To enable Drupal clean URLs on Nginx, route requests for nonexistent files to Drupal’s front controller with try_files $uri /index.php?$query_string;, then pass PHP requests to the correct PHP-FPM socket or upstream. Drupal clean URLs are enabled by default; Nginx must be configured to deliver them because it does not read Apache .htaccess files.
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The most common failures are an incorrect Nginx root, a missing try_files fallback, or PHP-FPM settings that point to the wrong socket or file path. The procedure below identifies the correct web root, installs a safe server block, validates it, and diagnoses 404, 403, 502, and missing-asset errors.
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A clean Drupal URL is a path such as /node/83 or /user/login. The older non-clean form adds a query parameter, for example /?q=node/83. Drupal documentation states that clean URLs are enabled by default and cannot be disabled.
That default does not remove the web server’s responsibility. A request for /user/login normally does not correspond to a physical file named user/login. Nginx must therefore try the requested path, detect that no file exists, and forward the request to Drupal’s index.php. Drupal then interprets the path and generates the response.
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Apache can express this behavior in .htaccess; Nginx does not use .htaccess. Its server block must contain the equivalent routing rule. Drupal supports Nginx 1.1 or later on UNIX/Linux, macOS, and Windows, although the PHP-FPM process and service names differ by operating system.
Prerequisites and checks before editing Nginx
- Administrative access to the Nginx configuration and the ability to reload the service.
- A working Drupal installation with a known front controller file named
index.php. - PHP-FPM installed and running, unless PHP is supplied through another FastCGI service.
- The PHP-FPM Unix socket path or TCP address used by this host.
- Read access for the Nginx worker to Drupal’s code and write access for PHP-FPM to Drupal’s public-files directory where uploads and generated assets are stored.
- The correct domain name and, if applicable, the URL prefix under which Drupal is published.
Do not start by copying a block from an unrelated server. Drupal’s project layout, PHP version, distribution packaging, and proxy arrangement determine several paths. First identify the file that should receive front-controller requests, then build the configuration around that file.
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The Nginx root must be the directory that contains the index.php used by the public site. In a Composer-based project this is commonly a web directory, such as /var/www/drupal/web, rather than the repository’s top-level directory. A non-Composer installation may place index.php directly in the project directory.
- Locate the Drupal installation on disk.
- Find the public
index.phpthat belongs to the site, not a test fixture or a file in a vendor directory. - Record its containing directory as the Nginx
root. - Confirm that the directory also contains Drupal’s public subdirectories, including the directory used for uploaded and generated files.
If the root points one level too high, Nginx may serve a directory listing, return 404 responses, or expose files that were never intended to be public. If it points too low, static files and the front controller cannot be found.
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Use this Nginx configuration pattern
The following server block provides the essential routing and PHP handling. Replace the domain, document root, and PHP-FPM socket with values from your server.
server {
server_name example.com;
root /var/www/drupal/web;
index index.php;
location / {
try_files $uri /index.php?$query_string;
}
location ~ .php$ {
include fastcgi_params;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php-fpm.sock;
}
}The location / rule first serves an existing file. If the requested path is not a file, try_files internally redirects it to /index.php and appends the original query string. Preserving $query_string matters for links and forms that include parameters.
The PHP location sends requests ending in .php to PHP-FPM. SCRIPT_FILENAME must resolve to the actual file under the configured root. The sample uses $document_root$fastcgi_script_name; if your deployment uses symlinks or a packaged include, verify that the resulting path still points to the real Drupal file.
Some Linux distributions provide a FastCGI include file containing equivalent parameters. You may use it when it supplies the required script filename and request parameters, but do not assume that an include from another distribution has the same socket path or security defaults.
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Install the rule step by step
- Identify the active server block. Make sure the domain resolves to the Nginx instance you are editing and that no earlier or more specific server block is handling the request.
- Set the web root. Point
rootto the directory containing Drupal’s publicindex.php. Setindex index.php;so requests for the site root can resolve to the front controller. - Add the front-controller fallback. Inside
location /, addtry_files $uri /index.php?$query_string;. Do not replace it with a fallback that drops the query string. - Configure PHP-FPM. Add a PHP location, set
fastcgi_passto the actual Unix socket or TCP upstream, and setSCRIPT_FILENAMEto the resolved Drupal path. - Check permissions. The Nginx worker must be able to traverse and read the code directories. PHP-FPM must be able to write Drupal’s public-files directory when the site needs uploads, image styles, aggregated assets, or other generated files. Grant only the required permissions; a world-writable tree is not an appropriate fix.
- Validate syntax. Run
nginx -t. Fix every reported error before reloading the service. - Reload Nginx. On systems managed by systemd, use the service manager’s reload operation, for example
sudo systemctl reload nginx. Use the equivalent command for another service manager. - Test a known route. Request
/user/loginor another route that is known to exist, without adding?q=. Then test the home page, a node page, an image, a CSS file, and a JavaScript file.
How a successful request flows
- The browser requests a path such as
/user/login. - Nginx checks whether that path maps to an existing file beneath
root. - Because the route is normally not a file,
try_filesinternally redirects it to/index.phpwhile retaining the query string. - The PHP location passes
index.phpto PHP-FPM. - Drupal bootstraps, resolves the route, checks access, and returns the page.
Static files take a different path: if a CSS file, JavaScript file, image, or favicon exists under the root, Nginx serves it directly and does not invoke Drupal. This distinction explains why a working page can still have broken styling: the front-controller rule may be correct while the files directory, permissions, URL prefix, or static-file handling is wrong.
Choose paths for the deployment layout
| Deployment choice | What changes | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Domain root | The site is served as https://example.com/; the fallback is /index.php?$query_string. |
The configured root contains the public index.php and the domain’s active server block is selected. |
| Subdirectory | The public site is under a prefix such as /drupal/; root, location matching, front-controller fallback, and Drupal’s path-prefix settings must agree. |
Test links, forms, CSS, JavaScript, image styles, and redirects with the prefix included. A root-level fallback copied unchanged can send requests to the wrong front controller. |
| Unix-socket PHP-FPM | fastcgi_pass uses a path beginning with unix:. |
The socket exists, PHP-FPM is running, and the Nginx worker can access the socket. |
| TCP PHP-FPM upstream | fastcgi_pass uses an address such as a local port or an upstream group. |
The address and port are reachable from Nginx and the upstream accepts the PHP version used by Drupal. |
| Single site | One server block and one Drupal root handle the host. | No default server block or duplicate hostname captures requests first. |
| Multisite | Each hostname or site mapping may use a distinct root, settings file, files directory, or server block. | Verify that the host reaches the intended root and that a shared fallback does not expose another site’s files. |
| Direct Nginx termination | Nginx receives the client request and serves HTTPS or HTTP directly. | Host and scheme are correct at Nginx and Drupal sees the expected request. |
| Reverse proxy or load balancer | Another component may terminate TLS and forward the request to Nginx. | Forwarded-host and forwarded-proto handling is configured in both Nginx and Drupal so redirects use the public host and scheme. |
PHP-FPM details that affect clean URLs
A rewrite problem and a PHP execution problem often look identical in a browser. A missing PHP location can make /user/login fail after the fallback, even though try_files is correct. Conversely, an incorrect socket can produce a 502 after Nginx has successfully routed the request.
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Unix sockets
Distribution packages commonly place the socket under a versioned directory, while custom PHP-FPM installations may use a different path. Inspect the PHP-FPM pool configuration or service status rather than guessing. The socket’s ownership and mode must permit the Nginx worker to connect.
TCP upstreams
When PHP-FPM listens on TCP, use the configured address and port. A container, virtual machine, or separate host may require a network name rather than 127.0.0.1. Confirm firewall rules and reachability from the Nginx host.
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Script filename resolution
For a request to /index.php, $document_root$fastcgi_script_name should resolve to the same index.php found during the web-root check. If it resolves outside the Drupal directory, PHP may return 404, expose source handling errors, or execute the wrong file. Review the effective Nginx configuration when multiple roots, aliases, or symlinks are involved.
Fix missing CSS, JavaScript, images, and image styles
After the page itself loads, open the browser’s network panel and identify the exact failed asset URL. Then check the same URL in Nginx’s access log. A 404 usually means the URL maps to a missing file, the root is wrong, or Drupal’s public-files path is not where Nginx expects. A 403 points more often to filesystem permissions or an access rule.
- Confirm that the public-files directory exists beneath the configured root or is deliberately mapped to its actual location.
- Ensure the Nginx worker can read directories and files along the complete path.
- Ensure PHP-FPM can write where Drupal generates uploads, image styles, or aggregated CSS and JavaScript.
- Check that a custom static-file location is not intercepting requests that should reach Drupal for generated assets.
- Look for an incorrect subdirectory prefix in Drupal’s generated URLs.
- Clear Drupal’s caches only after filesystem paths and permissions are correct; cache clearing cannot repair an Nginx root that points to the wrong directory.
Do not solve asset failures by routing every request to PHP. Existing static files should normally be served by Nginx, and broad PHP routing increases work and can obscure the real path error.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Protect Drupal files while enabling routing
The front controller should handle public routes, not make private data or deployment files publicly readable. Keep Drupal’s private files and sensitive directories protected according to the current Drupal security guidance for the installed version. Review any location blocks that deny access to configuration, vendor, backup, or repository files, and test those protections after every configuration change.
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Place access restrictions carefully. An overly broad deny rule can block legitimate CSS, JavaScript, or image-style files; an overly narrow rule can expose files that should never be downloaded. Keep code ownership and permissions separate from the public-files write requirement, and avoid granting write access to the entire Drupal tree.
Troubleshooting by symptom
| Symptom | Checks and corrective action |
|---|---|
/user/login returns 404, but /index.php works |
Inspect the active server block and confirm that location / contains try_files $uri /index.php?$query_string;. Verify that root is the directory containing the intended index.php. |
| Every route fails except the home page | The front-controller fallback is missing, placed in a different server block, or overridden by a more specific location. Run nginx -T when available to inspect the complete active configuration. |
| CSS, JavaScript, or image styles return 404 | Check the public-files path, URL prefix, root, and permissions. Make sure a static-file or alias location is not pointing at a different directory. |
| PHP source downloads or PHP requests return 404 | Check that the PHP location exists, is ordered and matched as intended, uses the correct fastcgi_pass, and sets SCRIPT_FILENAME to the real file. |
| 502 Bad Gateway | Check PHP-FPM service status, the socket or TCP address, socket permissions, and Nginx’s error log. A 502 is generally an upstream connectivity or process failure, not a Drupal route definition. |
| 403 Forbidden | Inspect filesystem traversal and read permissions, Nginx deny rules, and SELinux or other mandatory-access-control logs where applicable. Do not immediately make the whole tree writable. |
| Routes work at the domain root but fail in a subdirectory | Adapt the location match, root, front-controller fallback, and Drupal path-prefix configuration to the installation’s actual URL base. Test absolute and relative asset URLs as well as redirects. |
| Login redirects to the wrong host or scheme behind a proxy | Review Drupal reverse-proxy and forwarded-header settings together with the proxy and Nginx configuration. Routing alone does not determine the public HTTPS scheme when another service terminates TLS. |
Use logs to separate Nginx, PHP, and Drupal failures
Check the Nginx access log for the requested path and status code, then check the Nginx error log for filesystem, permission, and upstream messages. PHP-FPM’s log identifies pool failures, script-not-found errors, and worker exhaustion. Drupal’s own logs can explain route access denial or application exceptions after Nginx and PHP have successfully delivered the request.
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Reverse-proxy and forwarded-header considerations
When a load balancer or TLS proxy sits in front of Nginx, the internal request may arrive over HTTP even though the visitor used HTTPS. Drupal needs trusted reverse-proxy and forwarded-header settings so it can construct secure redirects and absolute URLs correctly. Configure trust narrowly for the known proxy addresses; accepting arbitrary forwarded headers allows clients to influence host and scheme values.
Test login, password-reset, canonical redirects, and generated asset URLs through the public hostname, not only by connecting directly to the Nginx server. A configuration that works on the internal address can still loop or redirect to the wrong scheme at the edge.
Operational checklist after enabling clean URLs
nginx -tsucceeds before each reload.- The active root contains the intended Drupal
index.php. try_files $uri /index.php?$query_string;is present in the server block handling the site.- The PHP-FPM socket or upstream is reachable and matches the configured PHP service.
SCRIPT_FILENAMEresolves to the real Drupal file.- The Nginx worker can read code and static assets.
- PHP-FPM can write the required public-files locations.
- Home page, login, a content route, CSS, JavaScript, an uploaded image, and an image style have been tested.
- Logs have been checked for 404, 403, 502, and permission errors.
- Private files and sensitive directories remain inaccessible from the web.
- Proxy deployments have been tested through the public scheme and hostname.
When managed Drupal hosting is the better option
Self-managed Nginx is appropriate when you control the server, can maintain PHP-FPM and operating-system security, and need direct control over deployment layout. If you do not have root access or cannot inspect Nginx and PHP-FPM logs, a managed Drupal host may be more practical. In that arrangement, ask support to confirm the public document root, front-controller fallback, PHP-FPM handling, writable files directory, and reverse-proxy settings rather than simply asking them to “turn on clean URLs.”
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