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Sharon
Sharon

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SafeLine 7.1 Adds Custom NGINX Location Support — Here's How to Use It

#safeline #nginx #waf #beginners

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SafeLine is an open-source Web Application Firewall (WAF) that’s easy to deploy, highly effective, and trusted by developers to defend web services against modern attacks.

In version 7.1, SafeLine introduced a powerful new feature:
Custom NGINX configuration for site-specific location blocks.

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This enhancement gives users fine-grained control over NGINX behavior per site.

If you're wondering how to use it, you're in the right place.

What Is a location Block in NGINX?

In NGINX, location blocks are used to match incoming request URIs and apply specific rules — such as routing, proxying, security, or caching.

For example:

location /api/users {
    proxy_pass http://backend_service;
}
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This tells NGINX how to handle requests to /api/users — in this case, by forwarding them to a backend.

What Can You Do in a location Block?

A lot. Here's a quick rundown of what kinds of directives you can now include using SafeLine's custom NGINX config field:

Reverse Proxy & Routing 

location /api/ {
    proxy_pass http://backend_server;
}
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  • proxy_pass: Forward requests to backend services
  • root / alias: Serve static content
  • rewrite: Change URL paths on the fly
  • return: Send quick custom responses

Logic & Fallbacks 

location / {
    try_files $uri $uri/ /index.html;
}
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  • try_files: Try multiple paths before failing
  • index: Set default index files
  • internal: Restrict location to internal use only

Access Control & Security 

location /admin/ {
    allow 192.168.0.0/16;
    deny all;
}
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  • auth_basic: Password-protect a path
  • allow / deny: Restrict access by IP
  • limit_conn / limit_req: Rate limiting

Caching & Performance 

location / {
    proxy_cache my_cache;
    proxy_cache_valid 200 10m;
}
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  • expires: Set browser cache duration
  • proxy_cache: Cache reverse proxy responses
  • proxy_buffering, proxy_read_timeout: Tune backend performance

Logging & Monitoring 

location /admin/ {
    access_log /var/log/nginx/admin_access.log;
    error_log /var/log/nginx/admin_error.log warn;
}
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  • access_log: Log specific requests
  • error_log: Track errors by location
  • stub_status: Enable NGINX status page

Custom Headers & Compression 

location / {
    add_header X-Frame-Options "DENY";
    gzip on;
    gzip_types text/html application/json;
}
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  • add_header: Add or override HTTP headers
  • gzip: Enable compression

How to Use Custom NGINX Config in SafeLine

  1. Go to SafeLine Console > Applications > Site Details > Advanced

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  1. Find the new "Custom NGINX Configuration" section
  2. Add any valid NGINX location directives
  3. SafeLine will inject these into the site's configuration at runtime

Pro Tip: Test your config locally in NGINX if you're unsure — SafeLine respects standard NGINX behavior.

Why It Matters

With this update, SafeLine gives users the power of fine-grained NGINX tuning without leaving the WAF dashboard.

You can now:

  • Customize reverse proxy behavior
  • Add rate limiting per endpoint
  • Serve static files or error pages
  • Apply additional security headers
  • And much more

All within the SafeLine UI, with full transparency and control.

Learn More & Get Involved

SafeLine 7.1 just made your NGINX setup a whole lot more powerful — and more developer-friendly too.

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