"Welcome to nginx!" on your website: what it means and how to fix it

If your address shows Welcome to nginx! and "If you see this page, the nginx web server is successfully installed", your server is running but it is not serving your site.

What it means

nginx is the web server program. This is the default page it shows before anyone configures it. Usually one of three things happened: a new server was set up and the site was never pointed at it, the server was rebuilt or updated and the site configuration was lost, or your domain now points to the wrong server.

What to do, in order

  1. Check where your domain points. Run dig +short yourdomain.com or use any online DNS lookup. Compare the address with the server you expect.
  2. If it points to the right server, log in and run sudo nginx -T | grep server_name. Your domain should appear. If it does not, the site configuration is missing or disabled.
  3. Look in /etc/nginx/sites-available/. If your site file is there, link it into sites-enabled, then run sudo nginx -t and sudo systemctl reload nginx.
  4. Remove or disable the default site if it is catching your domain first.
  5. Load the address on your phone on mobile data to check.

If someone else runs your server

Send them the exact message and the time you saw it. It is a configuration problem, not a hack, and a competent admin can fix it in minutes.


Want the rest of your site checked after it is back? Run a free 40-point check at tinkeraudit.com.