Do I need to install Nginx before setting up a website?

Yes, Nginx must be installed and running before you can host a website. Without Nginx installed, server blocks and website files will not be served.

What is a server block in Nginx?

A server block is an Nginx configuration that defines how requests for a specific domain or IP address are handled.

Where should website files be stored in Ubuntu?

Website files are commonly stored under /var/www/domain-name/public_html for clarity, security, and maintainability.

Why does Nginx show a 403 Forbidden error?

A 403 error usually occurs due to incorrect file ownership or permissions that prevent Nginx from reading website files.

Which user runs Nginx on Ubuntu?

Nginx worker processes typically run as the www-data user on Ubuntu systems.

How do I enable a website in Nginx?

You enable a website by creating a symbolic link from sites-available to sites-enabled and then reloading Nginx.

Why is my default Nginx page still showing?

The default page appears if the default site is still enabled or if your custom server block is not properly configured.

Do I need to configure a firewall for Nginx?

Yes, the firewall must allow HTTP and HTTPS traffic; otherwise, the website will not be accessible externally.

How do I check Nginx errors?

Nginx errors can be checked using the error log located at /var/log/nginx/error.log or site-specific error logs.

Is Nginx suitable for production websites?

Yes, Nginx is widely used in production for its performance, stability, and ability to handle high traffic efficiently.

How to Set Up a Basic Website Using Nginx in Ubuntu

Setting up a basic website on a Linux server is one of the most common real-world tasks for system administrators, DevOps engineers, and developers. Among all web servers available today, Nginx is widely preferred because of its speed, stability, and ability to handle traffic efficiently—even on low-resource servers.

In this article, we’ll walk through setting up a basic website using Nginx on Ubuntu, using infrarunbook.com as the example domain throughout. The guide is written in a practical, human way, covering proper configuration, directory structure, firewall rules, permissions, and troubleshooting steps you’re likely to face in real environments.

This guide assumes:

You are using Ubuntu (20.04 / 22.04 or later)
You have sudo access
You want a clean, maintainable, and production-ready setup

Before We Begin: Make Sure Nginx Is Installed

If Nginx is not already installed, you should complete the installation first.

Refer to our detailed installation guide here:

That article covers installation, service management, firewall basics, and verification. Once Nginx is installed and running, come back here and continue.

How Nginx Serves a Website (Quick Overview)

Understanding how Nginx works internally makes configuration and troubleshooting much easier.

At a high level:

Nginx listens on ports (usually 80 and 443)
A server block decides how requests are handled
Each server block points to a document root
Files in the document root are served to users
File permissions control access

Keeping this flow in mind will help you diagnose issues quickly later.

Step 1: Create the Website Directory Structure

By default, Nginx serves content from:

/var/www/html

For a clean setup, each website should have its own directory.

Since we are setting up infrarunbook.com, let’s create a dedicated directory.

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/infrarunbook.com/public_html

Why This Structure Is Recommended

Keeps sites organized
Makes permission management easier
Prevents accidental file overlap
Scales well when hosting multiple sites

Step 2: Set Correct Ownership and Permissions

Incorrect permissions are one of the most common causes of Nginx errors.

Set Ownership and Permissions

Recommended permissions:

Directories:
755
Files:
644

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/infrarunbook.com
sudo find /var/www/infrarunbook.com -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;
sudo find /var/www/infrarunbook.com -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;

⚠️ Even if files look correct, missing execute permission on a parent directory can cause a 403 Forbidden error.

Step 3: Create a Basic Website Page

Let’s create a simple

index.html

file.

sudo nano /var/www/infrarunbook.com/public_html/index.html

Paste the following content:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Welcome to InfraRunBook</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>InfraRunBook is Live!</h1>
<p>This website is successfully served using Nginx on Ubuntu.</p>
</body>
</html>

Save and exit. After saving the file, explicitly verify permissions:

ls -l /var/www/infrarunbook.com/public_html/index.html

Expected output:

-rw-r--r-- 1 www-data www-data index.html

If not correct, fix it manually:

sudo chmod 644 /var/www/infrarunbook.com/public_html/index.html
sudo chown www-data:www-data /var/www/infrarunbook.com/public_html/index.html

Step 4: Create an Nginx Server Block for infrarunbook.com

Server blocks tell Nginx which site to serve and how.

Create the Configuration File

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/infrarunbook.com

Add the following configuration:

server {
listen 80;
server_name infrarunbook.com www.infrarunbook.com;
root /var/www/infrarunbook.com/public_html;
index index.html index.htm;
access_log /var/log/nginx/infrarunbook.com.access.log;
error_log /var/log/nginx/infrarunbook.com.error.log;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
}
}

What Each Directive Does

listen 80
– Accepts HTTP traffic
server_name
– Domain names handled by this site
root
– Location of website files
index
– Default files to load
try_files
– Prevents incorrect routing and directory listing

This configuration is minimal, clean, and production-safe.

Step 5: Enable the Website

Enable the site by creating a symbolic link:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/infrarunbook.com /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

Disable the default Nginx site (recommended):

sudo rm /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default

Step 6: Test Nginx Configuration

Before reloading Nginx, always test the configuration.

sudo nginx -t

Expected output:

syntax is ok
test is successful

If there are errors, Nginx will tell you exactly where to fix them.

Reload Nginx:

sudo systemctl reload nginx

Step 7: Configure Firewall (UFW)

Even a perfect Nginx setup won’t work if the firewall blocks traffic.

Allow Nginx Traffic

sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full'

Or if you only want HTTP for now:

sudo ufw allow 'Nginx HTTP'

Check firewall status:

sudo ufw status

Make sure port 80 & 443 is allowed.

Step 8: Test the Website in Browser

Open a browser and visit:

http://infrarunbook.com

or your server’s public IP.

If everything is correct, you’ll see the InfraRunBook is Live! message.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

These are real-world problems you are likely to face.

Issue 1: 403 Forbidden Error

Most common issue.

Possible Causes

Incorrect ownership
Wrong permissions
Parent directory access blocked

Fix Checklist

Files owned by
www-data
Directories have
755
Correct
root
path in config

Check error logs:

sudo tail -f /var/log/nginx/infrarunbook.com.error.log

Issue 2: Default Nginx Page Still Appears

Reasons

Default site still enabled
New site not linked properly
server_name
mismatch

Fix

ls -l /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

Only

infrarunbook.com

should be present.

Issue 3: Website Not Loading at All

Checks

sudo systemctl status nginx sudo ss -tulnp | grep :80

Make sure:

Nginx is running
No other service is using port 80
Firewall allows traffic

Issue 4: Changes Not Reflecting

Fix

sudo systemctl reload nginx

Clear browser cache or use a hard refresh (

Ctrl + F5

Understanding Nginx Logs (Very Important)

Logs are your best debugging tool.

Access Log

/var/log/nginx/infrarunbook.com.access.log

Error Log

/var/log/nginx/infrarunbook.com.error.log

Always check logs before guessing or changing random settings.

Best Practices for Hosting Websites with Nginx

One website per server block
Never edit
nginx.conf
unless required
Always test configs before reload
Keep permissions strict
Enable HTTPS as the next step
Maintain clean directory structure

These practices prevent downtime and configuration chaos.

What’s Next?

Now that infrarunbook.com is live on Nginx, your next logical steps are:

Enable HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt
Add security headers
Configure reverse proxy
Optimize performance
Add monitoring and logging

Each of these builds on the foundation you’ve just created.

Final Thoughts

Setting up a basic website using Nginx on Ubuntu is simple—but doing it properly makes all the difference. With the right directory structure, permissions, firewall rules, and clean configuration, your site will be stable, secure, and easy to maintain.

If you haven’t installed Nginx yet, make sure to read our installation guide first: