How to Rotate Nginx Logs: Simple Guide for Log Management

To rotate nginx logs, use the logrotate tool with a configuration file specifying nginx log paths and rotation rules. Alternatively, send the nginx process a USR1 signal to reopen log files after rotation.

Syntax

Log rotation for nginx is usually managed by logrotate. The key parts of a logrotate config for nginx logs are:

• path: The log file location, e.g., /var/log/nginx/access.log.
• rotate: Number of old logs to keep.
• daily, weekly, or monthly: How often to rotate.
• missingok: Ignore if log file is missing.
• notifempty: Do not rotate empty logs.
• postrotate: Commands to run after rotation, usually to tell nginx to reopen logs.

conf

/var/log/nginx/*.log {
    daily
    missingok
    rotate 14
    compress
    delaycompress
    notifempty
    create 0640 www-data adm
    sharedscripts
    postrotate
        kill -USR1 $(cat /run/nginx.pid)
    endscript
}

Example

This example shows a logrotate configuration file for nginx logs that rotates logs daily, keeps 14 days of logs, compresses old logs, and signals nginx to reopen logs after rotation.

conf

/var/log/nginx/*.log {
    daily
    missingok
    rotate 14
    compress
    delaycompress
    notifempty
    create 0640 www-data adm
    sharedscripts
    postrotate
        kill -USR1 $(cat /run/nginx.pid)
    endscript
}

Output

Logs in /var/log/nginx/access.log and error.log are rotated daily.
Old logs are compressed and kept for 14 days.
Nginx receives USR1 signal to reopen logs after rotation.

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when rotating nginx logs include:

• Not signaling nginx to reopen logs after rotation, causing nginx to keep writing to old files.
• Incorrect permissions on new log files, preventing nginx from writing.
• Forgetting to include sharedscripts when multiple log files are rotated.
• Using systemctl reload nginx instead of sending USR1 signal, which is less efficient.

conf

Wrong way (no postrotate signal):
/var/log/nginx/*.log {
    daily
    rotate 7
    compress
}

Right way (with postrotate signal):
/var/log/nginx/*.log {
    daily
    rotate 7
    compress
    postrotate
        kill -USR1 $(cat /run/nginx.pid)
    endscript
}

Quick Reference

Directive	Description
daily	Rotate logs every day
rotate 14	Keep 14 old log files
compress	Compress old logs to save space
notifempty	Do not rotate empty logs
missingok	Ignore missing log files
create 0640 www-data adm	Create new log files with permissions and ownership
sharedscripts	Run postrotate script once for all logs
postrotate ... endscript	Commands to run after rotation, e.g., signal nginx

Key Takeaways

Use logrotate with a config file to automate nginx log rotation.

Always signal nginx with USR1 after rotating logs to reopen files.

Set correct permissions on new log files to avoid write errors.

Include sharedscripts in logrotate config when rotating multiple logs.

Avoid using full nginx reload; USR1 signal is lighter and safer.