Fix the split between static and dynamic traffic. Django must collect CSS, JavaScript, images, and admin assets into STATIC_ROOT; Nginx must serve that directory directly; and Gunicorn should receive application requests that are not static files. When a file works with Django’s runserver but fails behind Gunicorn, the usual cause is an incomplete collectstatic run, a mismatched URL-to-filesystem mapping, or permissions that prevent the Nginx worker from traversing or reading the collected tree.
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Use the workflow below: confirm the URL in the rendered page, verify the file in STATIC_ROOT, make the Nginx mapping match your choice of root or alias, test the active configuration, and request one asset directly. A direct 200 response proves delivery; a 404 narrows the problem to collection or path mapping; and a 403 points to filesystem access.
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Django’s development server finds static assets through its development static-files handling. That convenience is not the production architecture. In production, the application process and the web server have different jobs:
- Django: discovers files supplied by enabled static-file finders and collects them into one deployment directory.
- Nginx: maps requests beginning with the static URL prefix to files on disk and returns them without invoking Python.
- Gunicorn: handles dynamic requests that do not resolve to a static file.
Sending every /static/ request to Gunicorn can produce application-level 404 responses and does unnecessary work. A gateway configuration should test the static path first and use the application as the fallback only for requests that are not static assets.
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Why runserver can work while Gunicorn fails
runserver can locate files in app-level static directories and directories listed in STATICFILES_DIRS. Gunicorn does not automatically make those source directories available to a browser, and it is not a static-file server. Unless collection and Nginx mapping are configured, the production request has no direct path to the CSS or JavaScript file.
The same separation is shown in the Gunicorn deployment documentation: check for a static file first, then proxy to the application when no file is found. NGINX’s Serve Static Content documentation describes root as the directory used to search for a file, while Django’s staticfiles documentation defines collectstatic as the command that gathers files into STATIC_ROOT. Those three responsibilities should remain visible in your configuration.
Configure Django’s collection directory
Use settings equivalent to the following (adjust the base path to your project):
STATIC_URL = "/static/"
STATIC_ROOT = BASE_DIR / "staticfiles"
# Optional source directory:
STATICFILES_DIRS = [BASE_DIR / "static"]STATIC_URL is the URL prefix generated in HTML. STATIC_ROOT is the directory that will contain the collected deployment files. STATICFILES_DIRS is optional; it adds project-level source directories in addition to each installed app’s static directory.
Keep the collection directory separate from the source directories when possible. Source folders are where developers place assets; STATIC_ROOT is the assembled tree that Nginx publishes. Pointing Nginx at the wrong one can make an asset appear to work on one machine while it is absent from the deployed host.
Run collection before testing Nginx
python manage.py collectstatic --noinputThe command gathers files from the enabled finders into STATIC_ROOT. It searches directories listed in STATICFILES_DIRS and the static directory of every installed app. Nginx cannot serve a file that was never collected, so inspect the output directory before changing the web-server configuration.
Run the command in the environment and project configuration used for deployment. After it finishes, compare a known browser URL with the corresponding relative filename in the collection directory. For example, /static/admin/css/base.css should map to an admin/css/base.css path below STATIC_ROOT.
Find the source selected for a filename
If a stylesheet or script is missing, confirm that Django can discover it:
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python manage.py findstatic css/site.css --verbosity 2The verbose result shows which finder supplied the file. This is especially important when two locations contain the same relative name: Django selects one according to finder order, and the selected file is the one that collection copies. A successful result proves discovery, but you still need to check that the collected copy exists at the path Nginx serves.
Remove stale collected files when necessary
When an application or asset has been removed, old files can remain in the collection directory. Use:
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python manage.py collectstatic --clear --noinputThen collect again and verify that the expected filenames are present. Use --clear deliberately, because it removes existing files in STATIC_ROOT before repopulating it. This is useful when an old filename is still being returned or when a removed application left behind files that make a path check misleading.
Map /static/ to the collected directory in Nginx
The critical detail is how Nginx converts a request URI into a filesystem path. The two directives do not behave the same way:
| Directive | How the path is formed | Example for a /static/ request |
|---|---|---|
root |
Nginx appends the complete request URI to the configured directory. | With root /srv/myapp;, /static/css/site.css resolves to /srv/myapp/static/css/site.css. |
alias |
Nginx replaces the matching location prefix with the alias target. | With alias /srv/myapp/staticfiles/;, /static/css/site.css resolves to /srv/myapp/staticfiles/css/site.css. |
Before editing a directive, write down one complete request and its expected absolute path. This simple substitution catches most errors: an extra static directory, a missing staticfiles directory, or a prefix that differs by one character.
Use alias when STATIC_ROOT is the target directory
If collection writes directly to /srv/myapp/staticfiles/, map that directory with a matching trailing slash:
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server {
server_name example.com;
location /static/ {
alias /srv/myapp/staticfiles/;
access_log off;
expires 7d;
}
location / {
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_pass http://unix:/run/gunicorn.sock;
}
}The slash at the end of both location /static/ and alias /srv/myapp/staticfiles/ keeps the prefix replacement unambiguous. A request for /static/admin/css/base.css therefore looks for /srv/myapp/staticfiles/admin/css/base.css. If the alias points one level too high or too low, Nginx will return 404 even when the file exists elsewhere on the server.
Use root when the parent directory is the web root
If your files are arranged as /srv/myapp/static/... and you want Nginx to append the URI, use a parent directory:
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location /static/ {
root /srv/myapp;
}Do not point this root at /srv/myapp/staticfiles unless that directory itself contains another static subdirectory. With root, Nginx appends the whole URI; with alias, it replaces the location prefix.
Return a clean 404 for an absent asset
You can make the static location verify that the mapped file exists:
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location /static/ {
alias /srv/myapp/staticfiles/;
try_files $uri =404;
}This keeps missing assets as web-server 404 responses instead of forwarding them to the application. Do not add an unrelated proxy_pass to the same static location unless you have intentionally designed that fallback; forwarding a path error to Gunicorn can hide the real mapping problem.
Fix a 404 Not Found response
A 404 means the requested URL did not resolve to a file in the location Nginx is serving, or the request reached the application instead. Work through these checks in order.
- Copy the exact URL from the page. In the browser’s developer tools, open the document that contains the missing asset and copy the request URL, such as
/static/css/site.css. Do not infer the path from a local filename. - Check the collected tree. If
STATIC_ROOTis/srv/myapp/staticfiles, verify that/srv/myapp/staticfiles/css/site.cssexists. If it does not, runcollectstaticand inspect the finder result. - Confirm discovery with Django. Run
python manage.py findstatic css/site.css --verbosity 2. A missing finder result means the source directory, installed app, or relative filename is wrong; Nginx changes cannot fix that. - Compare URL prefixes. The value of
STATIC_URLmust match the Nginx location prefix. ForSTATIC_URL = "/static/", uselocation /static/. A different prefix sends the browser outside the intended block. - Resolve the mapping manually. With
alias, replace/static/with the alias directory. Withroot, append the complete URI to the root directory. Check the resulting path character by character. - Look for syntax and location mistakes. A missing trailing slash, a typo in the directory, or another location block that is selected first can send the request somewhere else.
Check for location shadowing
Nginx chooses a location according to its matching rules. A broad or more specific block can prevent the intended static block from handling the request. Keep the static location clearly defined and verify the active configuration with nginx -t before reloading. If a static URL appears in the Gunicorn access log, the request likely did not match the intended static location.
Fix a 403 Forbidden or “permission denied” response
A 403 usually means the path exists but the Nginx worker cannot traverse a directory or read the file. Inspect the configured Nginx error log, commonly /var/log/nginx/error.log, while making one request. The message identifies the exact path and the worker identity that was denied.
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- Execute permission on every parent directory in the path, so it can traverse from the filesystem root to the asset directory.
- Read permission on each requested file.
- Directory permissions that allow traversal without making the entire project writable.
Grant only the access required for the collected static tree. Making the whole application directory world-writable is an unsafe workaround and does not address an incorrect path. Check the error-log path while reproducing the request so you fix the identity and directory named by Nginx rather than guessing.
When HTML loads but CSS or JavaScript does not
If the document itself returns 200 but the page is unstyled or interactive features fail, inspect the individual asset requests in browser developer tools. Record the URL and status code for each failed request. Images and Django admin files follow exactly the same collection and mapping rules as CSS and JavaScript.
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Wrong URL or host
A wrong STATIC_URL, a host mismatch, or a URL that uses HTTP on an HTTPS page can prevent the browser from reaching the intended location. Compare the generated URL with the Nginx server_name and static location. Correct the setting or template output, then regenerate or redeploy the page.
Stale HTML or cached assets
The browser may still be using HTML that references an old path. Request the current document again and inspect its source for the exact asset URL. The example configuration sets expires 7d, so a previously cached asset can remain visible after deployment; verify the response and filename served by Nginx rather than relying on a previously loaded page.
Hashed filenames and storage backends
Storage backends that generate hashed filenames require the names in the HTML to match the names physically present in STATIC_ROOT. If the page requests a hashed name that is absent, rerun collection using the production settings and verify the generated filename in the collected directory. Do not substitute an un-hashed filename unless your configured storage backend generates one.
Make sure Nginx is using the configuration you edited
Validate and reload the active Nginx instance:
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
nginx -V 2>&1 | tr ' ' 'n' | grep -- --conf-pathnginx -t catches syntax errors before a reload. The nginx -V command exposes the compiled configuration path; use it to detect edits made to a file that the running binary does not read. A successful syntax test without a reload leaves the old worker configuration in place, so perform both steps.
Request one known asset directly
curl -I https://example.com/static/admin/css/base.css
curl -sS https://example.com/static/admin/css/base.css -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}n'Run these requests after collection and reload. A 200 confirms that Nginx delivered the file. A 404 points back to collection or URL-to-path mapping. A 403 points to filesystem traversal or read permissions.
Watch logs during the request
Tail the Nginx access and error logs while issuing the curl request. The access log confirms which URL arrived and its status; the error log supplies the filesystem path and permission error when traversal or reading fails. This avoids guessing which server block handled the request and reveals whether the request reached Gunicorn unexpectedly.
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A minimal gateway has one explicit static location and a separate catch-all application location. The static block returns files locally; the catch-all block forwards dynamic requests to the Gunicorn Unix socket and preserves the original host, client address, forwarding chain, and protocol through the proxy headers.
That separation also makes failures easier to classify. If a static URL appears in the Gunicorn access log, the Nginx location did not match as intended. If a dynamic URL returns a static-file error, the locations or fallback rules are overlapping. Do not make Gunicorn responsible for both roles unless you have deliberately replaced the direct Nginx file-serving design with another static service.
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Compare deployment choices before changing configuration
| Decision axis | Choice 1 | Choice 2 | What to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| URL-to-filesystem mapping | root appends the URI |
alias replaces the location prefix |
Resolve one complete example path by hand. |
| Asset location | One collected STATIC_ROOT |
An external CDN or object store | Ensure generated URLs point to the system that actually contains the files. |
| Serving process | Nginx serves files locally | Another static service serves files | Do not send local static URLs to Gunicorn accidentally. |
| Access control | Nginx worker can traverse and read | Permissions deny traversal or reading | Use the error log to identify the denied path and identity. |
| Filename behavior | Stable filenames | Hashed filenames from the storage backend | Requested names must be present in the deployed collection directory. |
A repeatable deployment checklist
- Django settings:
STATIC_URLmatches the URL prefix used by templates, andSTATIC_ROOTis a dedicated collection directory. - Source discovery: project directories are listed in
STATICFILES_DIRSwhen needed, and app-levelstaticdirectories belong to installed apps. - Collection:
python manage.py collectstatic --noinputcompletes with the production settings. - Filename check:
findstaticidentifies the expected source, including the selected file when names collide. - Nginx mapping: choose
rootoraliasintentionally, keep matching trailing slashes for the alias example, and resolve one URL to one absolute path. - Location separation: the static block serves files and the general block proxies dynamic requests to Gunicorn.
- Permissions: the Nginx worker can execute through every parent directory and read the collected files.
- Configuration activation:
sudo nginx -tpasses, the service is reloaded, andnginx -Vconfirms the file you edited is the active configuration path. - External verification: a direct curl request returns the expected status while access and error logs are monitored.
What each status code tells you
- 200: the URL matched the intended static location, the path resolved, and Nginx could read the file.
- 404: the file was not collected, the URL prefix does not match the location, the root or alias resolves elsewhere, or another location handled the request.
- 403: the mapped path exists but the Nginx worker cannot traverse or read it.
- HTML 200 with failed assets: inspect each browser request for an old URL, mixed protocol, wrong host, or a hashed filename that is not in the collected tree.
Once collection, mapping, permissions, and the active configuration all agree, Gunicorn can remain focused on dynamic application work while Nginx serves the static files directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do static files work with runserver but not Gunicorn?
runserver searches app-level static directories and STATICFILES_DIRS for development. Gunicorn is an application server, not a static-file server. Run collectstatic, point Nginx at STATIC_ROOT, and proxy only dynamic requests to Gunicorn.
Should I use Nginx root or alias?
Use alias when the target is the collected directory itself, such as /srv/myapp/staticfiles/. Use root when the configured directory is the parent and Nginx should append the complete URI. Resolve one sample URL to an absolute path before choosing.
Why does Nginx return 404 even though the file exists?
The file may exist in a source directory but not in STATIC_ROOT, or the root/alias mapping may resolve to a different path. Check findstatic, inspect the collected copy, compare STATIC_URL with the location prefix, and check for a shadowing location.
What causes a 403 for /static/?
The Nginx worker usually lacks execute permission on a parent directory or read permission on the file. Check the Nginx error log for the exact path and worker identity, then grant only the traversal and read access required for the collected tree.
Why are Django admin CSS and JavaScript files missing?
Admin assets are collected from the installed Django app like other static files. Confirm that the admin file exists below STATIC_ROOT, that its URL begins with the configured static prefix, and that Nginx maps that prefix to the collection directory.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchHow can I tell whether Nginx or Gunicorn handled an asset request?
Watch the Nginx access log and Gunicorn logs while requesting a known file with curl. A correctly matched static location returns the file from Nginx; seeing the static URL in Gunicorn indicates that the location or fallback mapping did not match.
What should I do after editing the Nginx file?
Run sudo nginx -t, reload the service, and use nginx -V 2>&1 | tr ' ' 'n' | grep -- --conf-path to confirm the compiled configuration path. Then request a known asset directly and inspect the logs.
Do I need to clear static files on every deployment?
No. Use normal collectstatic --noinput for routine collection. Use collectstatic --clear --noinput when removed applications or renamed assets leave stale files that could confuse testing.
The Bottom Line
Static-file failures are usually a disagreement between four things: the URL generated by Django, the files collected into STATIC_ROOT, the path Nginx computes with root or alias, and the permissions of the Nginx worker. Verify those in that order, reload the active configuration, and test one real asset with curl. Keep /static/ out of Gunicorn’s dynamic fallback, and a 200, 404, or 403 response will tell you which layer still needs correction.
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