How to Set Up a Secure Reverse Proxy with Nginx and Let's Encrypt

Using a reverse proxy like Nginx with SSL encryption is essential for routing traffic securely to backend services and applications. In this guide, we'll walk through configuring Nginx as a reverse proxy with HTTPS using a free SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt.

Prerequisites

• A domain name pointing to your server’s IP
• A Linux-based server (e.g., Ubuntu)
• Root or sudo access

Step 1: Install Nginx

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx -y

Ensure Nginx is running:

sudo systemctl status nginx

Step 2: Install Certbot and Get an SSL Certificate

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
sudo certbot --nginx

Certbot will guide you through the prompts. Choose the domain to install the certificate for and allow it to redirect HTTP to HTTPS.

Step 3: Configure Nginx as a Reverse Proxy

Edit or create your site config file in /etc/nginx/sites-available/. Here's an example:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
        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;
    }
}

After configuration, enable the site and reload Nginx:

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

Step 4: Auto-Renewal of SSL Certificate

Certbot installs a cron job automatically, but you can test it:

sudo certbot renew --dry-run

Conclusion

You now have a secure Nginx reverse proxy set up with HTTPS enabled via Let’s Encrypt. This is a great starting point for running your apps securely in production behind Nginx.

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