How to Fix 404 Not Found Error in Nginx Quickly

A 404 Not Found error in nginx usually means the server can't find the requested file or location. To fix it, check your nginx.conf or site config for correct root or alias paths and ensure the files exist there.

Why This Happens

A 404 Not Found error in Nginx happens when the server tries to find a file or resource but it does not exist at the specified location. This often occurs because the root or alias directive in the Nginx configuration points to the wrong folder, or the requested file is missing.

nginx

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;

    location / {
        root /var/www/html/mysite;
        index index.html;
    }
}

Output

404 Not Found

The Fix

To fix the 404 error, verify that the root path in your Nginx configuration matches the actual folder where your website files are stored. Also, make sure the requested file (like index.html) exists in that folder. After changes, reload Nginx to apply the fix.

nginx

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;

    location / {
        root /var/www/html/mysite_correct;
        index index.html;
    }
}

Output

Website loads correctly without 404 error

Prevention

Always double-check your root or alias paths when setting up Nginx. Use absolute paths and confirm files exist before restarting Nginx. Use nginx -t to test configuration syntax before reload. Keep your website files organized and consistent with your config.

Related Errors

Other common errors include 403 Forbidden, caused by wrong permissions, and 502 Bad Gateway, caused by backend server issues. For 403 errors, check file permissions and ownership. For 502 errors, verify backend services are running and reachable.

Key Takeaways

Check that the root or alias path in Nginx config points to the correct folder.

Ensure the requested files actually exist in the specified directory.

Use nginx -t to test config syntax before reloading Nginx.

Reload Nginx after any config changes to apply fixes.

Keep file permissions correct to avoid related errors like 403 Forbidden.