To change routing for a Rails app on Ubuntu, edit the Nginx server block that owns the app’s hostname. Set Rails’ public directory as the static root, use try_files so existing assets are served directly, and proxy requests that do not match a file to Puma, Unicorn, or another Rails application server. Test the configuration with sudo nginx -t, reload Nginx, and verify both the incoming path and the URI received by Rails.
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The detail that causes most routing failures is the URI on proxy_pass. A proxy URL with a URI replaces the portion matched by the location; a proxy URL without a URI generally preserves the original request URI. Choose that behavior deliberately, especially when Rails is mounted below a prefix such as /blog/.
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What you are changing
Nginx is the public HTTP entry point, while Rails normally runs behind an application server such as Puma or Unicorn. Nginx receives the request, chooses one location inside the matching virtual host, serves files that already exist in Rails’ public directory, and forwards the remaining requests to the application server.
A reliable Rails arrangement separates those jobs:
- The
serverblock selects the hostname and listening port. - The
rootdirective points to the deployed Rails release’spublicdirectory. - The ordinary
location /checks for a file or directory withtry_files. - A named location proxies misses to an upstream Rails listener.
- Forwarded headers preserve the host, client chain, and HTTPS state Rails needs when constructing URLs and handling redirects.
Changing the route therefore means changing the active virtual-host configuration, not the Rails controller routes. Rails still decides whether an application URL exists after Nginx has selected the backend.
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Find the active Nginx configuration on Ubuntu
Ubuntu packages commonly use /etc/nginx, but the authoritative location is the path compiled into the installed binary. Check it before editing:
nginx -VIn the command’s output, find the --conf-path value. That file normally includes the site or server definitions used by the running instance. Identify the server block whose server_name matches the Rails hostname you are changing. Edit that block and leave unrelated virtual hosts untouched.
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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Do not assume that the first file you find is active. A hostname can have several server blocks, and an included file can override expectations. Confirm that the block contains the intended listen, server_name, and current application root before changing its locations.
Use a routing layout that serves Rails assets first
The following configuration is the documented pattern to adapt. It listens on port 80, serves files from the Rails public directory, and sends misses to an upstream application server on port 3000.
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upstream rails_app {
server 127.0.0.1:3000;
}
server {
listen 80;
server_name example.com;
root /srv/myapp/current/public;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ @rails;
}
location @rails {
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header Host $http_host;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
proxy_redirect off;
proxy_pass http://rails_app;
}
}Replace example.com, /srv/myapp/current/public, and the upstream address with the values used by your deployment. The upstream can point at the local TCP listener used by Puma, Unicorn, or another HTTP application server. Your application server must already be listening at that address; Nginx does not start it.
Why the public root matters
Rails places compiled assets and other publicly served files under public. With the root set to the current release’s public directory, a request such as /assets/application.css can be answered by Nginx without waking Rails. The same rule covers files and directories that genuinely exist there.
How try_files divides the work
try_files $uri $uri/ @rails; checks the requested path and then its directory form. If neither exists, Nginx internally selects the named @rails location. This prevents ordinary asset and public-file requests from becoming backend requests while allowing Rails to handle dynamic routes, authentication, and application-generated responses.
Understand Nginx location selection before editing routes
Nginx first evaluates prefix locations and remembers the longest matching prefix, then applies its documented regular-expression selection rules. That means a more specific prefix can take precedence over a broad location /. A regular expression should be used only when the route really depends on a pattern; ordinary application prefixes are easier to reason about as prefix locations.
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When reviewing a routing change, classify the rule you are editing:
| Scope | Typical form | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Host-level server block | server_name example.com; |
Separating one hostname or deployment from another |
| Ordinary prefix | location /blog/ { ... } |
Routing every request under a known path prefix |
| Exact match | location = /health { ... } |
One precise URI that should not fall through to a broader rule |
| Regular expression | location ~ ... { ... } |
Pattern-based cases that cannot be expressed as a fixed prefix |
Before changing a rule, ask which other locations could match the same request. A new prefix can intercept traffic that previously reached location /; a regex can alter the result for a path you thought was covered by a prefix. Test a representative URL for each overlapping rule after reloading.
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Choose the correct proxy_pass URI behavior
The presence or absence of a URI in proxy_pass changes what Rails receives. Nginx’s reverse-proxy behavior is easiest to see in a table.
| Location | Proxy target | Request | URI sent upstream | Use when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
location /blog/ |
proxy_pass http://rails_app/; |
/blog/posts/42 |
/posts/42 |
Rails is mounted at the backend root and should not receive /blog/ |
location /blog/ |
proxy_pass http://rails_app; |
/blog/posts/42 |
Generally /blog/posts/42 |
Rails is configured to recognize the /blog/ prefix |
location / |
proxy_pass http://rails_app; |
/users/sign_in |
Generally /users/sign_in |
Sending the complete public URI to Rails |
When a URI is specified along with the proxy address, Nginx replaces the part of the request URI that matched the location. In the first row, the trailing slash in http://rails_app/ is significant: it replaces /blog/ with /. Without a URI after the upstream name, the original request URI is generally retained.
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Mounting Rails below a subdirectory
If the application is intentionally deployed below a prefix such as /blog/, the Nginx location and Rails must agree about that prefix. Configure Rails with the RAILS_RELATIVE_URL_ROOT environment variable, then choose the proxy_pass form that sends the path Rails expects. A mismatch produces symptoms such as routes that work at the root but fail under the prefix, redirects that drop or duplicate /blog, and asset URLs pointing to the wrong location.
Do not fix a subpath problem by adding or removing a slash at random. Write down one request, the location that should match it, and the exact URI Rails should receive; then make the location and proxy target produce that result.
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Configure forwarded request context for Rails
The example sets three headers in the named application location:
Host $http_hostforwards the host supplied by the client, including the port when it is present.X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_forpreserves the client address chain as the request passes through proxies.X-Forwarded-Proto $schemetells Rails whether the public request arrived over HTTP or HTTPS.
proxy_redirect off; prevents Nginx from rewriting the application’s redirect headers automatically. This is useful when Rails is responsible for generating URLs that reflect its configured host and relative URL root. If you change the public prefix or TLS termination arrangement, verify redirects explicitly rather than assuming the old behavior still applies.
Change the configuration safely
- Record the current behavior. Request the home page, a known asset, a normal Rails route, a deliberately missing route, and every prefixed path affected by the change. Save the status code, redirect target, and visible URL.
- Locate the owning server block. Use
nginx -Vto confirm the configuration path, then edit only the virtual host whoseserver_nameowns the hostname. - Set the Rails public root. Point
rootat the deployed release’spublicdirectory, not the project parent directory. - Define or update the upstream. Set the address to the Puma, Unicorn, or other HTTP listener that is actually serving this Rails release.
- Add the static-file fallback. Put
try_files $uri $uri/ @rails;in the broad application location so existing files are handled before dynamic routing. - Configure the named proxy location. Add the forwarded headers,
proxy_redirect off, and a deliberateproxy_passform. Decide whether Rails should receive the original path or a path with the matched prefix removed. - Check syntax before applying. Run:
sudo nginx -tDo not reload if this test reports an error. Correct the filename, directive, brace, or upstream problem first. A successful syntax test confirms that Nginx can parse the configuration; it does not prove that the backend is reachable or that URI semantics are what you intended.
- Reload without stopping the service. Apply the valid configuration with:
sudo systemctl reload nginxUse the equivalent Nginx reload signal if your installation is managed differently. A reload applies the new worker configuration while avoiding an unnecessary service stop.
- Repeat the representative requests. Check the home page, a real asset, a Rails route, a missing route, and each changed prefix. Compare status codes and redirect locations with the baseline.
- Inspect both sides of the proxy. Review Nginx access and error logs together with the Rails application-server logs. Confirm which location handled the request, whether a file was found, whether the upstream connected, and which URI Rails processed.
Verify each routing case
| Test | Expected path | What a failure suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Home page | / reaches Rails |
Wrong server block, root, upstream, or application listener |
| Known asset | Served from public without a Rails route |
Incorrect root, missing file, or broken try_files |
| Dynamic route | Rails returns the expected response | Upstream address, headers, or proxy URI is wrong |
| Missing route | Rails produces its normal not-found response | Request may be intercepted by another location or static fallback |
| Prefixed route | Rails receives the planned prefixed or stripped URI | Trailing-slash or RAILS_RELATIVE_URL_ROOT mismatch |
Troubleshoot common routing failures
The new rule has no effect
- Confirm you edited the server block selected by the request’s hostname, not an inactive or unrelated virtual host.
- Run
sudo nginx -tand then reload; editing a file alone does not change running workers. - Check for a longer prefix or a regular-expression location that wins for the URL you are testing.
- Repeat the request with the exact hostname and port used by the client.
Assets return 404 while Rails pages work
- Verify that the
rootends in the deployed app’spublicdirectory. - Check that the requested file exists in that release’s public tree.
- Ensure the broad location still contains
try_files $uri $uri/ @rails;. - Review the Nginx error log for the filesystem path it attempted.
Rails receives the wrong path
- Compare the
locationprefix with the URI portion, if any, onproxy_pass. - For a mounted app, test both the trailing-slash form and the no-URI form on paper before editing.
- Check
RAILS_RELATIVE_URL_ROOTwhen Rails is meant to operate below a subdirectory. - Use an application log or request diagnostic to confirm the URI Rails actually saw.
The proxy returns a gateway error
- Confirm Puma, Unicorn, or the selected application server is running and listening on the configured address.
- Compare the upstream address in Nginx with the listener address used by the Rails service.
- Read the Nginx error log for connection-refused, timeout, or name-resolution details.
- After correcting the backend target, run
sudo nginx -tand reload again.
Redirects lose HTTPS or the public prefix
- Check that
X-Forwarded-Proto $schemeis present in the proxy location. - Confirm the
Hostheader is forwarded as expected. - For a subdirectory deployment, make Rails’
RAILS_RELATIVE_URL_ROOTagree with the URI Nginx sends. - Inspect the
Locationresponse header to determine whether Rails or Nginx generated the unexpected target.
Decide what to compare before a routing change
Two configurations can both appear to proxy Rails while behaving very differently. Evaluate the change against these dimensions:
Quick Recap
| Decision | Question to answer |
|---|---|
| Scope | Is this a host-wide change, an ordinary prefix, an exact URI, or a pattern rule? |
| Static handling | Should an existing file come directly from public, or should every request reach Rails? |
| URI behavior | Should the backend receive the incoming path unchanged, or should Nginx replace the matched prefix? |
| Backend target | Is the listener a local port, Unix socket, or upstream group, and is it serving the intended release? |
| Forwarded context | Will Rails receive the correct host, client chain, and public scheme? |
| Operations | Have you run the syntax test, reloaded Nginx, checked logs, and exercised representative URLs? |
Final verification checklist
- The edited server block owns the requested hostname.
- The
rootpoints to the Rails release’spublicdirectory. - The upstream address matches the running Puma, Unicorn, or other application-server listener.
try_filesserves existing files before invoking Rails.- The selected
proxy_passform produces the intended backend URI. RAILS_RELATIVE_URL_ROOTis set when the app is mounted below a subdirectory.- Host, client-address, and scheme headers are forwarded.
sudo nginx -tsucceeds before the reload.sudo systemctl reload nginxhas been run after the valid edit.- Home, asset, dynamic, missing, and prefixed URLs have been tested and their logs reviewed.
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