How Can I Have Same Rule for Two Locations in Nginx Config?

If you need to apply the same configuration rules to multiple locations in Nginx, you can do so by defining separate location blocks and using common configuration directives within those blocks. Here’s how you can manage this efficiently:

Example: Applying Same Rules to Two Locations

Let’s assume you want to apply the same rules to two different locations, /location1 and /location2. The rules include handling PHP files, setting cache control, and logging.

Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Open or Create the Nginx Configuration File

Locate your Nginx configuration file, typically found in /etc/nginx/sites-available/ or /etc/nginx/conf.d/. For this example, let’s assume we’re editing /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.conf.

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.conf

2. Define the Server Block and Locations

Here’s how you can set up the server block to apply the same rules to /location1 and /location2:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;

    # Root directory for default location
    root /var/www/example;
    index index.html index.htm;

    # Default location
    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }

    # Common configuration for /location1 and /location2
    location ~ ^/(location1|location2)/ {
        # Root directory specific to each location
        root /var/www/example;
        # Handle PHP files (example for PHP-FPM)
        location ~ \\.php$ {
            include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
            fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php7.4-fpm.sock;
            fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
            include fastcgi_params;
        }

        # Set cache control headers
        expires 30d;
        access_log /var/log/nginx/access.log;
        error_log /var/log/nginx/error.log;

        # Handle static files
        location ~* \\.(jpg|jpeg|png|gif|css|js)$ {
            expires 30d;
            access_log off;
        }
    }
}

3. Explanation

• server block: Defines the configuration for the specified domain.
• location ~ ^/(location1|location2)/: A regular expression location block that matches both /location1 and /location2.
  • root /var/www/example;: Sets the root directory for these locations. Adjust as necessary if different for each location.
  • location ~ \\.php$ { ... }: Handles PHP files, if applicable.
  • expires 30d;: Sets cache control headers for static files.
  • location ~* \\.(jpg|jpeg|png|gif|css|js)$ { ... }: Handles static files with specific cache control settings.

4. Save and Close the File

After making the necessary changes, save and close the configuration file.

5. Test Nginx Configuration

Before applying changes, test the configuration for syntax errors:

sudo nginx -t

6. Reload Nginx

Reload Nginx to apply the new configuration:

sudo systemctl reload nginx

Alternative Approach: Use a include Directive

If you have complex or repeated configurations, you can define a common configuration in a separate file and include it in the location blocks.

1. Create a Common Configuration File

Create a file, e.g., /etc/nginx/snippets/common-location.conf, with common configuration rules:

# /etc/nginx/snippets/common-location.conf
location ~ \\.php$ {
    include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
    fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php7.4-fpm.sock;
    fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
    include fastcgi_params;
}

expires 30d;
access_log /var/log/nginx/access.log;
error_log /var/log/nginx/error.log;

location ~* \\.(jpg|jpeg|png|gif|css|js)$ {
    expires 30d;
    access_log off;
}

2. Include the Common File in Your Main Configuration

Modify your main configuration file to include the common file:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;

    root /var/www/example;
    index index.html index.htm;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }

    # Include common configurations for /location1 and /location2
    location /location1 {
        include snippets/common-location.conf;
    }

    location /location2 {
        include snippets/common-location.conf;
    }
}

Summary

• Use Regular Expressions: For applying the same rules to multiple locations, use regex in the location block.
• Create Common Configuration: For complex setups, use include to manage common configuration snippets.
• Test and Reload: Always test your configuration and reload Nginx to apply changes.

By following these methods, you can efficiently manage configurations that apply to multiple locations in Nginx.

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