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To host a domain on a Debian VPS, install Nginx, create a document root, save a per-site configuration in /etc/nginx/sites-available/, enable it with a symlink in sites-enabled, validate with nginx -t, and reload Nginx. After DNS and HTTP routing work, use Certbot’s Nginx integration to obtain and install a Let’s Encrypt certificate.
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The examples below use example.com. Replace it with your real domain, and confirm the Debian release and package source first: distribution packages and independently maintained upstream packages can use different defaults and versions.
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A server block is Nginx’s per-site virtual-server configuration unit. It associates one or more host names with listening ports and a content handler. For a static site, that handler is a directory such as /var/www/example.com. For an application, it can be a reverse proxy that forwards requests to a local service.
When a request arrives, Nginx considers the listening address and port, then compares the request’s Host name with each block’s server_name. Exact names are the normal choice for ordinary domains. Nginx also supports wildcard and regular-expression names, but those should be used only when the routing design requires them. If no matching name exists, Nginx uses the default server for that address and port. That is why requesting a VPS by IP address often shows the distribution’s default page instead of your new site.
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Prerequisites and decisions
- A Debian VPS with administrative access through a root account or
sudo. - The domain’s DNS
Arecord pointing to the VPS IPv4 address and, if you publish one, itsAAAArecord pointing to the correct IPv6 address. An incorrectAAAArecord can send IPv6 visitors to a different machine even when theArecord is correct. - Port 80 reachable for initial HTTP testing. Port 443 must also be reachable when you enable HTTPS.
- A decision about the content model: files served directly by Nginx, or a reverse proxy to an application listening on a local address and port.
- A record of the Debian release and the package source you intend to use. Package versions, default files and Certbot options change over time, so use repositories supported for that release and avoid mixing unrelated Nginx packages.
Do not begin public certificate issuance until DNS resolves to this VPS and the HTTP server block responds correctly. ACME validation has to reach the names you request.
Install Nginx and inspect the Debian layout
Use the package manager and repository supported by your Debian release. On a standard Debian installation using the distribution package, the usual sequence is:
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sudo apt install nginx
sudo systemctl enable --now nginx
sudo systemctl status nginxThe final command should show an active service. If it does not, read the service output before creating site files; a failed package installation or an existing listener on port 80 has to be corrected first.
Debian-family packaging commonly separates configuration sources from enabled sites:
/etc/nginx/sites-available/stores site files that are available to enable./etc/nginx/sites-enabled/contains symlinks for sites Nginx should load.- The main configuration includes those enabled files. The exact include statements depend on the package and release.
Use the effective-configuration dump to see what the running binary includes:
sudo nginx -TLook near the beginning of the output for the main configuration path and included files. This is more reliable than assuming a layout when an independently maintained package is installed.
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Choose a separate directory for each domain. The following creates a minimal test page:
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sudo install -d -m 755 /var/www/example.com
sudo tee /var/www/example.com/index.html >/dev/null <<'EOF'
<!doctype html>
<html lang='en'>
<meta charset='utf-8'>
<title>example.com</title>
<h1>Nginx is serving example.com</h1>
EOFNginx’s worker process must be able to traverse the directories and read the files. Set ownership and permissions to match your deployment method: a release account may own files and share a read-only group with Nginx, while a simple single-purpose VPS may use the web-service account as owner. Do not use world-writable permissions merely to bypass a permissions error. Check each parent directory as well as the file itself.
Once the test works, replace the placeholder page with your application’s files. Keep the domain-specific root separate from other sites so an incorrect path cannot expose another site’s content.
Write the server block
Create /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com:
server {
listen 80;
listen [::]:80;
server_name example.com www.example.com;
root /var/www/example.com;
index index.html;
}Each directive has a distinct job:
listen 80;accepts IPv4 HTTP connections on port 80.listen [::]:80;accepts IPv6 HTTP connections. Keep it only when the VPS is configured for IPv6 and the DNSAAAArecord points here.server_namelists the host names this block serves. Include every name you intend to publish; a name omitted here can fall through to another block.rootmaps URL paths to the document directory.indexidentifies the file Nginx returns for a directory request.
Use exact names for a normal domain. A wildcard can be appropriate for a deliberate subdomain design, while a regular expression should be reserved for a routing rule you have tested carefully. Do not put unrelated domains in one block simply because they currently share files; separate blocks make later TLS, redirects and access rules easier to audit.
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Enable the site with a Debian-style symlink
Create the enabled-site link, leaving the original file in sites-available for editing and auditing:
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/example.comIf the packaged default block would otherwise answer requests, remove its enabled link or disable it:
sudo rm /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/defaultOnly remove the link if you no longer need the default site; the source file in sites-available can remain as a reference. If a file with the same link name already exists, inspect it rather than overwriting it blindly. A stale link pointing to a deleted file will make validation fail.
Validate the complete configuration and reload safely
Always make the syntax test the gate before a reload:
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sudo nginx -tA successful result reports that the syntax is OK and the test is successful. If it fails, the message identifies a file and line number. Correct that file, run the test again, and do not reload a configuration that has not passed.
When the include hierarchy is unclear, print the fully assembled configuration:
sudo nginx -TSearch that output for example.com, duplicate server_name entries, unexpected default servers and the actual root path. After the test passes, apply the change without dropping existing connections:
sudo systemctl reload nginxA reload asks the running service to read the new configuration while continuing to serve active workers. A restart is not required for an ordinary server-block edit and introduces a larger interruption risk.
Test host routing before adding TLS
Test with the real names, not only the VPS address:
curl -i http://example.com/
curl -i http://www.example.com/Check that DNS resolves both names to the intended VPS and that the response body is the test page from the correct root. If DNS has not propagated, send an explicit Host header to the VPS address:
curl -i -H 'Host: example.com' http://203.0.113.10/Replace the example address with the VPS’s actual IPv4 address. This test exercises Nginx host matching without waiting for public DNS, but it does not prove that external resolvers or IPv6 clients will reach the server.
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A request made directly to an IP address has no matching domain name, so Nginx may select the default server. That behavior is expected and is not evidence that the named block is broken.
Static files versus a reverse proxy
The server-block selection process is the same for both models; only the content handler changes.
| Deployment choice | Server-block pattern | Best fit | Important checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Static files | root /var/www/example.com; and an index file |
HTML, CSS, JavaScript and other files that Nginx can read directly | Directory traversal permissions, correct root path and the presence of the requested file |
| Reverse proxy | A location / using proxy_pass to a local application |
Web applications that generate responses or manage their own routing | The application must be listening on the configured address and port; proxy headers and the application’s logs must agree with the public host and scheme |
A minimal reverse-proxy block can be added in place of the static directives. Replace port 3000 with the port your application actually uses:
server {
listen 80;
listen [::]:80;
server_name example.com www.example.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
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;
}
}Do not keep a misleading root and index configuration in a block that is intended solely as a proxy. After changing the block, run the same test-and-reload sequence, then request the domain and verify that the application—not the default page—produces the response.
One domain, several names, or several sites
Putting example.com and www.example.com in one server_name line is appropriate when both names should serve the same content. If one name should redirect to the other, use a separate block for the redirect so the canonical-name policy is explicit. If two domains have different roots or applications, give each its own file and symlink.
| Requirement | Configuration approach | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| One site under two names | List both exact names in one server_name directive |
Both DNS names resolve to this VPS and the content policy is identical |
| Separate sites on one VPS | Use one server-block file and document root per domain | No duplicate or overlapping names cause an unintended block to win |
| Wildcard subdomains | Use an intentional wildcard name and a matching certificate strategy | The wildcard does not capture names that need different applications or policies |
| IP-address testing | Use an explicit Host header or a real DNS name |
The request is testing host matching rather than the default server |
Add HTTPS with Certbot and Let’s Encrypt
Once port 80, DNS and the HTTP block work, install Certbot and its Nginx integration from a package source supported by your Debian release. Then request the names that the site serves:
sudo certbot --nginx -d example.com -d www.example.comCertbot’s documented Nginx plugin can authenticate the names and install certificates. Review the changes it makes to the server blocks instead of treating generated configuration as opaque. It may add a TLS listener, certificate directives and an HTTP-to-HTTPS redirect according to the choices you make.
Certificate material managed by Certbot is documented under /etc/letsencrypt/live/. Protect that directory and avoid editing generated certificate files directly. The names on the certificate must match the names visitors use; obtaining a certificate for only example.com does not cover www.example.com.
Keep the network path required by the selected ACME challenge available. Port 80 is commonly needed for HTTP validation, and port 443 must be reachable for normal HTTPS service. After installation, test both schemes:
curl -I http://example.com/
curl -I https://example.com/Test renewal using the renewal command supported by your Certbot installation. A successful dry run is evidence that the scheduled renewal path can authenticate and reload the service; it is not a substitute for checking the certificate’s names and expiration in your monitoring.
Comparison of the main packaging and protocol choices
| Choice | Advantages | Trade-offs and qualifications |
|---|---|---|
| Debian-packaged Nginx | Integrated with the release’s package management and service layout, including the common sites-available/sites-enabled convention |
Version and defaults follow the Debian release; confirm them before applying instructions written for another release |
| Independently maintained upstream package | May provide a different or newer Nginx build | Paths, included files, service behavior and update policy can differ; use that package’s documented layout rather than assuming Debian defaults |
| HTTP only | Simplest initial routing test | Traffic is not encrypted; treat it as a setup phase, not the finished public configuration |
| HTTP plus HTTPS | Encrypted connections on port 443 with a certificate for the published names | Requires working DNS, reachable validation paths, certificate renewal and a reviewed TLS configuration |
| Static serving | Fewer moving parts and no application listener to maintain | All requested files must exist under the root and be readable by Nginx |
| Reverse proxying | Supports application servers and dynamic routing behind Nginx | The upstream process, local port, proxy headers and application error handling all become part of the request path |
Troubleshoot the common failure modes
Nginx still serves the default page
- Confirm the request uses the intended domain or an explicit
Hostheader; an IP-only request can select the default server. - Check that the symlink exists in
/etc/nginx/sites-enabled/and points to the expected file insites-available. - Inspect
nginx -Tfor another block that claims the same name or is marked as the default for the same listener. - Verify both DNS record types. An outdated
AAAArecord can make only IPv6 clients reach the wrong server.
The configuration test reports an error
Read the filename and line number in the nginx -t output. Typical causes include a missing semicolon, an unmatched brace, a misspelled directive, a broken symlink or a directive available in one package version but not another. Fix the named file and rerun the test; do not use a reload to discover syntax errors in production.
The site returns 404
For a static block, compare the requested URL with the resolved path under root, check the spelling and case of the file, and confirm that the index file exists. A permissions problem can appear in the error log even when the path looks correct. For a proxy block, a 404 may come from the application itself, so compare the Nginx access log with the application log.
The site returns 403
Check traversal permission on every parent directory and read permission on the requested file. Directory requests without an available index may also be denied according to the active configuration. Correct ownership or group permissions deliberately rather than making the entire tree writable.
The proxy returns 502 Bad Gateway
Confirm that the application is running and listening on the exact address and port in proxy_pass. A service bound only to a different address, a stopped process or a local firewall rule can prevent Nginx from connecting. The Nginx error log identifies connection-refused and timeout conditions.
Certbot cannot validate the domain
- Resolve the domain from outside the VPS and verify that every requested name reaches this server.
- Make sure port 80 is reachable when the selected challenge requires it and that the HTTP block is enabled.
- Check that the request is not being sent to a default block, redirect loop or unrelated IPv6 host.
- Read Certbot’s error output, correct DNS or routing, and rerun the request rather than repeatedly requesting certificates for a name that still resolves incorrectly.
Find evidence in the logs
When the response is unexpected, correlate the request with Nginx’s access and error logs, commonly under /var/log/nginx/. The access log confirms which requests reached this machine; the error log explains file, permission, upstream and TLS failures. Combine those entries with the resolved DNS address, the request’s host name, the listening port, the configured root and the filesystem permissions.
Quick Recap
Final deployment checklist
- Record the Debian release and confirm the Nginx package source.
- Point the domain’s
Aand, when applicable,AAAArecords to the VPS. - Install Nginx and confirm the service is active.
- Create a dedicated document root or define the application’s local upstream.
- Save the block in
sites-availablewith exactserver_namevalues. - Enable it with a symlink in
sites-enabledand disable an interfering default link. - Run
nginx -t; usenginx -Twhen you need to inspect the assembled configuration. - Reload Nginx only after the syntax test passes.
- Test each published name with DNS and, if necessary, an explicit
Hostheader. - Install Certbot’s Nginx integration, request certificates for all required names, review the generated TLS settings and test renewal.
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