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Nginx Reverse Proxy & SSL Certificates

Route public web traffic securely to your background Docker containers or web applications with high-performance Nginx reverse proxy and automated Let’s Encrypt TLS encryption.

1. Installing Nginx Web Server

Install Nginx

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx -y
sudo systemctl enable nginx
sudo systemctl start nginx

2. Creating a Reverse Proxy Virtual Host

Create a configuration file at /etc/nginx/sites-available/app.conf:

/etc/nginx/sites-available/app.conf

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000; # Forward to your Node.js or Docker app
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
    }
}

Enable the site and reload Nginx:

Enable Site

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/app.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

3. Obtaining Free Let’s Encrypt SSL via Certbot

Install Certbot with the Nginx plugin and request an SSL certificate:

Issue SSL

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com -d www.yourdomain.com

Certbot automatically verifies domain ownership via HTTP challenge, installs the certificate, and configures an automatic 301 HTTPS redirect.

4. Verifying Automated SSL Renewal

Test the automated renewal daemon:

Test SSL Renewal

sudo certbot renew --dry-run

Let’s Encrypt certificates renew automatically every 60 days via the built-in systemd timer.

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