What Nginx settings improve performance?
Enable gzip compression (level 6, text types), cache static files with expires 1y and immutable, set worker_processes auto and worker_connections 2048, enable keep-alive connections, use proxy_buffering on for API responses, disable access logging for static files, and use HTTP/2 with SSL.
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More FAQs in Nginx Summary and Best Practices Key Takeaways for Node.js Deployment
Nginx serves as a reverse proxy (routes port 80/443 to Node.js on 3000), SSL terminator (handles HTTPS), static file server (React builds), load balancer (multiple Node.js instances), security layer (rate limiting, headers), and performance optimizer (gzip, caching, keep-alive).
Remove the default site, add proxy headers (Host, X-Real-IP, X-Forwarded-For, X-Forwarded-Proto, Upgrade, Connection), add security headers (HSTS, X-Frame-Options, CSP), enable SSL with Let's Encrypt, redirect HTTP to HTTPS, enable gzip, cache static files, and set rate limiting.
Always use reload (sudo systemctl reload nginx) for config changes in production. Reload applies new settings without dropping active connections. Restart stops and starts Nginx, causing a brief downtime. Always test with nginx -t before either.
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