NGINX Manager — Simple & Complete Guide

NGINX Manager — Simple & Complete Guide

NGINX Manager — Simple & Complete Guide

Overview

NGINX Manager lets you install, remove, and manage NGINX as a reverse proxy (with caching) in WHM. You can control global cache behavior and per-user cache settings from this interface.

Requirements

  • EasyApache 4 must be in use.
  • Root access to the server is required.

Note: Older ea-nginx builds used to install Apache’s Passenger automatically. If you want Passenger now, install ea-apache24-mod-passenger separately.

Compatibility

NGINX becomes the primary web server and Apache is moved behind it. Default Apache ports are reassigned to NGINX. If you don’t want reverse-proxy mode for all content, you can use the standalone NGINX package instead.

Limitations

  • If a domain conflicts with a proxy domain, the system warns that duplicate entries are ignored (may cause unexpected behavior).
  • With ModSecurity 2, rules apply only when NGINX proxies a request to Apache.
  • Non-SSL IPv6 requests are redirected to SSL so IPv6-only service subdomains work properly. If the hostname certificate isn’t accepted, use the subdomain’s FQDN.
  • NGINX will not serve files whose names begin with .ht.
  • The “Optimize Website” tool in cPanel does not affect NGINX.
  • If you use the NGINX alias directive, ensure the path ends with a trailing slash (/) to avoid path traversal vulnerabilities.

Install (Landing Page)

If NGINX is not installed, the interface shows an Install option. You can also install via EasyApache 4 or the command line:

Command-line install (run as root) 
# CentOS 7
yum install ea-nginx

# AlmaLinux OS / Rocky Linux
dnf install ea-nginx

# Ubuntu
apt install --purge ea-nginx

EasyApache 4 also includes a cPanel Default NGINX profile that adds all required packages. If ea-nginx-standalone exists, you’ll be prompted to switch to reverse-proxy mode.

After installation, all accounts are configured to use NGINX and caching by default, and you’ll be taken to the System Settings tab.

System Settings

  • Use Caching by Default — When enabled, new accounts (and any without an explicit user setting) use caching by default. If you later set a user explicitly, the system default no longer applies to that user.
  • Clear Cache for All Users — Purge cache globally.
  • Restart NGINX — Restart the service.
  • Rebuild Configuration — Regenerate the NGINX service configuration.
  • Reset Users to System Default — Set all users back to the system’s default NGINX configuration.
  • Uninstall NGINX Reverse Proxy — Remove NGINX from the server.

User Settings

Manage caching per user in a searchable table:

  • Toggle a user’s caching Enabled/Disabled.
  • Bulk change: select multiple users and click Enable NGINX Cache or Disable NGINX Cache.
  • Clear cache for a user via Clear Cache; bulk clear is also available.

Tip: To let users control their own cache in cPanel, enable the feature “EA4 – Allow enabling/disabling NGINX caching” in Feature Manager (v100+).

Uninstall

You can uninstall from the System Settings tab, or via the command line:

Command-line uninstall (run as root) 
# CentOS 7
yum uninstall ea-nginx

# AlmaLinux OS / Rocky Linux
dnf uninstall ea-nginx

# Ubuntu
apt purge ea-nginx

Related CLI (optional)

You can also manage users and cache via the /usr/local/cpanel/scripts/ea-nginx script (configure users, reload user configs, manage cache).

Summary

  • Install NGINX reverse proxy and caching from WHM, EasyApache 4, or CLI.
  • Set a sensible system default for caching, then override per user as needed.
  • Use quick actions to clear cache, rebuild config, restart, or reset users.
  • Know the limits (ModSecurity behavior, hidden files, Optimize Website, alias security).
  • Uninstall cleanly from the UI or via package manager commands.

Reference: WHM’s NGINX Manager documentation (overview, requirements, compatibility, limitations, install, system settings, user settings, uninstall).

case studies

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