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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesPointing a domain at a VPS requires two separate configurations: DNS must send the hostname to the VPS address, and the web server must map that hostname to the directory containing your site. An A record (and, when applicable, an AAAA record) handles the first job. NGINX’s server_name and root, or Apache’s ServerName and DocumentRoot, handle the second.
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The reliable order is: identify the VPS addresses, create DNS records, create a site definition, place the files in the selected web root, validate and reload the server, then configure HTTPS. If you see the NGINX welcome page, the domain is usually reaching the VPS but the intended virtual host is not being selected.
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A browser sends a request containing a hostname such as example.com. DNS translates that hostname into an IP address. The web server on that address then examines the hostname and chooses a site configuration. Finally, that configuration maps the request to files on disk or forwards it to an application.
- DNS A record: maps a hostname to an IPv4 address.
- DNS AAAA record: maps a hostname to an IPv6 address.
- NGINX
server_nameor ApacheServerName: identifies which site definition should answer. - NGINX
rootor ApacheDocumentRoot: identifies the filesystem directory from which static files are served.
Creating a virtual host does not create DNS records. Conversely, adding an A record does not choose a directory on the VPS. Both layers must be correct before the domain can display your site.
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Prepare the VPS and choose the names you will serve
Collect the public addresses
In your VPS control panel or operating-system network configuration, record the public IPv4 address. If IPv6 is configured and reachable, record the public IPv6 address as well. Do not publish a private address such as an RFC1918 address; it is not reachable from the public internet.
Decide whether you will serve the apex name, the www hostname, or both. A common choice is to support both example.com and www.example.com, then redirect one to the other. Use exactly the names you intend to place in the web-server configuration and certificate request.
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Choose a directory that will be the web root. For example, this guide uses /var/www/example.com/public. Create it before enabling the site and place a simple index file there so you can distinguish your configuration from a default page.
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com/public
printf '%sn' '<h1>example.com is working</h1>' | sudo tee /var/www/example.com/public/index.htmlThe path is an example, not a requirement. What matters is that the path in the server configuration exactly matches the directory containing the index file and assets.
Create the DNS records
A record for the apex domain
At the DNS provider that is authoritative for your domain, create an A record for the apex name (often shown as @) and set its value to the VPS public IPv4 address. Leave the record name in the provider’s required format; some interfaces use @, while others display the full domain.
AAAA record when IPv6 is configured
If the VPS has a working public IPv6 address and the web server listens on IPv6, create an AAAA record for the same apex name. An AAAA record sends IPv6-capable visitors to IPv6. Do not add an AAAA record for an address that is not routed to the VPS or is blocked by the firewall; those visitors can fail even when IPv4 works.
Record for www
If www.example.com should work independently, add a DNS record for www that points to the VPS according to your provider’s record options. The hostname must also appear in the NGINX server_name directive or Apache ServerAlias; DNS alone does not make the web server recognize it.
After saving the records, query the public DNS view:
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dig +short example.com
dig +short www.example.com
dig +short AAAA example.comThe first query should return the VPS IPv4 address. Check the AAAA result separately when IPv6 is enabled. If a query returns an old address, an unexpected address, or no result, fix DNS before changing web-server files. A browser cannot reach the intended virtual host until the hostname resolves correctly.
Configure the web root with NGINX
Write a server block
NGINX selects a site using a server block and its server_name. The root directive specifies the filesystem path in which NGINX searches for static files. A minimal HTTP configuration for a static site is:
server {
listen 80;
listen [::]:80;
server_name example.com www.example.com;
root /var/www/example.com/public;
index index.html;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
}
}Save the block in the location used by your distribution. Debian- and Ubuntu-style installations commonly use a file such as /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com and a symlink in /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/:
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/example.comIf your distribution uses a single configuration directory rather than the sites-available layout, include the file from the distribution’s main NGINX configuration instead. Do not create two enabled definitions with conflicting names and listeners.
Remove the default site when it catches requests
Many packages enable a default server. If it remains the first matching configuration, an unmatched hostname can display the NGINX welcome page. Disable the default site using your distribution’s normal method, or make sure your intended server block is the one selected for the requested hostname. Removing a file is not enough if an enabled symlink still points to it.
Test before reloading
Always test syntax and included files before applying a change:
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sudo systemctl reload nginxA reload applies the new configuration without unnecessarily stopping existing connections. If the test fails, read the reported filename and line number, correct the problem, and run nginx -t again.
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Applications and reverse proxies
The example serves files directly. An application that listens on a local port needs a proxying location instead of, or in addition to, a static-file rule. Keep the domain selection in server_name and ensure the application’s own listening address is reachable from NGINX. The web root still matters for static assets and for ACME webroot validation if you use that method.
Configure the web root with Apache
Create a virtual host
Apache uses a <VirtualHost> definition. ServerName identifies the primary hostname, ServerAlias adds additional names, and DocumentRoot identifies the directory Apache serves:
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<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/example.com/public
<Directory /var/www/example.com/public>
Require all granted
AllowOverride All
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com-error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>AllowOverride All is only needed when the application relies on .htaccess; use the narrower setting your application requires. The critical mapping is the exact match between DocumentRoot and the directory containing your index file.
Enable and validate the site
On Debian- and Ubuntu-style Apache installations, enable the virtual host with the distribution helper, then disable the default site if it is answering first:
sudo a2ensite example.com.conf
sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf
sudo apachectl configtest
sudo systemctl reload apache2Other distributions may use a different enablement layout. Use the equivalent mechanism for that package rather than copying Debian-specific paths. The essential sequence remains the same: enable one definition, run the configuration test, then reload only after validation succeeds.
Make sure the web server can read the web root
A correct hostname and root path still produce errors if the web-server process cannot traverse the parent directories or read the files. Check ownership and permissions using the account model supplied by your distribution. The directory needs execute permission for traversal, and files need read permission for the web-server process.
sudo find /var/www/example.com -maxdepth 2 -type d -ls
sudo find /var/www/example.com -maxdepth 2 -type f -lsAvoid making the entire site world-writable as a quick fix. Broad write permissions can let a compromised process alter pages or configuration. Grant the web server only the access it needs, and keep deployment credentials separate from the account that serves files.
Verify the request path before enabling HTTPS
Test DNS and HTTP independently
Use DNS tools to verify the address, then make an HTTP request with the intended hostname:
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dig +short example.com
curl -I http://example.com
curl -I http://www.example.comThe response should come from the intended site. A successful response from the wrong page indicates virtual-host selection, not necessarily a DNS problem. If the request times out, check the VPS firewall and upstream network rules. Port 80 must be reachable for normal initial HTTP testing and for ACME HTTP validation.
Check the selected host in the configuration
- Confirm the requested hostname appears exactly in NGINX
server_name, or in ApacheServerName/ServerAlias. - Check spelling, punctuation, and whether you accidentally configured only the apex name while testing
www. - Ensure the default site is not catching an unmatched request.
- Confirm the configured root contains the expected index file.
Add HTTPS after HTTP and DNS work
Use Certbot’s NGINX or Apache integration after the domain resolves to the VPS and HTTP serves the intended site. The integration can configure the certificate and HTTPS listener for the selected hostnames. Request certificates only for names that resolve to this server and that you intend to serve.
Certbot also supports a webroot method. The webroot path is the top-level directory containing files served by the web server. During validation, the certificate authority requests a challenge file over HTTP at the domain. For the example path, a webroot invocation is:
sudo certbot certonly --webroot
-w /var/www/example.com/public
-d example.com -d www.example.comThe command is illustrative; use the Certbot package and options appropriate to your operating system. Webroot validation fails when DNS points elsewhere, port 80 is blocked, the challenge directory is not served from the specified root, or a rewrite rule prevents the challenge file from being fetched.
Configure the HTTPS listener and protect the key
HTTPS requires a listener on port 443 plus paths to the certificate and private key. NGINX’s HTTPS configuration uses an SSL listener and certificate directives; Apache uses the corresponding SSL virtual-host settings. Keep the private key readable only by the accounts that must use it. Do not place it in the public web root or commit it to a source repository.
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After enabling HTTPS, test both names you support:
curl -I https://example.com
curl -I https://www.example.comConfirm that HTTP-to-HTTPS behavior matches your chosen canonical hostname. If you redirect www to the apex, or the reverse, configure that redirect deliberately rather than relying on whichever virtual host happens to answer first.
Renewal and ongoing maintenance
Certificate issuance is not the end of the configuration. Certbot installations normally use the operating system’s scheduled renewal mechanism. Verify that the scheduled job exists and perform a renewal test using the method documented for your installation. A renewal test should not be treated as successful until the renewed certificate is loaded by the web server.
Whenever you change DNS, hostnames, roots, or listeners:
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- Query A and, when applicable, AAAA records with
dig. - Confirm the hostname list in the active server definition.
- Confirm the index and asset files in the configured root.
- Run
nginx -tor the Apache configuration test. - Reload the server only after the test passes.
- Check HTTP and HTTPS responses for both the apex and
wwwnames.
NGINX or Apache: which configuration model fits?
| Question | NGINX | Apache |
|---|---|---|
| Site definition | server block |
<VirtualHost> |
| Hostname directive | server_name |
ServerName and, when needed, ServerAlias |
| Filesystem web root | root |
DocumentRoot |
| Request handling | location blocks can serve files or proxy requests |
Virtual hosts can serve files or use modules such as mod_proxy |
| Operational choice | Use when it is already supported by the application stack and distribution tooling | Use when it is already supported by the application stack and distribution tooling |
The DNS procedure is the same for both servers. Choose the server that matches the software stack, deployment documentation, and maintenance tools you already use; switching servers does not remove the need for correct DNS, hostname matching, a readable root, and configuration validation.
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Troubleshoot the most common failures
The domain shows the NGINX default page
This usually means the request reached NGINX but matched the default server. Verify that the hostname is spelled exactly in server_name, that the intended file is enabled, and that the default site is disabled or no longer catches the request. Run nginx -t, reload, and test with curl -I using the real hostname.
The domain does not resolve
Run dig +short example.com and compare the result with the VPS IPv4 address. Check the AAAA record separately if IPv6 is enabled. A missing or incorrect record must be corrected at the authoritative DNS provider; changing the web-root path cannot fix DNS.
IPv4 works but some visitors fail
An incorrect AAAA record can send IPv6-capable clients to the wrong machine. Remove or correct the AAAA record, or complete IPv6 routing, firewall, and web-server listening configuration before publishing it.
The server returns 403 Forbidden
Check that the web-server process can traverse every parent directory and read the index file. Review the server error log for the active virtual host. Directory access rules in Apache and restrictive filesystem permissions are common causes.
The server returns 404 Not Found
Confirm that the URL maps to a file below the configured root and that the expected index file exists. In NGINX, inspect the try_files rule; in Apache, check rewrite rules and the requested path.
Certbot cannot complete HTTP validation
First confirm that DNS resolves to this VPS and that port 80 is reachable. Then create a harmless test file in the web root and request it over HTTP. If the test file is not reachable at the domain, the ACME challenge file will not be reachable either. Check for a default site, a redirect that interferes with the challenge, an incorrect webroot path, or a firewall rule blocking port 80.
Configuration reload fails
Run the server’s configuration test and fix the first reported syntax or include-file error. Inspect the error log after a successful test if requests still fail. Reload only after validation; restarting blindly can turn a recoverable configuration mistake into an outage.
Quick Recap
A compact completion checklist
- The VPS public IPv4 address is recorded, and IPv6 is configured before publishing an AAAA record.
- The apex A record points to the VPS, and the intended
wwwrecord exists. - The hostname appears in NGINX
server_nameor ApacheServerName/ServerAlias. - The NGINX
rootor ApacheDocumentRootcontains the expected index file. - Filesystem permissions allow the web-server process to read the site.
- The default site is not intercepting the request.
- Port 80 is reachable for HTTP and ACME validation; port 443 is reachable for HTTPS.
- The configuration test passes before every reload.
- The certificate and private key are configured on the HTTPS listener, with the private key access restricted.
- Both the apex and
wwwnames have been tested, along with renewal scheduling.
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