How to correct syntax errors in NGINX config for WordPress

Other Questions Wordpress
1

I’m experiencing issues with my NGINX configuration for my WordPress site. Each time I try to impose request method restrictions within my server block, I encounter syntax errors.

This is my existing configuration:

server {
    listen 80;
    listen [::]:80;
    
    root /var/www/html/mysite;
    index index.php index.html index.htm;
    
    server_name mysite.local www.mysite.local;
    
    error_log /var/log/nginx/mysite_error.log;
    access_log /var/log/nginx/mysite_access.log;
    
    client_max_body_size 100M;
    
    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
    }
    
    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.0-fpm.sock;
    }
}

I am trying to add this snippet:

if ($request_method !~ ^(GET|HEAD|POST)$) {
    return 405;
}

However, it continually results in “unexpected }” error regardless of where I insert it in the config. I’ve tested various locations, yet I can’t figure out how to implement request method filtering into my NGINX setup without encountering syntax issues.

2

This looks like a semicolon or missing braces issue. Check that you’ve got semicolons after each directive and wrap your if statement in a location block - don’t put it directly in the server context. I ran into the same thing upgrading WordPress. Some NGINX versions are pickier about where you place conditionals. Try moving it inside your main location / block, right after try_files. Also check for unclosed blocks above this server block - NGINX sometimes reports errors in the wrong spot when there’s a missing brace earlier in the config.

3

put the if statement right after server_name and before error_log. check for extra spaces or weird characters too - nginx hates that stuff. fixed it for me with the same problem.

4

Syntax looks fine, but NGINX is picky about where you put things. Move that if block inside your main location block - don’t put it at server level. Always run nginx -t before reloading to catch issues early. I’ve hit this before and found invisible characters from copy-pasted docs can break parsing. Just retype the if statement by hand instead of copying it. Also check your NGINX version - older ones sometimes choke on certain conditionals even when the syntax is technically correct.