Nginx docs

NGINX questions are easy to answer from stale memory or Apache-style configuration assumptions. Use this skill to ground answers in the official NGINX documentation and return the closest authoritative page instead of generic reverse-proxy advice.

When to Use

Use this skill when the request is about:

• NGINX architecture, master/worker processes, and request processing
• Installing, building, starting, stopping, and reloading NGINX
• Configuration file structure: http, server, location, and stream contexts
• Serving static content, reverse proxying, and load balancing
• Upstreams, health checks, and connection distribution methods
• HTTPS, TLS certificates, HTTP/2, HTTP/3, and QUIC
• Rewrite rules, redirects, and URL mapping
• Rate limiting, access control, and request filtering
• FastCGI, uWSGI, SCGI, gRPC, and WebSocket proxying
• Stream (TCP/UDP) proxying and SSL preread
• Mail proxy modules (IMAP, POP3, SMTP)
• njs scripting and dynamic configuration
• Module directives, variables, and logging

Do not use this skill for:

• Kubernetes Ingress resources or kubectl usage without NGINX-specific context. Use kubernetes-docs instead; for NGINX Ingress Controller migration, check kubernetes.nginx.org as referenced in NGINX docs.
• HAProxy, Envoy, or Traefik configuration unless the user asks for comparison with NGINX docs.
• Application server code (Node.js, PHP-FPM app logic) unless the question is about NGINX proxying to that backend per NGINX docs.
• NGINX Plus commercial-only features unless the user explicitly needs Plus docs linked from nginx.org.

Workflow

1. Classify the request

Decide which bucket the question belongs to before searching:

• Getting started and core concepts
• Installation, build, and process control
• HTTP server configuration and static content
• Reverse proxy, upstreams, and load balancing
• TLS, HTTPS, HTTP/2, and HTTP/3
• Rewrites, redirects, and WebSocket proxying
• Stream (TCP/UDP) and mail proxying
• Rate limiting, access control, and logging
• njs scripting and advanced modules
• Directive and variable reference

If you need a quick starting point, load references/topic-map.md and jump to the closest section.

2. Search official NGINX docs first

• Treat nginx.org/en/docs as the source of truth for open source NGINX.
• Prefer pages under https://nginx.org/en/docs/.
• Search with the user's exact terms plus focused NGINX phrases such as proxy_pass, upstream, try_files, server_name, limit_req, ssl_certificate, or stream.
• When multiple pages are plausible, compare 2-3 candidate pages and pick the one that most directly answers the user's question.
• For directive syntax, prefer the module reference page for the exact directive before answering from memory.

3. Open the best page before answering

• Read the most relevant page, and the exact section when practical.
• Use the topic map only to narrow the search space or surface likely starting pages.
• For location matching questions, open How nginx processes a request before guessing precedence rules.
• If a page appears renamed, moved, or incomplete, say that explicitly and return the nearest authoritative pages instead of guessing.

4. Answer with docs-grounded guidance

• Start with a direct answer in plain language.
• Include exact NGINX docs links, not just the docs homepage.
• Only provide nginx.conf snippets when the user asks for them or when the docs page makes an example necessary.
• Make any inference explicit. Good phrasing:
  • According to NGINX docs, ...
  • Inference: this likely means ...

Answer Shape

Use a compact structure unless the user asks for depth:

1. Direct answer
2. Relevant docs
3. Example nginx.conf snippets, only if needed
4. Explicit inference callout, only if you had to connect multiple docs pages

Keep citations close to the claim they support.

Search and Routing Tips

• For beginner questions, prefer Beginner's Guide and Admin's Guide before module reference pages.
• For proxy questions, open ngx_http_proxy_module and upstream docs before inventing header settings.
• For TLS questions, prefer Configuring HTTPS servers and ngx_http_ssl_module.
• For location precedence questions, read How nginx processes a request before recommending ^~ or regex order.
• For stream/TCP questions, use stream module docs rather than HTTP proxy_pass examples.
• For directive lookup, use the alphabetical index of directives before guessing module ownership.

Common Mistakes

• Answering from memory without verifying the current NGINX docs
• Linking the NGINX docs homepage when a narrower module or guide page exists
• Mixing Apache .htaccess or mod_rewrite patterns with NGINX rewrite or try_files
• Misunderstanding proxy_pass URI behavior with and without trailing slashes
• Recommending if blocks for complex routing without checking rewrite and request-processing docs
• Confusing open source NGINX docs with NGINX Ingress Controller or NGINX Gateway Fabric docs
• Applying HTTP location guidance to stream contexts without checking stream module docs

Bundled Reference

Read references/topic-map.md only as a compact index of likely doc entry points. It is intentionally incomplete and should never replace the live NGINX docs as the final authority.