New in SafeLine 7.1: How to Use Custom NGINX Config in Your Site Settings

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.

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;
}

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;
}

• 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;
}

• 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;
}

• 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;
}

• 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;
}

• 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;
}

• 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

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

• GitHub Repo
• Official Docs
• Join the Discord Community

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