How to Create Server Block in Nginx: Simple Guide

To create a server block in nginx, define a server block inside the configuration file, specifying the listen port and server_name. Then add directives like root to set the website folder. Finally, reload nginx to apply the changes.

Syntax

A server block in Nginx defines how to handle requests for a specific domain or IP. Key parts include:

• listen: Port number Nginx listens on (usually 80 for HTTP).
• server_name: Domain or IP address to match requests.
• root: Folder path where website files are stored.
• location: Defines how to process specific URL paths.

nginx

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com www.example.com;

    root /var/www/example.com/html;
    index index.html index.htm;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }
}

Example

This example shows a basic server block for example.com that serves static files from /var/www/example.com/html. It listens on port 80 and returns a 404 error if a file is not found.

nginx

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com www.example.com;

    root /var/www/example.com/html;
    index index.html index.htm;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }
}

Output

When Nginx is reloaded, requests to http://example.com will serve files from /var/www/example.com/html or return 404 if not found.

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when creating server blocks include:

• Forgetting to reload Nginx after changes (sudo nginx -s reload).
• Not setting the correct root path, causing 404 errors.
• Using incorrect server_name that doesn't match the requested domain.
• Missing listen directive or using wrong port.

Always test your config with sudo nginx -t before reloading.

nginx

## Wrong example: missing listen directive
server {
    server_name example.com;
    root /var/www/example.com/html;
}

## Correct example:
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;
    root /var/www/example.com/html;
}

Quick Reference

Directive	Purpose	Example
listen	Port Nginx listens on	listen 80;
server_name	Domain names to match	server_name example.com www.example.com;
root	Folder with website files	root /var/www/example.com/html;
index	Default file to serve	index index.html index.htm;
location	URL path handling	location / { try_files $uri $uri/ =404; }

Key Takeaways

Define a server block with listen and server_name to create a server block.

Set the root directive to point to your website files folder.

Always test your configuration with nginx -t before reloading.

Reload Nginx after changes using sudo nginx -s reload to apply the new server block.

Check that server_name matches the domain users will request.