How to Configure Nginx on Port 80

This guide walks you through setting up the Nginx web server on a Linux-based system (Ubuntu/Debian) to serve a static website on port 80. You'll learn how to install Nginx, create a site configuration, enable it, and test your setup.

Step 1: Connect to Your Server via SSH

Open your terminal and connect to your server as the root user:

ssh root@yourdomain.com

Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain or server IP address.

Step 2: Update System Packages

Ensure your package list and installed software are up to date:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 3: Install Nginx

Install the Nginx web server using the package manager:

sudo apt install nginx -y

Step 4: Navigate to Sites Configuration Directory

Nginx supports hosting multiple websites using separate configuration files. These are stored in /etc/nginx/sites-available. Move into this directory:

cd /etc/nginx/sites-available

Step 5: Create a Site Configuration File

Create a new configuration file named after your domain:

sudo nano yourdomain.com

Add the following configuration (replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain):

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com;
    root /var/www/yourdomain.com;
    index index.html;
}

• listen 80; � Listens for HTTP traffic on port 80.
• server_name � Defines the domain name this server block responds to.
• root � Specifies the directory where website files are stored.
• index � Sets the default file to serve when a user visits the root URL.

Step 6: Enable the Site

Files in sites-available are not automatically used by Nginx. To activate the site, create a symbolic link to sites-enabled:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/yourdomain.com /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

This approach avoids duplication and allows you to manage configurations from one location.

Step 7: Test Configuration and Restart Nginx

Check for syntax errors in your Nginx configuration:

sudo nginx -t

If the test passes, reload Nginx to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Note: On most modern systems, use systemctl instead of the older service command.

Step 8: Create Website Directory and Index File

Create the document root directory and add a simple index.html file:

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/yourdomain.com

Open the file for editing:

sudo nano /var/www/yourdomain.com/index.html

Paste the following HTML code:

Step 9: Test Your Website

Open a web browser and navigate to:

http://yourdomain.com

You should see a blue "Hola" message centered on the page.

See Also

• Official Nginx Documentation
• Configure iptables on Linux - Secure your server by filtering unnecessary traffic.

Published on Aug 19, 2025