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The usual front-controller fix is try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;, but it is not a universal copy-and-paste rule. The correct fallback depends on whether the site is static, uses PHP-FPM, or proxies to another application. The active root or alias, location precedence, and handler for the fallback URI must all agree.
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What the 404 actually means
Apache evaluates .htaccess in directory context for each request. NGINX has no equivalent per-directory file that it discovers automatically. Merely leaving .htaccess in the web root does nothing on NGINX; directives such as RewriteEngine On, RewriteCond, and RewriteRule are never parsed.
Suppose a browser requests /pretty-path. NGINX selects a server block, chooses the most specific matching location, and maps the URI to the active filesystem root or alias. If no real file or directory exists and no translated fallback sends the request to the application, NGINX ends the request with 404. A working homepage does not disprove a routing problem: / may resolve to an existing index.html or index.php while every extensionless route misses the filesystem.
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The repair therefore belongs in NGINX configuration, not in application code first. Translate the intent of the Apache rules, put it in the virtual host that serves the failing hostname, validate the configuration, reload NGINX, and then inspect logs if the result is still wrong.
Translate the intent, not the Apache syntax
Start by classifying what each Apache rule was trying to do. Apache configurations often mix several jobs that should become different NGINX directives.
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|---|---|---|---|
| Send a permanent or temporary redirect | return |
External redirect; the browser receives a 3xx response and requests a new URL | Redirecting a path that should have been handled internally |
| Transform a URI with a regular expression | rewrite |
Usually an internal URI change unless a redirect flag is used | Rewrite loops, wrong replacement, or lost query arguments |
| Serve an existing file or directory, otherwise route elsewhere | try_files |
Internal fallback; the original URL can remain in the address bar | Wrong root/alias or a fallback with no handler |
| Pass a request to an application server | Named location, proxy_pass, or a PHP-FPM location |
NGINX forwards the request internally or upstream | Upstream receives the wrong URI or is not configured for the fallback |
This separation avoids the common migration mistake of translating every Apache condition into an NGINX if. The NGINX conversion guidance favors server, location, and try_files for routing and existence checks. Use a conditional only when the intent genuinely requires one and no clearer location or file test expresses it.
The standard front-controller translation
For an application whose single entry point is /index.php, a common server shape is:
server {
root /var/www/example/public;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
}
location ~ .php$ {
# Use the PHP-FPM settings appropriate to this deployment.
}
}try_files evaluates candidates from left to right using the root or alias in the current context:
$urichecks whether the requested path maps to a real file.$uri/checks whether it maps to a real directory./index.php?$argsis the final internal URI when neither candidate exists;$argspreserves the original query string.
This is the NGINX equivalent of the familiar Apache logic “if the request is not a file and not a directory, rewrite it to the front controller.” It only works when the configured root really contains the public files, index.php exists at that path, and a matching PHP-FPM location can execute it. If your entry point is elsewhere, replace the final URI with that actual endpoint.
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Static sites
A static site should not send unknown paths to PHP. If the desired behavior is an explicit 404, use:
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
}If the site uses a generated single-page application, its fallback may be an HTML file instead:
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.html;
}That fallback is an internal route to the static shell; it does not make an API or server-rendered route exist.
PHP applications
Keep the filesystem check in the general location / block and ensure the fallback URI reaches the PHP handler. A rewrite that changes the URI successfully can still end in 404 if the PHP location is absent, excludes the new path, or points FastCGI at a nonexistent script. The exact FastCGI parameters vary by distribution and deployment, so copy the working PHP-FPM settings for your installation rather than inventing values.
Reverse-proxied applications
For an application listening behind NGINX, the final candidate can be a named location that proxies to the upstream:
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ @application;
}
location @application {
proxy_pass http://app_backend;
}Whether the upstream receives the original URI or a changed one depends on the proxy configuration. Confirm the application’s routing contract before adding a rewrite.
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Check root, alias, and location precedence
try_files cannot find a file that NGINX is looking for in the wrong directory. A deployment often changes the public directory from a project root to something like /public; retaining the old root makes every candidate miss even though the files are present elsewhere.
root versus alias
With root, NGINX appends the request URI to the configured directory. With alias, the matching location is replaced by the alias path. That difference matters especially in prefix locations and can produce surprising file paths. Verify the directive that applies to the failing request, not merely a root value elsewhere in the file.
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More-specific locations can bypass your fix
NGINX selects locations by its matching rules. A regular-expression location for assets, an exact location, or a nested block may handle the pretty URL before it reaches the location / containing try_files. Inspect all locations for the affected host and URI. A correct rule in an unused virtual host is indistinguishable from a missing rule from the browser’s perspective.
When to use return, rewrite, or try_files
Use return for a fixed redirect or status
For a moved resource with a known destination, a direct return is clearer and safer than a regular expression:
location = /old-page {
return 301 /new-page;
}The client receives the redirect and makes a second request. Use the appropriate status for your migration policy; do not use a redirect when the application should handle the original URL internally.
Use rewrite for regex URI transformations
rewrite is appropriate when a pattern must be transformed, for example mapping a legacy path shape to a new internal path. Rules execute in order, and an internal rewrite can cause NGINX to search for another matching location. Repeated URI-rewrite processing is limited to ten cycles, so conflicting rules can terminate with an error instead of resolving.
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location /legacy/ {
rewrite ^/legacy/(.*)$ /archive/$1 last;
}Choose the flag deliberately: a redirect flag changes what the client sees, while an internal-processing flag keeps the original URL. Test whether the replacement should retain the existing query string; replacement syntax controls that behavior, and an intentional trailing question mark can discard existing arguments.
Use try_files for existence checks and fallback routing
try_files answers “does this file or directory exist under the active filesystem mapping, and if not, where should the request go?” It checks candidates in order and internally redirects to the last URI, named location, or configured status. It is usually the safest replacement for Apache conditions that test whether the requested filename is not a real file or directory.
Step-by-step 404 diagnosis
- Identify the running NGINX instance. Run
nginx -vfor the version andnginx -Vfor build details, including the compiled configuration path. On packaged systems, the service manager may point to a different binary or instance than the one you edited. - Find the loaded configuration and logs. Use the configuration path reported by the installation and inspect the access and error log locations configured for the server. The request must be reaching the instance whose files you are changing.
- Validate before reloading. Run the deployment’s configuration test command, commonly
nginx -t. Fix every syntax or include error it reports before attempting a reload. Then reload through the service manager so workers receive the new configuration without an unnecessary stop/start. - Confirm the selected virtual host. Check that the request’s hostname matches the intended
server_name. A default server or another certificate/host block can return a 404 while your edited block remains unused. - Trace location matching. For the exact failing URI, determine whether an exact, prefix, or regular-expression location wins. Look for an asset or security location that bypasses the general fallback.
- Verify the filesystem mapping. Check the active
rootoraliasand confirm that a known static file exists where NGINX expects it. A path typo, changed release directory, or incorrectaliascauses everytry_filescandidate to fail. - Test the fallback endpoint directly. Confirm that
/index.php, a named proxy location, or the selected static fallback actually exists and has a handler. If the fallback itself returns 404, the rewrite is not the remaining problem; fix the handler or application route. - Compare two requests in the logs. Request one known static file and one pretty or dynamic URL. Compare status codes, selected host, and error-log messages. This distinguishes a location/root issue from an upstream application response.
- Look for rewrite cycles. If a request changes URI repeatedly, inspect each rewrite and the locations it re-enters. Remove overlapping transformations and ensure the final URI no longer matches a rule that sends it back to the previous URI.
Common migration mistakes and precise fixes
Leaving Apache directives in place
RewriteEngine On, RewriteCond, and RewriteRule have no effect in a file NGINX never reads. Move the behavior into an included NGINX configuration file inside the relevant server or location block, then validate and reload.
Replacing every condition with if
Many “not a file” and “not a directory” checks are one try_files statement. A location split or a named fallback is often clearer than nested conditionals. Keep conditions for cases that cannot be expressed by routing, and test their interaction with internal redirects.
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Applications commonly expose only a public or web directory. Pointing NGINX at the repository root can expose unintended files while still making the expected front controller unavailable. Set the root to the directory that is meant to be web-accessible and verify the fallback there.
Omitting the application handler
A successful internal rewrite is not the same as a successful response. If the fallback URI has no PHP-FPM, proxy, or static handler, NGINX may return 404 or an upstream error. Trace the fallback through the next matching location.
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Changing query-string behavior accidentally
Legacy rules often depend on parameters such as ?id=42. In a front-controller pattern, append ?$args when preserving the original arguments is required. For a regular-expression rewrite, verify whether the replacement keeps, replaces, or intentionally removes the existing query string.
A safe validation checklist
- The request hostname selects the intended
serverblock. - The winning
locationcontains the routing rule you changed. - The active
rootoraliasmaps to the real public directory. - A known static file succeeds through the same location hierarchy.
- The final
try_filestarget exists and has a matching handler. - Query arguments survive the internal route when the application needs them.
nginx -tpasses before reload, and the reload completes successfully.- Access and error logs show one expected route rather than a rewrite loop.
- Static, dynamic, missing, and legacy URLs are tested separately.
What a correct result looks like
A real file such as /assets/app.css is served directly. A real directory is handled according to its index or directory policy. A pretty application URL such as /account/settings remains visible in the browser while NGINX internally sends it to the configured front controller or upstream. A genuinely unknown static path returns the explicit status you selected, commonly 404. A legacy URL that was intentionally moved returns a redirect and lands on its new destination.
If those outcomes do not match, return to the selected host, winning location, filesystem mapping, and fallback handler in that order. Those four pieces account for most “.htaccess works on Apache but every pretty URL is 404 on NGINX” migrations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make NGINX read the existing .htaccess file?
No. NGINX does not parse Apache per-directory configuration files. The routing behavior must be represented in NGINX configuration.
Why does / work while /about or /products/42 returns 404?
The homepage is often an actual index file, while extensionless paths require a fallback such as try_files to reach the application. Check the winning location and final fallback URI.
What should the last try_files argument be?
Use the real endpoint for the application: an existing index file, a named proxy location, an HTML shell, or an explicit status such as =404. It must match the handlers configured on that server.
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Yes. If NGINX reaches the fallback and the upstream or application returns 404, the rewrite is functioning but the application route, script path, or proxy URI needs correction.
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