Glossary
Reverse Proxy
A reverse proxy sits in front of web servers, forwarding client requests to them while adding caching, TLS termination, and load balancing.
A reverse proxy is a server that sits in front of one or more backend servers and forwards client requests to them, then returns the responses. To the client it looks like the origin; the real servers stay hidden behind it.
What it adds
- TLS termination — handling
ssl-tlsso backends don't have to. - Caching — serving repeated responses without hitting the backend.
- Load balancing — acting as or pairing with a
load-balancer. - Security — hiding origin
ip-addresses and hosting awaf.
Forward vs reverse
A forward proxy acts on behalf of clients; a reverse proxy acts on behalf of servers.
Why it matters for hosting
Reverse proxies — commonly nginx, or a cdn acting as one — are the standard way to add caching, http-2/http-3, and security in front of an application server like apache or a php backend, without changing the application itself.
See also
Nginx
Nginx is a high-performance, event-driven web server and reverse proxy prized for handling many concurrent connections with low memory use.
Load Balancer
A load balancer distributes incoming traffic across multiple servers to improve capacity, reliability, and uptime for a website or application.
Caching
Caching stores copies of data or pages so repeat requests are served instantly, reducing server work and dramatically speeding up websites.
CDN (Content Delivery Network)
A CDN is a worldwide network of edge servers that cache and serve your site close to visitors, cutting latency and absorbing traffic spikes.