setup-with-nginx.md

layout	title	description	permalink
docs	Production Setup with Nginx	Production Setup with Nginx	/docs/tutorials/pm2-nginx-production-setup

Nginx as a HTTP proxy

This method is the common way of handling a Node.js server in order to make it shows up on the port 80. Usually, your web server will run on a random port (for example 3001). The benefits of using Nginx as a HTTP Proxy, is that the Node.js web server will run from a user of your choice instead of root. Nginx will then forward the 80 port to the one of your choice (here 3001).

Just add a virtual host (best known as "server block" in the Nginx world):

upstream my_nodejs_upstream {
    server 127.0.0.1:3001;
    keepalive 64;
}

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name my_nodejs_server;
    root /home/www/project_root;
    
    location / {
    	proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
    	proxy_set_header Host $http_host;
    	proxy_set_header X-NginX-Proxy true;
    	proxy_http_version 1.1;
    	proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
    	proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
    	proxy_max_temp_file_size 0;
    	proxy_pass http://my_nodejs_upstream/;
    	proxy_redirect off;
    	proxy_read_timeout 240s;
    }
}

Learn more on these options on the Nginx docs! Once you have this, all you will need is a PM2-linked Node.js server running on the port 3001 and you'll have a production-ready HTTP server!