PHP Academy · Lesson

Nginx and PHP-FPM Configuration

Set up Nginx as a reverse proxy to PHP-FPM for serving PHP applications.

Nginx and PHP-FPM Configuration is a free PHP Academy lesson on CoddyKit. This is lesson 1 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the PHP Academy learning path, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app. The PHP Academy course includes 4 lessons in total.

Why Nginx + PHP-FPM?

Nginx is a high-performance web server and reverse proxy. PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager) manages a pool of PHP worker processes. Nginx passes PHP requests to FPM via FastCGI.

Basic Nginx Server Block

A minimal Nginx configuration for a PHP application.

# /etc/nginx/sites-available/myapp
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;
    root /srv/myapp/public;
    index index.php;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_index index.php;
        include fastcgi_params;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $realpath_root$fastcgi_script_name;
    }

    location ~ /\.ht {
        deny all;
    }
}

try_files Directive

try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string attempts to serve a static file first. If not found, it falls back to index.php — enabling front-controller routing (Laravel, Symfony).

PHP-FPM Pool Configuration

Configure the worker pool in /etc/php/8.3/fpm/pool.d/www.conf.

[www]
pm = dynamic
pm.max_children      = 20
pm.start_servers     = 5
pm.min_spare_servers = 2
pm.max_spare_servers = 8
pm.max_requests      = 500  ; recycle workers to prevent leaks

Unix Socket vs TCP

Using a Unix socket (fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock) is faster than TCP (127.0.0.1:9000) for same-machine communication.

HTTPS with Let's Encrypt

Use Certbot to obtain free TLS certificates.

$ certbot --nginx -d example.com
# Certbot modifies your Nginx config and sets up auto-renewal

Gzip Compression

Enable gzip to reduce response sizes.

# nginx.conf or server block:
gzip on;
gzip_types text/plain text/css application/javascript application/json;
gzip_min_length 1024;

Browser Caching for Static Assets

Add cache-control headers for static files.

location ~* \.(js|css|png|jpg|gif|ico|woff2)$ {
    expires 1y;
    add_header Cache-Control "public, immutable";
}

Rate Limiting in Nginx

Limit requests per IP using the limit_req module — first line of defence before PHP even starts.

http {
    limit_req_zone $binary_remote_addr zone=one:10m rate=10r/s;
}

server {
    location /api/ {
        limit_req zone=one burst=20 nodelay;
    }
}

Security Headers

Add security headers to all responses.

add_header X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN";
add_header X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff";
add_header Referrer-Policy "strict-origin-when-cross-origin";

Reload vs Restart

After changing Nginx config, reload gracefully (no downtime): nginx -t && nginx -s reload. After changing PHP-FPM config: systemctl reload php8.3-fpm.

Summary

Configure Nginx with a server block pointing to public/index.php via FastCGI. Tune PHP-FPM pool settings. Use Unix sockets. Enable HTTPS, gzip, and static file caching.

Quick Check

What does try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string do?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the “Nginx and PHP-FPM Configuration” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Nginx and PHP-FPM Configuration” is free to read here on the web. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the PHP Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO. The PHP Academy course includes 4 lessons in total.

What will I learn in “Nginx and PHP-FPM Configuration”?

Set up Nginx as a reverse proxy to PHP-FPM for serving PHP applications. You practise PHP Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start PHP Academy?

No prior experience is required. PHP Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace. This is lesson 1 of 4.

How long does the “Nginx and PHP-FPM Configuration” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this PHP Academy lesson?

Yes. Every PHP Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

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