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How to Configure Buildbot with SSL Using an Nginx Reverse Proxy

A practical guide to terminating Buildbot HTTPS at Nginx while preserving UI links, SSE live updates, WebSocket connections, authentication boundaries, and path-prefix routing.
Length10 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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The reliable production layout is to keep Buildbot’s web server on a loopback HTTP port and let Nginx terminate HTTPS. Nginx then forwards ordinary UI and API requests, disables response buffering for Buildbot’s server-sent events (SSE) endpoint, and carries WebSocket upgrade headers for the live connection. Set c['buildbotURL'] to the exact public HTTPS address so generated links and browser requests use the same scheme and path.

This arrangement follows the Buildbot project’s current guidance: “It is usually better to put Buildbot behind a reverse proxy in production.” The current page is marked latest/unreleased, so check the released documentation that matches your installed Buildbot version before applying endpoint or configuration details.

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What the finished setup looks like

Clients connect to https://buildbot.example.com (or to a path such as https://example/buildbot/). Nginx listens on TCP 443, presents the certificate, and proxies requests to Buildbot’s internal listener, for example 127.0.0.1:8010. Buildbot never needs to expose that HTTP port publicly.

  • Browser to Nginx: encrypted HTTPS, with Nginx handling the certificate and TLS policy.
  • Nginx to Buildbot: local HTTP over the loopback interface.
  • Normal traffic: the Buildbot UI and API are proxied normally.
  • Live events: the /sse/ location has buffering disabled so events are delivered as they arrive.
  • Live socket: the /ws location uses HTTP/1.1 and the WebSocket Upgrade and Connection headers.

HTTPS protects data in transit between the client and Nginx. It does not provide Buildbot login or permission checks; authentication plugins and authorization rules remain a separate Buildbot responsibility.

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Before you change either service

Confirm the installed Buildbot release

Buildbot’s latest web-server page is identified as unreleased. Syntax, endpoint behavior, and authentication details can differ between releases. Open the documentation for the version actually installed on your master and use that version’s configuration reference if it conflicts with the current page.

Prepare the network and files

  • A DNS name that resolves to the Nginx host, such as buildbot.example.com.
  • A certificate and private-key file that Nginx can read. The example below uses /etc/nginx/ssl/server.crt and /etc/nginx/ssl/server.key; use your managed paths instead.
  • A free local TCP port for Buildbot, such as 8010.
  • Firewall rules that allow public HTTPS to Nginx while keeping the Buildbot port inaccessible from external networks.
  • Administrative access to edit the Buildbot master configuration and the Nginx server configuration.

Do not copy the sample certificate paths, domain, or port without checking your own host. The values are examples, not requirements.

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Configure Buildbot to listen internally

Choose a loopback HTTP endpoint

In master.cfg, set the web server’s port to an internal listener. This example binds only to IPv4 loopback:

c['www']['port'] = 'tcp:8010:interface=127.0.0.1'

Choose a different port if 8010 is occupied, but use that same port in Nginx’s proxy_pass. Binding to 127.0.0.1 prevents direct remote access to Buildbot and leaves TLS termination to the reverse proxy. The Buildbot documentation discourages relying on Twisted SSL endpoints for this production role and recommends a reverse proxy with proper SSL hardening.

Set the public Buildbot URL

Set c['buildbotURL'] to the address users will actually open:

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c['buildbotURL'] = 'https://buildbot.example.com/'

For a path-prefixed deployment, include the prefix and its trailing slash:

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c['buildbotURL'] = 'https://example/buildbot/'

Buildbot uses this value when it generates links. If the public URL says HTTPS while the setting says HTTP, or if the setting omits /buildbot/, links, redirects, and browser requests can point to the wrong scheme or location.

Keep the URL and proxy path consistent

Decide whether Buildbot is mounted at the domain root or below a prefix before writing the Nginx locations. A root deployment normally uses https://buildbot.example.com/ and locations beginning with /. The path-based example in this guide uses /buildbot/; its proxy targets deliberately include trailing slashes so Nginx removes the external prefix before forwarding.

Terminate HTTPS in Nginx

Define the TLS virtual host

Create an Nginx server block that listens on 443 with SSL enabled, names the public host, and points to the certificate and key:

server {
    listen 443 ssl http2;
    server_name buildbot.example.com;

    ssl_certificate     /etc/nginx/ssl/server.crt;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/nginx/ssl/server.key;

    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;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Server  $host;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Host    $host;

    location /buildbot/ {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8010/;
    }

    location /buildbot/sse/ {
        proxy_buffering off;
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8010/sse/;
    }

    location /buildbot/ws {
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8010/ws;
        proxy_read_timeout 6000s;
    }
}

The certificate paths, hostname, path prefix, port, and TLS policy are deployment-specific. Follow current Nginx TLS guidance for protocol versions, ciphers, stapling, redirects, and key-file permissions rather than treating this compact example as a complete hardening policy.

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Understand the trailing slashes

With location /buildbot/ and proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8010/, Nginx forwards /buildbot/changes to Buildbot as /changes. The SSE and WebSocket locations perform the equivalent mapping explicitly. Changing one slash can change the upstream URI and produce 404 responses, so keep the pairings aligned with the public URL and Buildbot’s endpoint names.

Forward the original request context

The proxy headers in the server block tell Buildbot what the client originally requested:

Header Value in the example Purpose
Host $host Preserves the public hostname used by the browser.
X-Real-IP $remote_addr Passes the address of the immediate client to the upstream.
X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for Maintains the forwarding chain for request logging and policy.
X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme Lets Buildbot reconstruct that the public request used HTTPS.
X-Forwarded-Server $host Identifies the public proxy server name.
X-Forwarded-Host $host Preserves the host presented to the client.

These headers are particularly important when TLS ends at Nginx. Without the forwarded protocol and host, an application can generate HTTP links, redirect to an internal name, or otherwise lose the public request context even though the browser connected over HTTPS.

Why SSE and WebSockets need separate locations

Server-sent events at /sse/

Buildbot can send incremental updates through a long-lived SSE response. Nginx’s default response buffering may wait for more data instead of forwarding each event promptly. The dedicated location therefore contains:

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proxy_buffering off;

Keep the SSE path more specific than the general Buildbot location. In the path-prefixed example, /buildbot/sse/ maps to the upstream /sse/. If live pages load but events arrive in batches or only appear after a refresh, inspect this location first.

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WebSockets at /ws

WebSocket handshakes require HTTP/1.1 and an upgrade request. Nginx must pass both headers:

proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";

The example also sets proxy_read_timeout 6000s, a long idle period suitable for a connection expected to remain open. Pick a timeout that fits your deployment and any intermediary load balancers. A short timeout can disconnect an otherwise healthy live-build page; an extremely long timeout can retain idle connections longer than your capacity plan allows.

The WebSocket location is written as /buildbot/ws rather than /buildbot/ws/ to match the documented endpoint. Preserve the endpoint form used by your installed Buildbot release.

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Root deployment versus a path prefix

Choice Public URL Buildbot setting Nginx location pattern Main concern
Dedicated hostname https://buildbot.example.com/ https://buildbot.example.com/ location /, with SSE and WebSocket locations below it Use a hostname-specific server block and ensure the certificate covers that name.
Path prefix https://example/buildbot/ https://example/buildbot/ location /buildbot/, /buildbot/sse/, and /buildbot/ws Keep the prefix in buildbotURL and map it consistently with trailing-slash rules.

The path-prefix form is useful when another site already owns the hostname, but it has more URI rewriting details. If links omit the prefix or an endpoint returns 404 while the main page works, compare all three values: buildbotURL, the external location, and the URI after proxy_pass.

Apply the configuration safely

  1. Check Buildbot settings. Confirm the internal port is free, the listener is bound to the intended interface, and buildbotURL exactly matches the public HTTPS URL.
  2. Check certificate access. Verify that the Nginx worker can read the certificate and private key while the key remains protected from unrelated users.
  3. Validate Nginx syntax. Run nginx -t using the same configuration that the service loads. Correct syntax, missing files, duplicate directives, or permission errors before reloading.
  4. Reload Nginx. Use your operating system’s normal service-management command to reload rather than replacing a running process unnecessarily. A reload applies a valid configuration while existing connections can finish according to Nginx behavior.
  5. Reconfigure or restart Buildbot. Apply the edited master.cfg through the normal procedure for your Buildbot installation and confirm that its internal web listener starts on the selected port.
  6. Open the public URL. Confirm the certificate name, the Buildbot UI, a build detail page, and navigation links.
  7. Inspect live traffic. In browser developer tools, check that the SSE request remains open and receives events, and that the WebSocket request completes its upgrade rather than returning an HTTP error.

These are operational checks to perform on your installation; they are not a claim that the sample was executed on a particular server.

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Troubleshoot by symptom

The page redirects to HTTP or generates HTTP links

  • Check that c['buildbotURL'] begins with https://.
  • Confirm Nginx sends X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme and that the public request actually arrives on the SSL server block.
  • Verify that Host and X-Forwarded-Host carry the public name rather than an internal address.

The UI loads, but every path-prefixed link loses /buildbot/

  • Set buildbotURL to https://example/buildbot/, including the prefix and trailing slash.
  • Use a matching location /buildbot/ and proxy target with the intended slash behavior.
  • Check that the SSE and WebSocket locations also include the prefix; a working HTML page does not prove that those special paths are mapped correctly.

Live updates arrive only after a refresh

  • Confirm the request is reaching the dedicated SSE location, not only the general location.
  • Ensure proxy_buffering off; is present in that location.
  • Look for an intermediary proxy or load balancer that adds its own buffering or idle timeout.

The WebSocket request returns 400, 404, or 426

  • Check that the location matches /ws after any public prefix is removed.
  • Confirm proxy_http_version 1.1, Upgrade $http_upgrade, and Connection "upgrade" are all present.
  • Compare the proxy_pass URI with the endpoint form expected by your installed Buildbot release.
  • Review the read timeout if connections drop after a predictable idle interval.

Nginx returns 502 Bad Gateway

  • Confirm the Buildbot master is running and listening on the exact address and port in proxy_pass.
  • Check whether Buildbot is bound to 127.0.0.1 while Nginx is running in a separate container or network namespace; loopback is local to each namespace.
  • Read the Nginx error log for connection-refused or permission details, then correct the upstream address or service state.

Certificate or handshake errors appear before Buildbot loads

  • Verify that the certificate matches the hostname users enter and that the configured key belongs to that certificate.
  • Check file paths and permissions in the SSL server block.
  • Review current Nginx TLS guidance for supported protocols and the complete certificate chain; the compact sample intentionally does not prescribe a universal TLS policy.

Authentication, authorization, and live endpoints

Adding HTTPS does not turn on Buildbot authentication. Use the appropriate Buildbot authentication plugins and define authorization rules in www.authz for the permissions your installation requires.

Buildbot’s documentation notes an important boundary: REST authorization does not cover WebSocket or SSE reads. A user who can reach those long-lived endpoints may therefore need an additional control. For a sensitive installation, place access control at the reverse proxy as well as in Buildbot, and test UI, REST, SSE, and WebSocket access separately with accounts representing each role.

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Proxy-level restrictions must preserve the upgrade and streaming behavior. A rule that protects the endpoint but buffers SSE or rejects the WebSocket handshake can look like a Buildbot authorization failure when it is actually an Nginx policy issue.

Choosing where TLS terminates

Deployment choice TLS maintenance WebSocket/SSE handling Path-prefix behavior Authentication integration Operational complexity
Nginx reverse proxy in front of Buildbot Nginx owns certificates and current TLS policy; one edge point can serve other applications. Explicit locations support buffering control and upgrade headers. Works for a hostname or prefix when URI slashes are mapped deliberately. Can add proxy-level controls while Buildbot retains its own authentication and authorization. Requires two configurations and careful forwarded headers.
Buildbot’s built-in HTTP listener exposed directly No edge TLS termination; the listener remains an HTTP service in this design. No separate Nginx handling for streaming or upgrades. Depends on Buildbot’s own public exposure model. Still requires Buildbot authentication and authorization. Fewer moving parts, but it does not provide the reverse-proxy TLS hardening recommended for production.
Another reverse proxy implementation Certificate and TLS work move to that proxy. It must support long-lived SSE responses and WebSocket upgrades. It must implement the same prefix mapping and public URL consistency. It may provide edge access controls, subject to its own integration. Choose the proxy your team can maintain and configure for the installed Buildbot release.

The relevant decision is not simply whether a proxy can serve HTTPS. It must also preserve the original request context, pass WebSocket upgrades, avoid buffering SSE, handle any path prefix, and fit the authentication model you intend to operate.

Maintenance checklist

  • Renew the certificate before expiry and reload Nginx after replacing certificate files.
  • Keep the public hostname, buildbotURL, certificate names, and forwarded headers aligned when a domain changes.
  • Review the released Buildbot documentation whenever you upgrade, especially if the current documentation page is still marked unreleased.
  • Retest a normal page, a build detail page, SSE events, and a WebSocket connection after changing Nginx, Buildbot, a load balancer, or an access-control rule.
  • Monitor Nginx and Buildbot logs for upstream failures, handshake errors, authorization denials, and unexpectedly short-lived live connections.
  • Keep the internal Buildbot port off public firewall paths; the reverse proxy is the intended public entry point.

Final deployment rule

Use Buildbot’s web server as an internal HTTP upstream, publish one precise HTTPS URL through Nginx, forward the original host and protocol, disable buffering for /sse/, and configure HTTP/1.1 WebSocket upgrades for /ws. Most failures come from a mismatch among the public URL, path-prefix mapping, forwarded headers, or the two live-connection locations—not from the certificate alone.

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