Yes—one VPS can run Rails and WordPress reliably when Nginx sends each hostname to the correct backend. Leave Rails behind its existing Ruby application server, give WordPress its own document root and MySQL or MariaDB database, and add a separate Nginx server block that sends only WordPress PHP requests to PHP-FPM. A dedicated hostname such as blog.example.com is the safest layout; a /blog subdirectory works, but requires explicit Nginx rewrite rules because Nginx does not read Apache-style .htaccess files.
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What the finished setup looks like
The VPS has one public Nginx listener on ports 80 and 443. Nginx chooses a virtual server from the requested hostname, then forwards the request to the appropriate application:
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| Hostname or path | Document or application backend | Runtime | Data store |
|---|---|---|---|
www.example.com (your existing Rails site) |
The current Rails upstream, such as a Unix socket or localhost port | Ruby application server | Your existing Rails database |
blog.example.com (recommended) |
A separate WordPress root such as /var/www/blog.example.com |
PHP-FPM | A dedicated MySQL or MariaDB database and user |
example.com/blog (alternative) |
A WordPress location inside the existing hostname | PHP-FPM for PHP requests; Rails for other routes | A dedicated MySQL or MariaDB database and user |
WordPress does not run inside the Rails process, and Rails does not need PHP. Keeping runtimes, files, credentials, and logs separate limits the chance that a WordPress update or plugin can disrupt the Rails application.
Requirements to check before changing the VPS
Current WordPress recommendations call for PHP 8.3 or newer, MariaDB 10.11 or newer or MySQL 8.0 or newer, and HTTPS. These are time-sensitive requirements: confirm the current WordPress requirements page and the versions supported by your Linux distribution before installing packages. WordPress requires MySQL or MariaDB and does not support PostgreSQL as its database backend.
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- Administrative shell access (or an equivalent deployment method), FTP access if you use it, and a text editor.
- An Nginx installation that already serves the Rails application.
- A DNS name you control for WordPress, preferably a dedicated subdomain.
- Enough memory, CPU, storage, and database connections for both applications. WordPress plugins and traffic can increase PHP-FPM and database demand even when Rails traffic is unchanged.
- A firewall policy that permits HTTP and HTTPS and keeps database ports private.
- A working certificate-issuance method for the WordPress hostname.
Do not assume that the PHP-FPM socket path, service name, package name, or database defaults from another tutorial match your distribution. Discover those values on this VPS.
Choose a subdomain or a subdirectory
| Consideration | Dedicated subdomain | Subdirectory on the Rails hostname |
|---|---|---|
| Nginx configuration | One independent server block with its own root and rewrite rules |
Additional location rules inside the existing server; route precedence must be planned carefully |
| Routing risk | Rails routes remain unchanged | A broad Rails fallback can capture WordPress requests unless the WordPress location is more specific |
| Cookies and URLs | WordPress cookies are naturally scoped to the subdomain | Cookies, redirects, and absolute URLs share the main hostname and need closer testing |
| TLS | Issue a certificate covering the new hostname | Use the certificate already covering the main hostname |
| Backups and restores | Files, database, and logs have a clear boundary | Backups must distinguish the WordPress tree from Rails releases and shared configuration |
| Operational complexity | Lower; preferred for most deployments | Higher; useful when the public URL must be /blog |
Use a subdomain unless branding, an existing URL contract, or another hard requirement makes /blog necessary. A subdirectory is not impossible, but Nginx requires you to express every rewrite and routing rule at server level rather than relying on a per-directory file.
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1. Inventory the running Rails deployment
Record the current state before editing anything. The goal is to add one isolated path, not to redesign the working Rails stack.
- Identify the operating-system release and package-management system.
- Find the active Nginx configuration entry point and enabled virtual-server files. Keep a copy of the current configuration and note which file contains the Rails
server_name. - Write down the Rails upstream exactly: it may be a Unix socket or a localhost TCP port. Also record the Ruby application-server service name.
- Check where Rails stores releases, the
currentsymlink, uploaded assets, environment files, and logs. WordPress must not use any of those paths as its document root. - Record firewall rules, TLS automation, scheduled jobs, backup destinations, and monitoring.
- Check free disk space, RAM, and process limits. PHP-FPM workers and a second database workload need headroom.
Before proceeding, verify that the Rails hostname still serves the expected application and that you can restore the saved Nginx configuration if a later test fails.
2. Point DNS and prepare network access
Create an A record for blog.example.com pointing to the VPS’s public IPv4 address. If you use IPv6, create the corresponding AAAA record only when the VPS and firewall are configured for IPv6. Wait for the record to resolve from a network outside the VPS before requesting a certificate.
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Allow inbound TCP 80 and 443 in the firewall if they are not already open. Do not expose MySQL or MariaDB’s database port to the public internet; WordPress and the database can communicate over the local socket or a private interface. Keep SSH restricted according to your existing administration policy.
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3. Install and verify the WordPress runtime
Install a supported PHP release, PHP-FPM, and the extensions required by the WordPress package and the plugins you intend to use. On Debian- or Ubuntu-based systems, package names commonly include a versioned PHP-FPM package plus extensions for the database driver, XML, multibyte strings, image processing, compression, and the command-line interface; exact names vary by release. On other distributions, use the distribution’s supported PHP-FPM packages rather than copying a package list from a different OS.
Find the actual FPM socket after installation. Typical systems expose a path resembling /run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock, but the path can differ by PHP version and distribution. Confirm it with the PHP-FPM pool configuration or the service’s status output. Then verify that the service is enabled and running, and check its error log before involving Nginx.
Do not upgrade Rails’ Ruby runtime or change its application-server service as part of this step. WordPress’s PHP lifecycle is independent; schedule PHP updates with the same care you use for Ruby and system packages.
4. Create an isolated filesystem and database
WordPress document root
Create a directory such as /var/www/blog.example.com for the WordPress files. Keep it outside the Rails release and current directories. Download and extract WordPress into this directory using a trusted distribution method, then set ownership so the web process can read the application and write only the directories that need uploads or updates. Avoid making the entire tree broadly writable.
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Protect the configuration file and any deployment secrets with filesystem permissions and, where appropriate, a separate deployment owner. The Nginx worker needs read access to public files; PHP-FPM needs the access required by WordPress’s upload and update operations. The exact user and group names differ by distribution, so inspect the running Nginx and PHP-FPM service accounts instead of assuming a particular name.
Dedicated database and account
Create a new database and a new database user for WordPress. Never reuse the Rails database, Rails credentials, or a database account that has privileges over unrelated schemas. A typical SQL session looks like this, with a long unique password generated for this installation:
CREATE DATABASE wordpress_blog CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
CREATE USER 'wordpress_blog_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'use-a-unique-long-password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wordpress_blog.* TO 'wordpress_blog_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;Use the database engine’s current authentication and password policy. If the database is on another private host, restrict the account’s host value and firewall rules to that private network rather than opening access broadly. Save the database name, user, host, and password in your secret-management system; you will enter them during the web installer.
5. Add a separate Nginx server block
For a subdomain, create a new virtual-server file and enable it without editing the Rails block. The essential directives are a unique server_name, the WordPress root, index index.php, a WordPress front-controller fallback, and a PHP location that passes scripts to the verified PHP-FPM socket.
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listen 80;
server_name blog.example.com;
root /var/www/blog.example.com;
index index.php;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
}
location ~ .php$ {
try_files $uri =404;
include fastcgi_params;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock;
}
location ~* /(wp-config.php|.env|.git) {
deny all;
}
}
The socket in this example is illustrative; replace it with the path confirmed on your VPS. The try_files directive in the PHP location prevents Nginx from passing nonexistent scripts to PHP-FPM. The front-controller fallback in location / is what allows WordPress pretty permalinks to reach index.php.
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Some distributions provide a separate FastCGI parameter file. Keep the distribution’s standard include when it supplies required parameters, and ensure SCRIPT_FILENAME resolves to the file under the WordPress root. Do not send .php requests to the Rails upstream: Rails cannot execute PHP scripts.
Consider additional protections for backup archives, hidden files, and upload execution. Do not block ordinary media files, but prevent accidental exposure of database dumps, environment files, version-control metadata, and editor swap files. Test every custom deny rule against the files WordPress actually needs.
6. Validate Nginx before reloading
- Run the distribution’s configuration test, commonly
sudo nginx -t. It must report a successful syntax check. - Inspect the rendered configuration if your distribution provides a command for it, and confirm that the new
server_nameand root are present only in the intended server block. - Reload Nginx rather than restarting it, so existing connections are handled gracefully:
sudo systemctl reload nginx. - Request the WordPress hostname and the Rails hostname separately. Confirm that Rails still reaches its original upstream and that the WordPress hostname serves files from the new root.
- Check Nginx’s error log immediately after the test requests. A wrong root, socket, permission, or server-name match usually appears there.
If nginx -t fails, do not reload. Read the line number in the error, correct the new file, and run the test again. A syntax error in an added file can prevent Nginx from loading the entire configuration, including the working Rails site.
7. Complete the WordPress installer and enable HTTPS
Issue a certificate for the WordPress hostname through your existing certificate automation. Once the certificate is active, configure the port-80 server to redirect the hostname to HTTPS and keep the 443 server block’s root, PHP location, and security rules equivalent to the tested configuration. Do not redirect the Rails hostname accidentally.
Open the HTTPS WordPress hostname in a browser. The installer asks for the dedicated database host, database name, user, and password, followed by the site title and administrator account. Use a unique administrator username and a strong password; do not reuse Rails credentials. After installation, verify that the Site Address and WordPress Address use the intended HTTPS hostname and that no old HTTP URL remains in the settings.
Test all of the following before announcing the site:
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/wp-admin/login, dashboard navigation, and logout.- A media upload and retrieval of the resulting image or file.
- A post with a pretty permalink, a category or tag archive, and a search request.
- HTTP requests redirecting to HTTPS without redirect loops.
- The Rails home page, representative dynamic routes, asset delivery, and any background-job dashboard.
Using a /blog subdirectory instead
With a subdirectory, the Rails server block remains the default for the hostname, while a more specific location handles WordPress. The exact arrangement depends on whether Rails currently uses a broad location / proxy fallback. A common pattern is to give /blog its own root and remove the prefix before the filesystem lookup:
location ^~ /blog/ {
alias /var/www/blog.example.com/;
index index.php;
try_files $uri $uri/ /blog/index.php?$args;
}
location ~ ^/blog/(.+.php)$ {
alias /var/www/blog.example.com/$1;
include fastcgi_params;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME /var/www/blog.example.com/$1;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_NAME /blog/$1;
fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock;
}
This is a pattern, not a universal drop-in. Nginx’s handling of alias, regular-expression locations, and internal redirects makes subdirectory setups sensitive to ordering. Test static files, the front controller, admin URLs, uploads, and Rails routes after every change. WordPress itself must be configured with the correct URL path, and plugins that assume a site root may require additional testing. If you do not need the shared hostname, the subdomain avoids these interactions.
Permissions, updates, and hardening
- Keep WordPress files owned by a controlled deployment account and grant PHP-FPM write access only where required, commonly the uploads directory and explicitly approved update paths.
- Disable directory listing and deny access to configuration, backup, temporary, and version-control files.
- Use HTTPS for administration and public traffic. Keep the certificate renewal process monitored.
- Apply WordPress core, plugin, theme, PHP, Nginx, and database security updates on a schedule. Test updates on a staging copy when the site is important.
- Install only maintained plugins from trustworthy sources. Every plugin adds PHP execution paths and can increase memory or database load shared by the VPS.
- Set PHP-FPM worker limits so a traffic spike cannot consume all memory needed by Rails. Monitor swap, load, response time, and process counts.
- Keep database credentials out of public repositories and shell history where practical. Rotate them through a planned maintenance window.
- Use separate log files or clearly identifiable fields for the WordPress server block, PHP-FPM pool, Rails application server, and database.
Backups and recovery boundaries
A usable WordPress backup has at least two parts: the database dump and the WordPress files, including uploads and any locally managed themes or plugins. Back up them separately from Rails releases and Rails database dumps so that restoring WordPress cannot overwrite Rails data.
Automate database dumps to protected storage, retain multiple restore points, and copy critical files to storage outside the VPS. A backup is not proven until you restore it: periodically create a temporary database and document root, restore the dump and files, point a test hostname at the copy, and verify login, media, and permalinks. Record the exact PHP, database, and WordPress versions needed to reproduce the environment.
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| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check or change |
|---|---|---|
| PHP source is downloaded or shown as text | Nginx is not passing the request to PHP-FPM | Confirm the PHP location matches .php$, the FPM service is running, and fastcgi_pass uses the real socket. |
| WordPress URL returns the Rails site | The request matched the Rails server block or its broad fallback | Check DNS, the exact server_name, the default-server setting, and the enabled-file symlink; test with a Host header if DNS is still changing. |
| Every pretty permalink returns 404 | The WordPress front-controller fallback is missing or incorrect | Add try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args; in the WordPress location and reload only after nginx -t passes. |
| Admin or uploads show “permission denied” | PHP-FPM cannot write the required directory | Inspect directory ownership and mode for the actual PHP-FPM user; grant the narrowest write permission needed rather than making the whole tree writable. |
| 502 Bad Gateway for PHP requests | Wrong socket path, stopped PHP-FPM, or exhausted workers | Check PHP-FPM status and logs, verify the socket exists, and review worker limits and memory. |
| HTTP-to-HTTPS redirect loop | Conflicting proxy or application URL settings | Check the TLS-terminating Nginx block, forwarded-protocol handling, and WordPress Address/Site Address values. |
WordPress works at the home page but not under /blog |
Subdirectory alias or rewrite rules are incomplete | Inspect location precedence, filesystem paths, and the PHP SCRIPT_FILENAME; test an independent subdomain if the shared-host layout remains fragile. |
| Rails jobs or requests slow after installation | PHP-FPM, plugins, or database queries consume shared resources | Compare CPU, RAM, swap, database connections, and FPM worker counts; cap workers, disable costly plugins, or move one workload to another host. |
Operational checks after launch
Keep a short runbook for both applications. After Nginx, PHP, database, or WordPress changes, check the Rails hostname and the WordPress hostname independently. Review Nginx access and error logs, Rails logs, PHP-FPM logs, and database logs for authentication failures, upstream errors, slow requests, and permission problems. Confirm that scheduled WordPress tasks run and that Rails background jobs continue to execute.
Monitor certificate expiry, disk usage, database growth, failed logins, PHP-FPM saturation, and VPS memory pressure. Include the WordPress database and files in backup alerts, and perform restore tests rather than relying on successful backup job messages alone. Document which service owns each port, socket, directory, database, and system account; that inventory makes future troubleshooting substantially safer.
Bottom line
Use a dedicated WordPress hostname, separate document root, separate MySQL or MariaDB database and user, and PHP-FPM behind a new Nginx server block. Leave the Rails upstream untouched. Validate the complete Nginx configuration before every reload, obtain HTTPS for the WordPress hostname, and test routes, uploads, logs, permissions, backups, and resource usage for both applications. A /blog subdirectory can meet a URL requirement, but it carries more routing and rewrite risk under standalone Nginx.
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