Nginx-UI — Web-Based Nginx Management Dashboard

Introduction

Nginx-UI provides a browser-based dashboard for managing Nginx reverse proxy configurations without hand-editing config files. It combines real-time config editing, automatic SSL certificate provisioning via Let's Encrypt, and server resource monitoring in a single self-hosted interface.

What Nginx-UI Does

• Provides a visual editor for Nginx site configurations with syntax highlighting
• Automates SSL certificate issuance and renewal through ACME / Let's Encrypt
• Displays real-time CPU, memory, disk, and network statistics for the host
• Supports dark mode, multi-language interface, and two-factor authentication
• Offers a built-in terminal and log viewer for debugging Nginx issues

Architecture Overview

Nginx-UI is a Go backend with a Vue 3 frontend. It reads and writes directly to the Nginx configuration directory on the host, validates changes with nginx -t before applying, and reloads Nginx automatically. Certificate management uses the ACME protocol with DNS and HTTP-01 challenges. The app stores its own state in a local SQLite database.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Deploy via Docker (recommended) or download a static binary for Linux
• Mount the host Nginx config directory into the container at /etc/nginx
• Access the web UI on port 9000 by default; admin credentials are set on first launch
• Configure ACME email and DNS provider credentials for wildcard certificates
• Reverse-proxy the UI itself behind Nginx for production HTTPS access

Key Features

• One-click Let's Encrypt certificate provisioning with auto-renewal
• Config file editor with Nginx syntax validation before reload
• Real-time server performance dashboard (CPU, memory, disk, network)
• Multi-user support with role-based access and 2FA
• MCP server integration for AI-assisted Nginx management

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Nginx Proxy Manager — GUI-first with a simpler scope; Nginx-UI exposes the full config and adds server monitoring
• Caddy — Automatic HTTPS built in but uses its own config format; Nginx-UI keeps standard Nginx configs
• Traefik — Service-discovery-driven with a dashboard, but designed for microservices rather than manual site management
• Portainer — Container management UI; Nginx-UI is purpose-built for Nginx configuration

FAQ

Q: Does Nginx-UI replace Nginx? A: No. It manages an existing Nginx installation. You still need Nginx installed on the host or in the same container.

Q: Can I use Nginx-UI with an existing Nginx setup? A: Yes. Point Nginx-UI at your existing config directory and it will discover all current sites and upstreams.

Q: Is Nginx-UI production-ready? A: Many users run it in production for personal and small-team setups. Review the GitHub issues for known limitations before deploying at scale.

Q: Does it support stream (TCP/UDP) proxying? A: Yes. Nginx-UI can manage stream blocks in addition to HTTP server blocks.

Sources

• https://github.com/0xJacky/nginx-ui
• https://nginxui.com