Nginx Site Config Templates and Variables

Solution 1:

The nginx FAQ is pretty clear on this topic:

Q: Is there a proper way to use nginx variables to make sections of the configuration shorter, using them as macros for making parts of configuration work as templates?

A: Variables should not be used as template macros. Variables are evaluated in the run-time during the processing of each request, so they are rather costly compared to plain static configuration. Using variables to store static strings is also a bad idea. Instead, a macro expansion and "include" directives should be used to generate configs more easily and it can be done with the external tools, e.g. sed + make or any other common template mechanism.

Building a configuration using external tools is the way to go. I've used m4 + make. I use a custom Python script in one of my projects. The choices are plenty.

Solution 2:

Simple answer just use static server configs on a per domain basis, don't try to be smart. I set up a script to generate the config file instead.