Blog

Nginx Proxy Manager: Simplify Your Web Server Management

1/2/2026 1 min read

If you host web applications, you probably know the challenge of keeping track of subdomains, SSL certificates, and redirect rules. This is exactly where Nginx Proxy Manager comes in. In this article, you'll learn how to greatly simplify your web server management with it.

Nginx Proxy Manager: Simplify Your Web Server Management

What is Nginx Proxy Manager?

Nginx Proxy Manager is an open-source project that significantly simplifies the management of reverse proxies based on Nginx. Through a clear web interface, you can:

  • Create and manage reverse proxies
  • Automatically generate and renew SSL certificates (Let's Encrypt)
  • Configure redirects and access restrictions

All this without manually editing Nginx configuration files.

Key Features

  • Manage reverse proxies via a web interface
  • Automatic SSL certificates with Let's Encrypt
  • Support for redirects (HTTP → HTTPS, domain redirects)
  • Access control by IP, username, or password
  • Easily manage multiple hosts and subdomains

Prerequisites

Before you get started, you should have:

  • A server or computer
  • Installed Docker
  • Installed Docker Compose
  • Basic knowledge of Docker and Docker Compose

Installation

You can use the following docker-compose.yml for installation:

version: '3'

services:
  app:
    image: 'jc21/nginx-proxy-manager:latest'
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - '80:80'
      - '81:81'
      - '443:443'
    volumes:
      - ./data:/data
      - ./letsencrypt:/etc/letsencrypt

Then start the container with:

docker compose up -d

Access & Login

If you do not make further adjustments, you can access Nginx Proxy Manager at:

http://127.0.0.1:81

Default Credentials

⚠️ You should definitely change these credentials after your first login.