# How to setup a Nginx site on Ubuntu server

## Introduction

[Nginx](https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-set-up-nginx-server-blocks-virtual-hosts-on-ubuntu-16-04) is a powerful and efficient web server that can be used to serve static and dynamic content. Setting up a new [site](https://bytescrum.com/) in Nginx involves <mark>creating a new server block configuration for the site, configuring the site settings, and enabling the site configuration</mark>. In this guide, we'll walk through the detailed steps to add a new site in Nginx on Ubuntu.

### **Step 1: Install Nginx**

If [Nginx](https://www.linode.com/docs/guides/how-to-enable-disable-website/) is not already installed on your Ubuntu server, you can install it using the following commands:

```bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx
```

### **Step 2: Create a New Nginx Configuration File**

Navigate to the [Nginx](http://www.servermom.org/how-to-add-new-site-into-your-nginx-based-ubuntu-server/210/) `sites-available` directory where you'll create a new configuration file for your site. Replace [`example.com`](http://example.com) with your domain name or a unique identifier for your site:

```bash
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com
```

### **Step 3: Configure Your Site in the Nginx Configuration File**

Inside the [configuration](https://webdock.io/en/docs/how-guides/shared-hosting-multiple-websites/how-configure-nginx-to-serve-multiple-websites-single-vps) file, add the following configuration. Replace [`example.com`](http://example.com) with your domain name and update the `root` directive to point to the directory where your site's files are located:

```bash
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com www.example.com;

    root /var/www/example.com/html;
    index index.html index.htm;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }
}
```

* `listen 80;`: Configures the server to listen on port 80, the default HTTP port.
    
* `server_name`: Specifies the domain name(s) for your site.
    
* `root`: Sets the root directory for your site's files.
    
* `index`: Specifies the default file to serve when a directory is requested.
    
* `location /`: Defines how Nginx should handle requests for the site's URLs.
    

### **Step 4: Create the Root Directory for Your Site**

Create the root directory for your site and set the appropriate permissions:

```bash
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com/html
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/example.com/html
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/example.com
```

### **Step 5: Enable Your Site Configuration**

Create a symbolic link from the `sites-available` directory to the `sites-enabled` directory to enable your site configuration:

```bash
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
```

### **Step 6: Test Your Nginx Configuration**

Before restarting Nginx, it's a good idea to test your configuration for syntax errors:

```bash
sudo nginx -t
```

If there are no syntax errors, you'll see a message like `syntax is ok` followed by `test is successful`.

### **Step 7: Restart Nginx**

Once your configuration is correct, restart Nginx to apply the changes:

```bash
sudo systemctl restart nginx
```

### **Step 8: Verify Your Site**

Open a web browser and navigate to your domain (e.g., [`http://example.com`](http://example.com)). You should see the default Nginx welcome page or your website if you've already added content to it.

<details data-node-type="hn-details-summary"><summary>Conclusion</summary><div data-type="detailsContent">Adding a new site in Nginx on Ubuntu involves creating a new server block configuration, configuring the site settings, creating the root directory for the site, enabling the site configuration, testing the Nginx configuration, and restarting Nginx. By following these detailed steps, you can easily add a new site to your Nginx server.</div></details>