Proxy Headers and Pass Through
1 min read
- Authors
- Name
- Vijaykumar Rajendran
- @vijayrajendran_
Table of Contents
Proxy Headers and Pass Through
Essential Headers
Always forward these headers to backends:
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
Header Meanings
| Header | Value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
Host | $host | Original host requested |
X-Real-IP | $remote_addr | Real client IP |
X-Forwarded-For | $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for | Full IP chain |
X-Forwarded-Proto | $scheme | http or https |
Why Important?
Backend needs to know:
- Original domain - For virtual hosts
- Real client IP - For logging, auth
- Protocol - For redirects, HSTS
- Proxy chain - For security
Complete Example
server {
location / {
proxy_pass http://backend:3000;
# Essential headers
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
# Connection settings
proxy_set_header Connection "";
proxy_http_version 1.1;
}
}
Headers passed!