guarantee
Calling a component a reverse proxy does not, by itself, guarantee security, faster responses, high availability, or correct load distribution. Those outcomes depend on implementation, policy, DNS and network setup, and configuration. A proxy can be one part of security or performance controls, but its presence alone does not establish that those controls are effective.
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