Set up multiple websites with Nginx

We assume that:

• You are working on a development machine (laptop, virtual machine, or similar).

  Additional tasks might be required to deploy multiple websites in a hosted environment; check with your hosting provider for more information.

  Additional tasks are required to set up Adobe Commerce on cloud infrastructure. After you complete the tasks discussed in this topic, see Set up multiple websites or stores in the Commerce on Cloud Infrastructure guide.

• You accept multiple domains in one virtual host file or use one virtual host per website; the virtual host configuration files are located in /etc/nginx/sites-available.

• You use the nginx.conf.sample provided by Commerce with only the modifications discussed in this tutorial.

• The Commerce software is installed in /var/www/html/magento2.

• You have two websites other than the default:

  • french.mysite.mg with website code french and store view code fr
  • german.mysite.mg with website code german and store view code de
  • mysite.mg is the default website and default store view

The following is a roadmap for setting up multiple websites with nginx:

1. Set up websites, stores, and store views in the Admin.

2. Create an Nginx virtual host) to map many websites or one Nginx virtual host per Commerce website (steps detailed below).

3. Pass the values of the MAGE variables $MAGE_RUN_TYPE and $MAGE_RUN_CODE to nginx using the Magento-provided nginx.conf.sample (steps detailed below).

   • $MAGE_RUN_TYPE can be either store or website:

     • Use website to load your website in your storefront.
     • Use store to load any store view in your storefront.

   • $MAGE_RUN_CODE is the unique website or store view code that corresponds to $MAGE_RUN_TYPE.

4. Update the Base URL configuration on the Commerce admin.

Step 1: Create websites, stores, and store views in the Admin

See Set up multiple websites, stores, and store views in the Admin.

Step 2: Create nginx virtual hosts

This step discusses how to load websites on the storefront. You can use either websites or store views; if you use store views, you must adjust parameter values accordingly. You must complete the tasks in this section as a user with sudo privileges.

By using just one nginx virtual host file, you can keep your nginx configuration simple and clean. By using several virtual host files, you can customize each store (to use a custom location for french.mysite.mg for instance).

To create one virtual host (simplified):

This configuration expands upon nginx configuration.

1. Open a text editor and add the following contents to a new file named /etc/nginx/sites-available/magento:

   map $http_host $MAGE_RUN_CODE {
       default '';
       french.mysite.mg french;
       german.mysite.mg german;
   }
   
   server {
       listen 80;
       server_name mysite.mg french.mysite.mg german.mysite.mg;
       set $MAGE_ROOT /var/www/html/magento2;
       set $MAGE_MODE developer;
       set $MAGE_RUN_TYPE website; #or set $MAGE_RUN_TYPE store;
       include /var/www/html/magento2/nginx.conf;
   }
   

2. Save your changes to the files and exit the text editor.

3. Verify the server configuration:

   nginx -t
   

4. If successful, the following message displays:

   nginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test is successful
   

   If errors display, check the syntax of your virtual host configuration files.

5. Create symbolic link in the /etc/nginx/sites-enabled directory:

   cd /etc/nginx/sites-enabled
   

   ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/magento magento
   

For more detail about the map directive, see nginx documentation on the map directive.

To create multiple virtual hosts:

1. Open a text editor and add the following contents to a new file named /etc/nginx/sites-available/french.mysite.mg:

   server {
       listen 80;
       server_name french.mysite.mg;
       set $MAGE_ROOT /var/www/html/magento2;
       set $MAGE_MODE developer;
       set $MAGE_RUN_TYPE website; #or set $MAGE_RUN_TYPE store;
       set $MAGE_RUN_CODE french;
       include /var/www/html/magento2/nginx.conf;
   }
   

2. Create another file named german.mysite.mg in the same directory with the following contents:

   server {
       listen 80;
       server_name german.mysite.mg;
       set $MAGE_ROOT /var/www/html/magento2;
       set $MAGE_MODE developer;
       set $MAGE_RUN_TYPE website; #or set $MAGE_RUN_TYPE store;
       set $MAGE_RUN_CODE german;
       include /var/www/html/magento2/nginx.conf;
   }
   

3. Save your changes to the files and exit the text editor.

4. Verify the server configuration:

   nginx -t
   

5. If successful, the following message displays:

   nginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test is successful
   

   If errors display, check the syntax of your virtual host configuration files.

6. Create symbolic links in the /etc/nginx/sites-enabled directory:

   cd /etc/nginx/sites-enabled
   

   ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/french.mysite.mg french.mysite.mg
   

   ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/german.mysite.mg german.mysite.mg
   

Step 3: Modify nginx.conf.sample

To edit the PHP entry point for the main application:

To modify the nginx.conf.sample file**:

1. Open a text editor and review the nginx.conf.sample file ,<magento2_installation_directory>/nginx.conf.sample. Look for the following section:

   # PHP entry point for main application
   location ~ (index|get|static|report|404|503|health_check)\.php$ {
       try_files $uri =404;
       fastcgi_pass   fastcgi_backend;
       fastcgi_buffers 1024 4k;
   
       fastcgi_param  PHP_FLAG  "session.auto_start=off \n suhosin.session.cryptua=off";
       fastcgi_param  PHP_VALUE "memory_limit=1G \n max_execution_time=18000";
       fastcgi_read_timeout 600s;
       fastcgi_connect_timeout 600s;
   
       fastcgi_index  index.php;
       fastcgi_param  SCRIPT_FILENAME  $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
       include        fastcgi_params;
   }
   

2. Update the nginx.conf.sample file with the following two lines before the include statement:

   fastcgi_param MAGE_RUN_TYPE $MAGE_RUN_TYPE;
   fastcgi_param MAGE_RUN_CODE $MAGE_RUN_CODE;
   

An example updated PHP entry point for the main application looks like:

# PHP entry point for main application

location ~ (index|get|static|report|404|503|health_check)\.php$ {
    try_files $uri =404;
    fastcgi_pass   fastcgi_backend;
    fastcgi_buffers 1024 4k;

    fastcgi_param  PHP_FLAG  "session.auto_start=off \n suhosin.session.cryptua=off";
    fastcgi_param  PHP_VALUE "memory_limit=1G \n max_execution_time=18000";
    fastcgi_read_timeout 600s;
    fastcgi_connect_timeout 600s;

    fastcgi_index  index.php;
    fastcgi_param  SCRIPT_FILENAME  $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
    # START - Multisite customization
    fastcgi_param MAGE_RUN_TYPE $MAGE_RUN_TYPE;
    fastcgi_param MAGE_RUN_CODE $MAGE_RUN_CODE;
    # END - Multisite customization
    include        fastcgi_params;
}

Step 4: Update the Base URL configuration

You must update the Base URL for the french and the german websites in the Commerce admin.

Update French Website Base URL

1. Log in to the Commerce admin and navigate to Stores > Settings > Configuration > General > Web.
2. Change the configuration scope to the french website.
3. Expand Base URLs section and update the Base URL and Base Link URL value to http://french.magento24.com/.
4. Expand Base URLs (Secure) section and update the Secure Base URL and Secure Base Link URL value to https://french.magento24.com/.
5. Click Save Config and save the configuration changes.

Update German Website Base URL

1. Log in to the Commerce admin and navigate to Stores > Settings > Configuration > General > Web.
2. Change the configuration scope to the german website.
3. Expand Base URLs section and update the Base URL and Base Link URL value to http://german.magento24.com/.
4. Expand Base URLs (Secure) section and update the Secure Base URL and Secure Base Link URL value to https://german.magento24.com/.
5. Click Save Config and save the configuration changes.

Clean the Cache

Run the following command to clean the config and full_page caches.

bin/magento cache:clean config full_page

Verify your site

Unless you have DNS set up for your stores’ URLs, you must add a static route to the host in your hosts file:

1. Locate your operating system hosts file.

2. Add the static route in the format:

   <ip-address> french.mysite.mg
   <ip-address> german.mysite.mg
   

3. Go to one of the following URLs in your browser:

   http://mysite.mg/admin
   http://french.mysite.mg/frenchstoreview
   http://german.mysite.mg/germanstoreview
   

Troubleshooting

• If your French and German sites return 404s but your Admin loads, make sure you completed Step 6: Add the store code to the base URL.
• If all URLs return 404s, make sure you restarted your web server.
• If the Admin does not function properly, make sure you set up your virtual hosts properly.