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What a blank PHP page actually tells you
When a browser displays a white page for / or /index.php, the response body is empty or contains no usable HTML. Nginx may still return 200 OK. PHP-FPM can send that status when the path it receives is wrong or the requested script does not exist, so the status code alone is not evidence that your application executed.
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Nginx performs several separate decisions before you see a response:
- It chooses a server block and a
rootdirectory. - For a slash-ending URI such as
/, theindexdirective determines whether Nginx internally redirects toindex.php. - A PHP location matches the URI and forwards it with FastCGI using
fastcgi_pass. - The
SCRIPT_FILENAMEparameter tells PHP-FPM which file to execute. - PHP loads the script and its dependencies, then returns a body or records an error.
A failure at any handoff can look identical in the browser. Troubleshooting is therefore a path-and-logs exercise, not a matter of repeatedly refreshing the page.
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1. Confirm that Nginx is using the server block you edited
Sites often have several enabled configurations, wildcard hosts, a default server, or a second include file that overrides the values you changed. Inspect the complete configuration that the running binary loaded:
sudo nginx -TSearch the output for the requested hostname and record the matching server {} block. Check its listen, server_name, root, index, PHP location, and log directives. If the host header does not match any named server, Nginx may select the default server and a completely different document root.
The configured root must be the directory that really contains the deployed entry file. For example, if the file is /var/www/example/public/index.php, a root of /var/www/example will make Nginx look in the wrong place for a request to /index.php; the intended root is normally /var/www/example/public. Confirm the file directly:
sudo stat /var/www/example/public/index.php
sudo find /var/www/example/public -maxdepth 1 -type f -name 'index.php' -printUse the exact path shown by your deployment, not the example path. Containers, release symlinks, and hosting panels commonly place the public directory somewhere else.
2. Make sure directory requests resolve to index.php
A request for / ends with a slash, so Nginx checks the files listed by the index directive. A typical site has:
root /var/www/example/public;
index index.php index.html;If index.php is absent from that list, / may produce a directory response, a redirect, a 403, or a different static file while a direct request to /index.php behaves separately. The index file must also exist beneath the configured root. Nginx internally redirects a slash-ending URI to the configured index file when it finds one, so inspect the resulting PHP location as well as the initial root location.
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3. Validate syntax before changing runtime behavior
Run a configuration test before every reload:
sudo nginx -tFix syntax errors, missing include files, duplicate directives, and invalid paths before diagnosing PHP. A successful test means the configuration can be parsed; it does not prove that the selected socket exists or that the script path is correct. Reload only after the test succeeds:
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sudo systemctl reload nginxOn systems without systemd, use the service manager supplied by your distribution. If a reload fails, keep the previous working configuration in place and read the service manager’s error output before attempting more edits.
4. Check the PHP location and FastCGI handoff
The PHP location must pass requests to the PHP-FPM endpoint that is actually listening. This is a minimal structure to compare against:
location ~ .php$ {
include fastcgi_params;
fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.2-fpm.sock;
fastcgi_index index.php;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
}The socket name is only an example. PHP 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, a distribution-specific package, a container, or a TCP setup will use a different endpoint. Replace it with the endpoint advertised by your running PHP-FPM service. To discover Unix sockets, inspect the runtime directory and the PHP-FPM pool configuration:
sudo find /run /var/run -type s -name '*fpm*.sock' 2>/dev/null
sudo grep -R "^listens*=" /etc/php /etc/php-fpm.d /etc/php-fpm.conf 2>/dev/nullFor a TCP listener, the value might be something like 127.0.0.1:9000; use the address and port configured by the pool. Do not switch from a socket to TCP merely because it appears in an example. A socket is local and avoids a network port, while TCP is useful when Nginx and PHP-FPM are in separate containers or hosts. The two ends must use the same transport and address.
Check the service state and listener:
sudo systemctl status php8.2-fpm
sudo ss -ltnp | grep ':9000'
Substitute your installed service name and port. A missing socket, a stopped service, or a refused TCP connection normally produces a 502 response rather than a silent 200, but the distinction depends on error handling and any proxy layers in front of Nginx.
5. Fix SCRIPT_FILENAME and prove the resolved path
PHP-FPM needs the filesystem path of the script, not merely the URL. Nginx’s FastCGI documentation defines SCRIPT_FILENAME as the parameter PHP uses to determine the script name. The common expression $document_root$fastcgi_script_name combines the active root with the URI-derived script name.
For a request to /index.php with root /var/www/example/public, the expression should resolve to /var/www/example/public/index.php. A mismatched root, a location-level root, a rewrite that changes the URI, or a symlink pointing to an old release can produce a different path. PHP-FPM may then return an empty body and still report 200.
Use Nginx’s effective configuration to find every assignment:
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sudo nginx -T | grep -n -E 'root |SCRIPT_FILENAME|fastcgi_pass|try_files'Then test the candidate path as the account used by PHP-FPM. First identify that account in the pool configuration (often a user such as www-data or nginx), then check each directory component:
namei -l /var/www/example/public/index.php
sudo -u www-data test -r /var/www/example/public/index.php && echo readableThe file needs read permission, and the worker needs execute (directory traversal) permission on every parent directory. Correcting only the file mode will not help if a parent directory blocks traversal. Avoid making the entire tree world-writable; grant the least access required by the PHP-FPM pool.
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6. Use try_files deliberately
try_files can stop Nginx from handing a nonexistent PHP file to PHP-FPM and can route application requests to a front controller. A direct-script site may use:
location ~ .php$ {
try_files $uri =404;
include fastcgi_params;
fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.2-fpm.sock;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
}Here, a request for a missing script ends with 404 instead of reaching PHP-FPM. That is safer and makes path errors visible. A framework that routes most URLs through one entry file generally uses a separate application location:
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
}
location ~ .php$ {
include fastcgi_params;
fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.2-fpm.sock;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
}The fallback must name the real front controller. If it points to /public/index.php while the root is already /var/www/example/public, the resulting path may contain an unintended duplicate directory. Conversely, omitting the public directory from a root that requires it can route requests outside the deployed application. Choose one layout and make the root, fallback URI, and script filename agree.
Do not add a blanket try_files $uri =404 to a front-controller location without understanding the application. It can prevent legitimate virtual routes from reaching the controller.
7. Read logs on both sides of the request
Browser developer tools show the final response but rarely identify which handoff failed. Nginx’s error_log records configuration, permission, upstream, and rewrite errors; access_log records the request and status. The configured paths vary by distribution and build. Inspect the active values with:
sudo nginx -T | grep -n 'error_log|access_log'
nginx -V 2>&1 | tr ' ' 'n' | grep -- '--error-log-path'Tail the relevant files while making one request:
sudo tail -f /var/log/nginx/error.log /var/log/nginx/access.logIn another terminal, request the page and preserve headers and the body:
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curl -i https://example.test/
curl -i https://example.test/index.php
curl -sS -D /tmp/index.headers -o /tmp/index.body https://example.test/index.php
wc -c /tmp/index.bodyAlso inspect the PHP-FPM service and pool logs. Their location depends on the package and pool configuration; use the service journal when available:
sudo journalctl -u php8.2-fpm --since '10 minutes ago'
Correlate one timestamp across the Nginx access log, Nginx error log, and PHP-FPM log. Typical messages point to different fixes:
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|---|---|---|
connect() failed (2: No such file or directory) for the upstream socket |
The socket path in fastcgi_pass does not exist, or PHP-FPM is not running. |
Inspect the pool’s listen value, socket ownership, and service state. |
Connection refused to a TCP endpoint |
No process is listening at the configured address and port, or a container/network boundary is wrong. | Check ss -ltnp, container addresses, and firewall rules. |
Primary script unknown or “No input file specified” |
SCRIPT_FILENAME, root, symlink resolution, or file existence is wrong. |
Compare the constructed path with stat and inspect every directory permission. |
| PHP fatal error or uncaught exception in the FPM log | The script was reached but failed during startup or execution. | Fix the named PHP file, extension, dependency, or configuration value; keep display errors off in production. |
| Access log shows 200 with zero body bytes and no upstream error | The script may be empty, the wrong script may have run, or PHP output was suppressed. | Verify the deployed file contents, resolved filename, application logging, and runtime error log. |
Do not enable verbose error output on a public production site just to make a blank page visible. Use a controlled diagnostic environment or temporarily enable logging while keeping display_errors disabled for visitors, then revert the change.
8. Separate routing failures from PHP failures
Test a known static file under the same root, such as /health.txt, and compare it with PHP:
printf 'static-okn' | sudo tee /var/www/example/public/health.txt
curl -i https://example.test/health.txt
curl -i https://example.test/index.php
- If the static file fails, investigate DNS, the selected server block, document root, permissions, or a preceding proxy before touching PHP.
- If static delivery works but PHP is blank, focus on the PHP location, FastCGI endpoint, script filename, and PHP-FPM logs.
- If
/index.phpworks but/is blank or different, inspectindex, rewrites, and the slash-ending location. - If a simple PHP file works but the application entry point is blank, investigate application bootstrap errors, missing extensions, environment variables, and dependency paths.
For a controlled runtime test, create a temporary file containing only <?php echo "fpm-okn";, request it directly, and remove it immediately after testing. Never leave diagnostic scripts in a public directory.
9. Check application-level causes after the handoff is proven
Once logs show that the intended file was opened, Nginx is no longer the primary suspect. A blank body can result from a fatal error whose display is disabled, an output buffer that is never flushed, a missing PHP extension, an autoloader failure, or an application configuration value that points to a nonexistent service.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
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The CLI binary and FPM pool can load different php.ini files, extensions, environment variables, and user permissions. Compare the FPM pool configuration with the CLI environment rather than assuming that a successful php -m test proves the web request has the same modules.
Check deployment symlinks and release directories
Atomic deployments often switch a current symlink while workers continue serving an older path. Confirm that Nginx’s root and the PHP-FPM-visible path resolve to the same release, and that the target remains readable after rotation.
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Check permissions without overcorrecting
Run the application as the FPM user only for the specific read or directory checks needed. Avoid chmod -R 777; it hides the real ownership problem and creates an unnecessary write surface.
Unix sockets versus TCP: which endpoint should you use?
| Choice | Best fit | Advantages | Failure modes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unix socket | Nginx and PHP-FPM on the same host | No listening network port; direct local handoff. | Wrong filename, stale socket, or socket ownership prevents connection. |
| TCP endpoint | Separate containers, hosts, or a topology that requires network separation | Works across process or host boundaries and is explicit in container setups. | Wrong address or port, service binding only to loopback, firewall rules, or container DNS errors. |
Neither option fixes an incorrect SCRIPT_FILENAME. Choose the transport that matches the deployment, then verify the listener and permissions before changing application code.
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Development diagnostics versus production safety
During local troubleshooting, temporarily increasing PHP error logging can reveal the exact fatal error. In production, send errors to a protected log and keep them out of the response because stack traces can disclose credentials, filesystem paths, and source code. Restore the site’s normal logging level and remove temporary test files after the cause is identified.
Retain enough context to diagnose the next failure: request time, host, URI, upstream status, PHP-FPM pool, and a correlation identifier if your stack supports one. A blank page without logs is an observability problem as much as a PHP problem.
A repeatable fix sequence
- Request both
/and/index.phpwithcurl -i; record status, headers, and body length. - Run
nginx -Tand identify the server block selected for the hostname. - Confirm
rootcontains the deployedindex.phpand thatindexincludes it. - Run
nginx -t; correct all parse and include errors. - Compare
fastcgi_passwith the PHP-FPM pool’s actual socket or TCPlistenendpoint. - Verify
SCRIPT_FILENAMEresolves to the real file and that the FPM user can traverse and read it. - Check
try_filesand rewrite fallbacks so they match the application’s public root and front controller. - Tail Nginx and PHP-FPM logs while making one fresh request; fix the first concrete error rather than changing several variables at once.
- Reload Nginx only after a successful syntax test, retest, and remove any temporary diagnostic file or setting.
This order prevents a common mistake: debugging application code when Nginx is pointing PHP-FPM at a path that does not exist.
When migration or managed hosting is reasonable
If you cannot control the Nginx server block, PHP-FPM pool, socket permissions, or service logs, a managed PHP environment with documented Nginx and PHP-FPM support can remove those operational constraints. Before moving, confirm the provider supplies the PHP version and extensions your application requires, permits access to error logs, supports your deployment layout, and documents how to set the public document root. Migration is not a substitute for checking the path: copy the application, database, environment variables, and web-root layout, then repeat the endpoint and filename tests on the new host.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Nginx return 200 OK for a nonexistent PHP script?
PHP-FPM can receive a path that does not exist and still produce a 200 response with an empty body. Check the effective root and SCRIPT_FILENAME, then confirm the file with stat and inspect the PHP-FPM log.
What should I change if the PHP-FPM socket path differs from the example?
Use the socket or TCP address shown by the active PHP-FPM pool’s listen directive. The value in fastcgi_pass must match it exactly; PHP versions and distributions use different names.
How can I tell whether the problem is Nginx or the PHP application?
Request a known static file and /index.php separately. If static delivery works, correlate the PHP request with Nginx and PHP-FPM logs; a fatal error after the script is opened is an application/runtime issue.
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