How to Set Up Nginx Reverse Proxy

A reverse proxy lets Nginx accept public HTTP/HTTPS traffic and forward it to backend apps (Node.js on port 3000, Docker containers, Python APIs). Essential for production deployments on a Hiddence VPS.

Prerequisites

• Nginx installed and running
• Backend app listening on localhost (e.g. 127.0.0.1:3000)
• Domain pointed to your VPS (for SSL)
• Ports 80 and 443 open in firewall

Basic reverse proxy config

Create a site config for your domain:

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

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}

sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx

WebSocket support

Required for Socket.io, many dashboards, and realtime apps:

location / {
    proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
    proxy_http_version 1.1;
    proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
    proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
    proxy_set_header Host $host;
}

Add HTTPS with Certbot

After HTTP works, issue a free certificate:

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

# Certbot will update your server block for SSL automatically

Tips

• Use proxy_buffering off for streaming/SSE if needed
• Set client_max_body_size for file uploads
• Run multiple backends on different subdomains
• Use upstream blocks for load balancing multiple backends
• Check error.log if you get 502 Bad Gateway