If Nginx downloads a .php file, it is serving that request as a static file instead of passing it to PHP-FPM. Add a PHP location that forwards requests with FastCGI, point fastcgi_pass at the PHP-FPM listener actually running on the machine, build a correct SCRIPT_FILENAME, test the active virtual server, and reload Nginx. Until that handoff works, the browser can only receive the PHP source file.
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What a PHP download tells you
Nginx does not execute PHP itself. It serves static files and can route application requests to a FastCGI server, such as PHP-FPM. A browser download therefore means the request reached a static-file handler, or a PHP handler that never successfully forwarded the request to PHP-FPM. PHP-FPM is the process that interprets the script and returns a response for Nginx to send to the client.
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The PHP handoff depends on three pieces matching one another:
- A
locationblock must match the requested PHP URI. fastcgi_passmust identify the socket or TCP listener used by the running PHP-FPM pool.SCRIPT_FILENAMEmust resolve to the actual script on the filesystem.
NGINX’s Beginner’s Guide describes the role directly: “nginx can be used to route requests to FastCGI servers which run applications built with various frameworks and programming languages such as PHP.” It also notes that PHP uses SCRIPT_FILENAME to determine the script name and QUERY_STRING to pass request parameters.
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Use a known-good PHP location
Start with a minimal handler in the server block that serves the site. This example uses a Unix-domain socket; substitute the endpoint used by your PHP-FPM pool.
location ~ .php(?:/|$) {
try_files $fastcgi_script_name =404;
include fastcgi_params;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php-fpm.sock;
}The regular expression matches a URI ending in .php and also supports a path-info suffix such as /file.php/articles/1. The try_files line rejects a request when the script does not exist, rather than sending a made-up path to PHP-FPM. The include supplies the standard FastCGI parameters, while the explicit SCRIPT_FILENAME tells PHP-FPM which file to open.
Choose the listener that really exists
NGINX accepts either a Unix socket or a TCP address:
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| PHP-FPM endpoint | fastcgi_pass form |
When it is typical |
|---|---|---|
| Unix-domain socket | unix:/run/php/php-fpm.sock |
PHP-FPM and Nginx share the same host filesystem. |
| Versioned Unix socket | unix:/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock |
A distribution names the socket for a particular PHP version. |
| TCP listener | localhost:9000 |
PHP-FPM listens on a local network address and port. |
| Container service | php-fpm:9000 |
Nginx and PHP-FPM run as separate services on a container network. |
These are alternatives, not interchangeable examples. A socket path that is absent, or a TCP address where no pool is listening, produces an upstream connection error; it does not execute the script. Find the listener in the active PHP-FPM pool configuration and use that exact value.
Fix the document root and script path
In the example, Nginx constructs the filename as $document_root$fastcgi_script_name. If the server’s root is /var/www/example/public and the request is /index.php, PHP-FPM receives /var/www/example/public/index.php. The root must be the directory that actually contains the script.
A common mistake is to prepend the root twice, for example by combining an absolute root with a variable that already contains it. Another is putting a different root inside the PHP location from the one used by the rest of the server. Both errors can produce “No input file specified”, a 404 response, or a PHP-FPM “Primary script unknown” message.
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Check the path without guessing
- Identify the
serverblock handling the site’s hostname and port. - Read its
rootdirective and confirm that the PHP file is below that directory. - Compare the requested URI with
$fastcgi_script_name. For a direct request to/admin/test.php, the expected script component is/admin/test.php. - Make sure the resulting absolute path exists and is readable by the PHP-FPM worker.
- Do not add a second copy of the root in
SCRIPT_FILENAME.
Inspect the configuration Nginx is actually using
Editing an unused site file does not change the virtual server handling the request. Dump the complete active configuration:
nginx -TUse the output to verify the requested hostname appears in the intended server_name, that the expected root is present, and that a PHP location is loaded. This also exposes duplicate server blocks and included files that may override your edit.
Understand location precedence
Nginx first selects the longest matching prefix location, then evaluates regular expressions unless a prefix marked ^~ prevents that regex search. A broad prefix such as location ^~ /downloads/ can therefore bypass a regular-expression PHP location for a script under /downloads/. A more specific regex or another included location can have the same effect. If the site’s home page works but a direct or subdirectory PHP URL downloads, compare the locations that match each URI.
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Front-controller applications add another routing layer. Nginx’s static-content guidance shows that try_files can internally redirect a request: if /path/index.html is absent but /path/index.php exists, the request can be mapped to the PHP location. A front controller may therefore work at / while a direct .php request follows a different location and is served as a static file. Test both paths when diagnosing the problem.
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Verify PHP-FPM is installed, running, and listening
The Nginx configuration cannot compensate for a stopped pool. Check the service using the service manager on your operating system, then verify the configured socket or port exists and is accepting connections. A versioned service may use a name such as php8.3-fpm; the exact service name depends on the installed PHP package.
- If the configured Unix socket does not exist, inspect the PHP-FPM pool configuration for its
listenvalue and correctfastcgi_pass. - If the socket exists but Nginx reports permission denied, check its owner, group, and mode against the user running Nginx and the pool’s listen permissions.
- If using TCP, confirm PHP-FPM is bound to the address and port named in
fastcgi_pass, not only to a different interface or port. - In containers, ensure the Nginx service can resolve the PHP-FPM service name and that both services share the intended network.
PHP’s documentation describes FPM as a primary PHP FastCGI implementation and gives an important security warning: “php-fpm must not be reachable from an untrusted network.” Keep a TCP listener on a private interface or protected network, use firewall rules where appropriate, and never expose the FPM port directly to the public Internet.
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Apply the change safely
- Edit the server configuration and add or correct the PHP location. Keep the
rootand the PHP handler in the same server context unless your deployment deliberately uses a different filesystem mapping. - Run a syntax check:
nginx -tFix every reported error before continuing. Nginx keeps the old configuration active when a syntax check fails.
- Reload the validated configuration:
nginx -s reloadA service-manager reload is equivalent when your platform uses one. Configuration edits do not affect existing workers until Nginx reloads or restarts.
- Request a harmless test script from a protected environment. A temporary script that returns a plain, non-sensitive response is enough to confirm execution. Remove it immediately after testing; do not leave
phpinfo()or diagnostic output publicly accessible. - Repeat the request with the real application URL and inspect logs if the result is still wrong.
Use logs to identify the remaining failure
Read the Nginx error log and the PHP-FPM log at the same time as you make a test request. The message usually identifies which layer is failing.
| Observed symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| The browser downloads PHP source | The request is handled as static content. | Active server block, PHP location matching, and any ^~ prefix or competing regex location. |
| 502 Bad Gateway or upstream connection failure | Nginx cannot connect to PHP-FPM. | Socket path, TCP host and port, PHP-FPM service state, network reachability, and socket permissions. |
| “No input file specified” or “Primary script unknown” | SCRIPT_FILENAME resolves to a path PHP-FPM cannot find. |
The effective root, URI, duplicated path segments, and file permissions. |
| 404 from the PHP location | The existence check rejects the path. | Whether the requested script exists under the configured root and whether rewrites produced the expected URI. |
| Changes have no effect | The edited file is not active or Nginx was not reloaded. | nginx -T, nginx -t, and the reload result. |
Handle PATH_INFO requests correctly
Some applications use a URL such as /file.php/articles/1. The script is /file.php; /articles/1 is PATH_INFO. If the entire URI is placed in SCRIPT_FILENAME, PHP-FPM looks for a file whose name includes the suffix and fails.
For this pattern, split the path before setting the filename. Nginx’s FastCGI reference documents a configuration pattern that captures the script portion and passes the remainder as PATH_INFO. The essential rule is that $fastcgi_script_name must contain only the real PHP filename, while the suffix is supplied separately. Adapt the exact regular expression and parameters to the application’s routing requirements, and test a valid and invalid path after changing it.
Direct scripts versus front-controller routing
| Routing style | Request flow | Important checks |
|---|---|---|
| Direct script execution | A URI ending in .php matches the PHP location and is sent to PHP-FPM. |
Correct regex location, real file under root, try_files, and SCRIPT_FILENAME. |
| Front controller | Nginx first tests static files and internally redirects application routes to one entry script such as index.php. |
The try_files fallback, internal redirect target, and PHP location that receives the rewritten URI. |
| Path-info routing | A script filename is followed by an application path segment. | Split the script from PATH_INFO before constructing SCRIPT_FILENAME. |
Do not remove the PHP location merely because the front page works. A working front controller proves only that one internal route reaches PHP-FPM; it does not prove that every direct PHP URI is protected from static serving.
Quick Recap
Security and operational safeguards
- Never knowingly serve PHP source as a downloadable file. Source can contain database credentials, signing keys, and application logic.
- Keep
try_files $fastcgi_script_name =404;or an equivalent existence check in the PHP handler to avoid forwarding arbitrary nonexistent paths. - Keep PHP-FPM on a private Unix socket or trusted private network. It must not be reachable from an untrusted network.
- Remove temporary test scripts and diagnostic output immediately after verification.
- After upgrades, re-check versioned socket names; changing PHP versions can change the listener path while leaving Nginx pointed at the old one.
- When using a container or chroot, verify that the path visible to Nginx maps to the path visible inside the PHP-FPM environment. A host path and a container path can describe the same file differently.
A compact recovery checklist
- Run
nginx -Tand identify the virtual server handling the hostname. - Confirm that a PHP location matches the failing URI and is not bypassed by a higher-priority location.
- Confirm the server’s
rootcontains the requested script. - Set
SCRIPT_FILENAMEto the root plus the script name, without duplicating the root. - Use
try_files $fastcgi_script_name =404;before forwarding. - Match
fastcgi_passto the running PHP-FPM socket or TCP listener. - Check PHP-FPM status, listener availability, and socket permissions.
- Run
nginx -t; correct errors before reloading. - Reload with
nginx -s reloador the platform’s service equivalent. - Test a temporary harmless script privately, remove it, and then review both logs for any remaining path or permission errors.
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