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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchIf www.example.com displays the packaged NGINX welcome page while example.com serves your site, NGINX is usually handling the two hostnames with different server blocks. The apex request matches your configured server_name; the www request does not, so NGINX sends it to the default server for that listening address and port. That default server often still points to the distribution’s sample document root.
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DNS can create the same symptom before NGINX gets involved. If the apex and www records resolve to different IPv4 or IPv6 addresses, they may reach different NGINX instances, proxies, or load balancers. The fix is to verify DNS, inspect the complete rendered NGINX configuration, then deliberately configure both names on HTTP and HTTPS.
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What the symptom means
NGINX makes its virtual-host decision in two stages. First it accepts the connection on a particular listening address and port, such as port 80 for HTTP or port 443 for HTTPS. It then compares the request’s HTTP Host value (and, for TLS, the hostname supplied during certificate negotiation) with the server_name directives attached to that listener.
If the hostname matches, NGINX uses that server block’s root, proxy settings, redirects, and other directives. If no name matches, NGINX routes the request to the default server for that address and port. Unless a block explicitly uses default_server, the first server declared for that listener becomes the default. The welcome page is therefore evidence of a routing mismatch, not proof that your application files disappeared.
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| What you observe | Most likely explanation | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
Apex works; www shows the welcome page |
www is absent, misspelled, or loaded in another listener |
server_name entries on ports 80 and 443 |
www works; apex shows the welcome page |
The reverse mismatch: the bare name does not match the intended block | Exact spelling of the apex name and included files |
| Both names work over HTTP but not HTTPS | The 443 blocks or certificate coverage differ from port 80 | TLS listeners, SNI names, and certificate SANs |
| Results differ by network or device | A and AAAA records lead to different endpoints | IPv4 and IPv6 DNS answers and each destination |
How NGINX chooses a server block
Exact, wildcard, and regular-expression names
The server_name directive accepts exact names, wildcard names, and regular expressions. NGINX’s documented priority is exact match first, then the longest leading wildcard (for example, *.example.com), then the longest trailing wildcard (for example, mail.*), followed by the first matching regular expression. An exact entry is the clearest choice for the apex and its public www alias.
This configuration makes both names use one site:
server {
listen 80;
server_name example.com www.example.com;
root /var/www/example;
}Putting both names on the same block does not merge DNS records and does not automatically configure HTTPS. It only tells NGINX that, once a request reaches this listener, both Host values should use the same configuration.
The default server belongs to a listener
default_server is a property of a listen address and port, not of a hostname. You can have one default for port 80 and a different default for port 443, and you can have different defaults on separate IP addresses. A request with an unknown Host header therefore may show one page on HTTP and another on HTTPS.
NGINX’s documentation describes the rule directly: when the Host value does not match any configured server name, or the request has no Host field, NGINX routes it to the default server for that port. The underscore often seen in catch-all examples has no special meaning; it is simply an invalid hostname commonly used as a label.
Check DNS before changing NGINX
DNS determines where a hostname connects. It is a separate layer from NGINX virtual-host matching, so inspect both names and both address families.
- Query IPv4 records:
dig +short A example.com dig +short A www.example.com - Query IPv6 records:
dig +short AAAA example.com dig +short AAAA www.example.com - Repeat from a resolver or network that reflects your users’ environment if the answers are geo-distributed or cached.
If the addresses differ, the requests may be reaching separate web servers, containers, load balancers, or CDN origins. Either point both names at the intended endpoint or configure equivalent virtual hosts on every destination. Do not assume that fixing the server receiving IPv4 also fixes an AAAA destination; browsers often prefer IPv6 when it is available.
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Also check CNAME chains for www. A CNAME can ultimately resolve to a different service even when the visible DNS record looks related to the apex. DNS changes can remain cached for the record’s TTL, so test authoritative answers and public resolver answers when diagnosing a recent edit.
Compare the actual HTTP and HTTPS responses
Use headers to see whether the names return different status codes, redirects, or servers. Start without following redirects:
curl -I http://example.com
curl -I http://www.example.com
curl -I https://example.com
curl -I https://www.example.comRecord the status, every Location header, and whether the TLS certificate names include the hostname you requested. A 301 from one name may be intentional canonicalization; a 200 response containing the welcome page indicates that a server block is serving the sample root.
To bypass DNS and test a particular address while preserving the requested Host and TLS name, use --resolve:
curl -i --resolve www.example.com:80:203.0.113.10 http://www.example.com/
curl -i --resolve www.example.com:443:203.0.113.10 https://www.example.com/Replace 203.0.113.10 with an address returned by DNS. The first command tests port 80 virtual-host matching at that address. The second tests the 443 listener, SNI, certificate selection, and HTTPS server block. If the direct test works but the normal hostname fails, DNS or an intermediate proxy is the problem. If both fail at the same address, inspect NGINX there.
Inspect the complete NGINX configuration
Looking at one site file is not enough. Distribution packages commonly load files through an include directive, and an enabled sample site may appear before your intended block.
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- Validate syntax and display the full rendered configuration:
sudo nginx -t sudo nginx -T - Search the output and included files for both hostnames:
sudo nginx -T 2>/dev/null | grep -nE 'server_name|listen|default_server|root' - Check every relevant listener. Look for
listen 80,listen [::]:80,listen 443 ssl, andlisten [::]:443 ssl. A name present on IPv4 but absent on IPv6 can produce apparently random results. - Identify the block whose
rootpoints to the welcome-page directory. That block is commonly the default for port 80 or 443. - Confirm that the file containing your fix is actually included or symlinked into the active configuration. Editing an unused file has no effect.
Pay attention to duplicate or conflicting declarations. Two blocks may contain similar names but listen on different addresses, ports, or protocols. A server_name on an HTTP block does not apply to the HTTPS block unless it is declared there too.
Choose the intended hostname policy
Serve both names as the same site
Use one block when both URLs are valid public entry points and you accept duplicate hostnames:
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server {
listen 80;
listen [::]:80;
server_name example.com www.example.com;
root /var/www/example;
index index.html index.htm;
}This is the simplest fix for identical content. Keep the IPv4 and IPv6 listeners aligned, and add the equivalent names to the TLS block as described below.
Redirect one name to a canonical URL
Choose a canonical hostname when you want one URL for bookmarks, analytics, cookies, and search indexing. Use a dedicated redirect block for the secondary name:
server {
listen 80;
listen [::]:80;
server_name www.example.com;
return 301 http://example.com$request_uri;
}
server {
listen 80;
listen [::]:80;
server_name example.com;
root /var/www/example;
}For an HTTPS site, redirect the HTTPS version too. Do not redirect to HTTPS from a 443 block using a certificate that does not cover the incoming name; the browser validates the certificate before it can follow the HTTP response.
| Approach | Use when | Operational consideration |
|---|---|---|
| One block with both exact names | Both hostnames should render the same site | Requires matching entries on every HTTP and HTTPS listener |
| Secondary-name 301 redirect | You want one canonical URL | Configure a redirect block and preserve $request_uri |
| Controlled catch-all | Unknown names must not expose a sample site | Define an intentional default for each address and port |
Configure HTTPS and certificates separately
HTTPS introduces two additional checks: the TLS server block selected through SNI and the certificate presented before HTTP routing completes. A request can reach the correct IP yet receive the wrong content or a certificate warning if the 443 configuration does not include the requested hostname.
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A basic shared-name TLS block looks like this:
server {
listen 443 ssl;
listen [::]:443 ssl;
server_name example.com www.example.com;
ssl_certificate /etc/ssl/example/fullchain.pem;
ssl_certificate_key /etc/ssl/example/privkey.pem;
root /var/www/example;
}The certificate must contain both names as valid subject-alternative names. If you use a canonical redirect, the certificate still needs to cover the redirected hostname because the browser connects to that hostname first.
Test each HTTPS name with curl -I and, when needed, inspect the negotiated certificate with a TLS client. A successful HTTP test does not establish that 443 has the same names, root, proxy target, or certificate.
Replace the exposed welcome-page default
Leaving a packaged sample site as the default can expose implementation details whenever someone requests an unknown hostname. After confirming that no required site depends on it, remove or disable the distribution’s sample default site and create an intentional catch-all.
server {
listen 80 default_server;
listen [::]:80 default_server;
server_name _;
return 444;
}The 444 response is an NGINX-specific connection-close behavior. If dropping unknown requests is not appropriate, return a controlled 404 or redirect instead. Create equivalent defaults for 443 only when you have a deliberate TLS certificate and response strategy; an HTTPS catch-all still has to complete TLS before it can return an HTTP response.
Apply changes safely
- Save the configuration and run
sudo nginx -t. Do not reload if syntax validation reports an error. - Reload rather than stopping the service:
sudo systemctl reload nginxUse the service manager appropriate to your operating system if it differs.
- Retest both names on HTTP and HTTPS, including an IPv4 and IPv6 path where available.
- Check the access and error logs for the request, selected upstream, certificate errors, or permission failures.
A reload applies the new configuration to workers without dropping established connections. If the response does not change, verify that you reloaded the NGINX instance actually receiving traffic; a container, reverse proxy, or load balancer may be terminating the connection elsewhere.
Common causes that survive an apparently correct edit
Typographical or incomplete names
www.example.com, wwww.example.com, and www.example.net are different names. Check punctuation, the correct top-level domain, and whether a trailing dot appears in generated configuration.
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Different IPv4 and IPv6 servers
An A record may point to the corrected host while an AAAA record still points to an old machine. Test with an IPv4-only and IPv6-only network, or use --resolve with each address.
Port mismatch
A name can be present on port 80 but absent on 443, or on one specific IP but not another. Review every listen line rather than searching only for the hostname.
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Wrong certificate or SNI block
If the certificate does not list the requested hostname, fix certificate issuance and the 443 block before diagnosing page content. Browsers may stop at a certificate warning, while command-line clients can make the mismatch easier to see.
Proxy or load-balancer routing
When a front-end proxy terminates TLS or rewrites the Host header, the origin NGINX may never receive the hostname you tested. Confirm the front-end’s forwarding policy and configure every origin that can receive the request.
Stale configuration or cache
Run nginx -T after editing to verify the active result, reload only after nginx -t, and retest with headers. DNS caches and browser redirects can also preserve old behavior; compare with curl from a fresh environment.
A practical verification checklist
- A and AAAA records for the apex and
wwwresolve to the intended endpoints. - The intended server block lists both exact names, or a deliberate redirect block lists the secondary name.
- Port 80 and port 443 configurations are checked independently.
- IPv4 and IPv6
listendirectives have equivalent names and defaults. - The TLS certificate covers every hostname users can enter.
- The sample site is no longer an accidental default.
nginx -tsucceeds before every reload.- Direct
curl --resolvetests agree with normal DNS-based requests.
Once DNS reaches the intended endpoint and each listener has an explicit hostname policy, the welcome page stops being mysterious: it is simply the response from the server block that handled an unmatched name.
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