Nginx Proxy Manager

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name: nginx-proxy-manager description: Manage Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM) for reverse proxy and SSL termination to internal services like staging/prod apps. Use when creating/updating proxy hosts, requesting or renewing Let's Encrypt certificates, enforcing HTTPS redirects, setting websocket support, or routing domains/subdomains to target servers.

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Nginx Proxy Manager Workflow

Use this skill to terminate SSL at NPM and route traffic to backend services (staging/prod).

Required inputs

Domain/subdomain (e.g. staging.example.com)

Public DNS already pointing to NPM public IP

Upstream target host/IP + port (e.g. 10.10.10.227:3000)

Whether Cloudflare proxy is enabled (if used)

Authentication (do not hardcode secrets)

Store credentials outside this skill (local secret file or environment variables).

Recommended env vars:

NPM_BASE_URL (e.g. http://:81)

NPM_IDENTITY

NPM_SECRET

Example token request:

curl -sS -X POST "$NPM_BASE_URL/api/tokens" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json; charset=UTF-8' \
  --data "{\"identity\":\"$NPM_IDENTITY\",\"secret\":\"$NPM_SECRET\"}"

Standard setup flow

1. Confirm DNS resolves to NPM public IP. 2. Create or update Proxy Host in NPM: - Domain Names: requested host(s) - Scheme: http (or https if upstream is TLS) - Forward Hostname/IP: upstream IP/hostname - Forward Port: app port - Enable: - Block Common Exploits - Websockets Support 3. SSL tab: - Request new SSL certificate (Let's Encrypt) - Enable Force SSL - Enable HTTP/2 Support - Enable HSTS only after validation 4. Save and verify: - curl -I https:// returns 200/301 - Browser check for valid certificate and app reachability

Recommended defaults

Keep upstream as private IP where possible.

Use separate hostnames per environment:

- app.example.com → production - staging.example.com → staging

Avoid wildcard certificates unless explicitly needed.

Troubleshooting

Certificate issuance fails:

- Check DNS A/AAAA records - Ensure ports 80/443 reach NPM - Disable conflicting CDN TLS mode or set to Full/Strict appropriately

502 Bad Gateway:

- Verify upstream container/service is running - Verify correct target port and local firewall rules

Redirect loops:

- Don’t double-force HTTPS (app + proxy misconfiguration)

Publication hygiene checklist

Before sharing/publishing this skill:

Remove all real IPs, domains, emails, and tokens.

Keep only placeholders like example.com and .

Ensure no local credential file paths or secret values are included.

Safety rules

Never remove existing production proxy hosts unless explicitly requested.

For changes on production domains, snapshot/export config or document previous values first.

Apply changes to staging first when possible.

Certificate issuance fails:

- Check DNS A/AAAA records - Ensure ports 80/443 reach NPM - Disable conflicting CDN TLS mode or set to Full/Strict appropriately

502 Bad Gateway:

- Verify upstream container/service is running - Verify correct target port and local firewall rules

Redirect loops:

- Don’t double-force HTTPS (app + proxy misconfiguration)