This article discusses the necessity of the ‘sites-available’ and ‘sites-enabled’ folders in Nginx configuration.

Nginx, a web server software, offers three folders: ‘sites-available,’ ‘sites-enabled,’ and ‘conf.d.’ While their usage is not mandatory, these folders provide an organized approach for managing multiple sites.

The ‘sites-available’ folder is where site-specific server context should be modified, while the ‘sites-enabled’ folder contains symbolic links to the files in ‘sites-available.’

However, direct editing of files in the ‘sites-enabled’ folder may result in issues if the editor encounters memory constraints or certain signals.

Although this convention may be deprecated in some package repositories, it is still advisable for facilitating site management.

Therefore, the utilization of the ‘sites-available’ and ‘sites-enabled’ folders is considered a best practice for hosting multiple sites in Nginx.

Why Use Separate Folders?

The use of separate sites-available and sites-enabled folders in Nginx is recommended for easier management of multiple sites, as stated in the pre-existing knowledge. These folders provide a structured approach to organizing site-specific server context. By editing files in the sites-available folder, potential issues can be avoided.

The sites-enabled folder, on the other hand, should only contain links to the files in sites-available. This separation allows for better control over enabling and disabling sites without modifying the actual configuration files.

Additionally, keeping common directives in the nginx.conf file ensures that they apply across all sites. Although it is not necessary to use these folders, adhering to this practice is considered a best practice in Nginx administration, offering improved organization and management capabilities.

Folder Organization

One common approach for organizing configuration files in Nginx involves utilizing separate folders.

The sites-available and sites-enabled folders are commonly used to manage multiple sites efficiently.

The sites-available folder is where site-specific server context should be kept. It is recommended to edit files in this folder to avoid any potential issues.

On the other hand, the sites-enabled folder contains symbolic links to the files in the sites-available folder. This allows for easy management of enabling or disabling specific sites without the need to edit the main configuration file.

By using this folder structure, it becomes easier to manage multiple sites and maintain a clean and organized configuration.

However, it should be noted that while this approach is commonly used, it is not necessary and some package repositories may deprecate this convention.

Best Practice

Utilizing separate folders for organizing configuration files in Nginx is considered a best practice for efficient management of multiple sites.

The sites-available and sites-enabled folders provide a systematic approach to managing site-specific server context. This approach allows for easier enablement and disablement of sites by simply creating or removing symbolic links in the sites-enabled folder.

By keeping common directives in the nginx.conf file and using the sites-available folder for editing site-specific files, administrators can avoid potential issues. Additionally, this folder structure helps maintain a clean and organized configuration, making it easier to locate and manage individual site files.

While it is not mandatory to use the sites-available and sites-enabled folders, adopting this convention is widely recommended for better organization and scalability in a multi-site hosting environment.