Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Nginx Configuration Expert agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The Nginx Configuration Expert is an agent skill, a packaged set of instructions that makes an AI agent answer Nginx questions the way a systems engineer would. It is aimed at developers putting Nginx in front of an app or API, ops engineers reviewing a config, and teams learning which directives to use for TLS, rate limiting or WebSocket support. By the end of this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for help, and what to check before you use anything it produces.
Nginx Configuration ExpertRightNow-AI/openfang · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the skill ZIP from this page.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 3Or upload it in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, go to Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the skill.
- 4Describe your Nginx task. Ask in plain language, naming the app, ports, domains and whether you need TLS, load balancing or WebSocket support.
- 5Review the generated config. Check every address, path and server name against your own environment before using it.
- 6Test before reloading. Run nginx -t on the config, fix any errors, and then reload Nginx.
What the Nginx skill makes the agent do
When the skill is installed, the agent answers Nginx questions using established patterns: separate server blocks for each site, upstream load balancing, TLS settings with modern protocols, rate limiting, gzip, WebSocket proxying, security headers, and caching for static files.
It also reminds you to test changes with nginx -t before reloading, and it steers away from common mistakes such as using if for rewrites or leaving server_tokens on. The skill only provides guidance and example configuration text. It does not run Nginx itself.
- Reverse proxy and load balancing with named upstream blocks
- TLS termination using TLSv1.2 and TLSv1.3
- Rate limiting with limit_req
- Gzip compression for text content
- WebSocket proxying
- Security headers and static asset caching
Install the skill from the ZIP
Download the ZIP file for the skill from this page. The skill package contains a single file, SKILL.md. Unzip it so the skill folder ends up in one of two places: ~/.claude/skills/ to make it available across your work, or a project's .claude/skills/ folder to limit it to that project.
If you use the Claude apps instead, you can upload the skill under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.
- Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
Ask for Nginx help in plain language
Describe what you want the server to do, along with the details that change the answer: which app or port sits behind Nginx, which domain names are involved, and whether the traffic is HTTP, HTTPS or WebSocket. The more specific the request, the more useful the config.
Good requests name a goal and a constraint. For example, ask for a reverse proxy to a local app on port 8080 with TLS, or ask for a review of an existing config for security and performance problems. Paste the current config when you want a review.
- Reverse proxy: 'Put Nginx in front of my API running on 127.0.0.1:3000 with TLS.'
- Load balancing: 'Balance traffic across two backend servers and fail over when one returns 502.'
- Review: 'Check this nginx.conf for security and performance issues and give me a checklist.'
Examples of the configuration text it produces
The skill draws on specific directives. These snippets are taken from its instructions and show the style of output you can expect. Treat them as starting points that you adapt and test, not finished production files.
- Upstream pool: upstream backend with two server entries, referenced by proxy_pass http://backend
- Forwarded headers: Host, X-Real-IP and X-Forwarded-For set with proxy_set_header
- TLS: ssl_protocols TLSv1.2 TLSv1.3 with ssl_prefer_server_ciphers on and a curated cipher list
- Rate limiting: limit_req_zone with a 10m zone at 10r/s, applied with limit_req burst=20 nodelay
- WebSocket: proxy_http_version 1.1 with Upgrade and Connection upgrade headers
upstream backend { server 127.0.0.1:8080; server 127.0.0.1:8081; } server { location / { proxy_pass http://backend; proxy_set_header Host $host; proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr; proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for; } }Test every change before you reload
The skill's guidance is consistent on one point: test every configuration change with nginx -t before reloading, and reload rather than restart when a reload is enough. Test on a staging server or a copy of the config first.
Because the output is example text, check every server name, port, certificate path and upstream address against your own environment. A wrong upstream address or an overly broad location block can expose a service or break routing.
- Run nginx -t and fix any errors before reloading
- Confirm the upstream addresses point to your real backends
- Check that only the paths you intend are reachable
- Confirm client_max_body_size fits your uploads
nginx -tKnow what the skill will not do
The skill is for guidance and configuration text only. It runs no scripts and makes no network calls, according to its listing. It does not install Nginx or apply a config to your server, so you need Nginx installed on the target machine to run anything it writes.
It is also specific to Nginx. Apache, Caddy and other servers use different directives, so the output will not apply to them.
- Requires Nginx installed on the target server
- Runs no scripts and uses no network
- Does not apply configs or restart services
- Nginx only; not for Apache or Caddy
What people use it for
- Setting up Nginx as a reverse proxy in front of a web app or API
- Balancing traffic across several backend servers with failover on 502 or 503 responses
- Adding TLS termination with modern protocol settings
- Adding rate limiting to an API endpoint
- Enabling WebSocket proxying for a chat or live-update app
- Reviewing an existing config for missing security headers or a leaking server_tokens setting
Frequently asked questions
Is the Nginx Configuration Expert skill free?
The skill is published under the Apache-2.0 licence. Check the repository's licence file for the terms that apply to your use. This page does not state a price.
Do I need Nginx installed to use the skill?
Yes. The skill only writes guidance and configuration text. You need Nginx installed on the target server to run the resulting configuration.
Where do I put the skill files?
Unzip the ZIP into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps you can instead upload it under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.
Can the skill apply the config to my server?
No. It does not run Nginx or change your server. You copy the configuration into your own files, test it with nginx -t, and reload Nginx yourself.
Does this skill work with Apache or Caddy?
No. It is written for Nginx, and the directives will not apply to Apache, Caddy or other web servers.
Why does my config return a 413 error on uploads?
Nginx's default client_max_body_size is 1MB, which rejects larger uploads with a 413 error. The skill advises setting this value appropriately for your uploads.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you are setting up or reviewing Nginx as a reverse proxy, load balancer or TLS terminator and want clear, checklist-style guidance. Pick something else if you need changes applied to a live production server without review, or if your stack runs Apache or Caddy.
Download the skill