How to Remove Trailing Slash in Nginx Configuration

To remove a trailing slash in nginx, use a rewrite directive inside your server block that matches URLs ending with a slash and redirects them to the same URL without the slash. For example, rewrite ^/(.+)/$ /$1 permanent; removes trailing slashes with a permanent redirect.

Syntax

The rewrite directive in Nginx changes the requested URL based on a pattern. The syntax is:

• rewrite regex replacement [flag];

Where:

• regex matches the URL pattern.
• replacement is the new URL to redirect to.
• flag controls the redirect type, e.g., permanent for HTTP 301.

nginx

rewrite ^/(.+)/$ /$1 permanent;

Example

This example shows how to remove trailing slashes from all URLs except the root /. It redirects URLs ending with a slash to the same URL without it using a permanent redirect (HTTP 301).

nginx

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;

    location / {
        # Remove trailing slash except for root
        rewrite ^/(.+)/$ /$1 permanent;

        # Usual processing here
        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }
}

Output

When accessing http://example.com/path/, the browser is redirected to http://example.com/path with HTTP status 301 Moved Permanently.

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when removing trailing slashes in Nginx include:

• Using a rewrite rule that also removes the slash from the root URL /, causing redirect loops.
• Not specifying permanent or redirect flags, which can cause unexpected behavior.
• Placing the rewrite outside the correct location block or server block.

Correct usage avoids redirect loops and ensures only URLs with trailing slashes (except root) are redirected.

nginx

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;

    location / {
        # Wrong: This causes redirect loop for root URL
        rewrite ^/(.*)/$ /$1 permanent;

        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }
}

# Corrected version:
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;

    location / {
        # Avoid root slash redirect by requiring at least one character before slash
        rewrite ^/(.+)/$ /$1 permanent;

        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }
}

Quick Reference

Tips for removing trailing slashes in Nginx:

• Use rewrite ^/(.+)/$ /$1 permanent; to avoid redirecting root URL.
• Place rewrite inside the location / block or server block.
• Use permanent flag for SEO-friendly 301 redirects.
• Test redirects with curl or browser to confirm behavior.

Key Takeaways

Use the rewrite directive with regex ^/(.+)/$ to remove trailing slashes except for root URL.

Always include the permanent flag to send HTTP 301 redirects for SEO benefits.

Avoid redirect loops by not matching the root URL when removing trailing slashes.

Place rewrite rules inside the appropriate server or location block for correct behavior.

Test your configuration after changes to ensure URLs redirect as expected.