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Custom Nginx Configuration

Appliku automatically generates an Nginx configuration for each application, handling SSL termination, reverse proxying, and domain routing. In some cases, you may need to customize this configuration.

Default Behavior​

By default, Appliku regenerates the Nginx configuration on every deployment. This ensures the config stays in sync with your application's domain and process settings.

Disabling Auto-Update​

To preserve custom Nginx changes across deployments:

  1. Go to your application's Build Settings
  2. Uncheck Update Nginx on Deploy
  3. Save the settings
note

When "Update Nginx on Deploy" is disabled, Appliku will not overwrite your custom Nginx configuration during deployments. However, it also means that any domain changes you make in the dashboard will not automatically update the Nginx config -- you will need to update it manually.

Making Custom Changes​

Step 1: Locate the Nginx Config​

SSH into your server and find the Nginx configuration file for your application:

ssh app@<your-server-ip>
ls /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

The file is named after your application.

Step 2: Edit the Configuration​

Open the file with a text editor:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/<your-app-config>

Step 3: Test and Reload​

Always test the configuration before reloading:

sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

Common Customizations​

Increase Upload Size Limit​

The default client_max_body_size may be too small for applications that handle large file uploads:

client_max_body_size 100M;

Increase Proxy Timeouts​

For long-running requests (e.g., report generation, file processing):

proxy_read_timeout 300s;
proxy_connect_timeout 300s;
proxy_send_timeout 300s;

Add Custom Headers​

Add security or caching headers:

add_header X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN" always;
add_header X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff" always;
add_header Referrer-Policy "strict-origin-when-cross-origin" always;

Enable Gzip Compression​

Compress responses to reduce bandwidth usage:

gzip on;
gzip_types text/plain text/css application/json application/javascript text/xml application/xml;
gzip_min_length 1000;
tip

After making changes, always run sudo nginx -t to check for syntax errors before reloading. A misconfigured Nginx can take down all applications on the server.

Restoring the Default Configuration​

If you need to revert to the auto-generated configuration:

  1. Re-enable Update Nginx on Deploy in your build settings
  2. Trigger a new deployment

Appliku will regenerate the Nginx configuration and overwrite your custom changes.