Expose a site behind local NGINX

Share a site that NGINX serves on your machine, with an HTTPS URL. You tunnel to NGINX, not to the app behind it.

Before you beginCopy Anchor Link

• Node.js 18 or later
• A Horizon account and the CLI (see Getting started)
• A reserved subdomain for -s. Reserve one on the Subdomains page.
• NGINX running locally. The examples use port 8080.

server {
    listen      8080;
    server_name mysite.test;
    root        /var/www/mysite;
}

hrzn tunnel http://localhost:8080 -s my-app

hrzn tunnel http://mysite.test:8080 -s my-app

HORIZON: Tunnel connected
  URL          https://my-app.hrzn.run (reserved)
  Forwarding   http://mysite.test:8080
  Request log  https://hrzn.run/dashboard/tunnels/my-app

Check it worksCopy Anchor Link

The Horizon terminal prints a line per request:

  GET     200  /

The public host arrives at NGINX in X-Forwarded-Host. If NGINX proxies to an app behind it, pass the header on with proxy_set_header. NGINX's default for Host in a proxied request is $proxy_host, so set the headers you need:

location / {
    proxy_pass       http://localhost:8000;
    proxy_set_header Host      $host;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Host $http_x_forwarded_host;
}

TroubleshootingCopy Anchor Link

The wrong site answersCopy Anchor Link

NGINX routed the request to the default server for the port because Host matched no server_name. Tunnel to the hostname in server_name, as in hrzn tunnel http://mysite.test:8080.

The hostname doesn't resolveCopy Anchor Link

The Horizon CLI connects from your machine, so mysite.test must resolve there. Add it to /etc/hosts, then run the tunnel command again.

502 Bad GatewayCopy Anchor Link

NGINX can't reach the app behind proxy_pass. Check that the app listens on the address in proxy_pass. The tunnel is working, because the response comes from NGINX.

The URL changed after a restartCopy Anchor Link

You started the tunnel without -s, so Horizon gave you a new random subdomain. Restart with -s my-app.

Next stepsCopy Anchor Link

• Read NGINX's page on how it processes a request.