JPPS

Adding a Website

Updated Oct 27, 2026

This is the core, everyday task in RustProxy: telling it "when someone visits this domain name, send them to that website."

Before you start

You'll want to know two things:

  1. The domain name you're pointing here, e.g. app.example.com. This domain's DNS must already point at this server (you set that up with your domain registrar or DNS provider, separately from RustProxy).
  2. Where the real website lives, usually something like 127.0.0.1:8000, meaning "on this same server, on port 8000." If the website runs on a different computer on your network, use that computer's address instead.

Adding the site

  1. In the admin panel, go to Sites, then the Hosts tab.

  2. Click Add site.

  3. Pick what the site does. Each choice shows only the fields it needs:

    • Web app: send visitors to a server or app. This is the usual choice.
    • Redirect: send visitors to another address, e.g. old.example.com to new.example.com.
    • Static files: serve a folder of files straight from this server.
    • Maintenance / 404: show a fixed page or message. It starts with a ready-made "Down for maintenance" page.

    You can switch between them while filling in the form; what you've typed is kept.

  4. Fill in Basics:

    • Domain: the name visitors will type, e.g. app.example.com
    • Server address (IPv4 / IPv6): which of this server's own addresses to answer on. Leave these on "All interfaces" unless you know you need to narrow it down. See Glossary.
    • Port: almost always 443, the standard port for secure (HTTPS) websites

  5. For a Web app, fill in Send traffic to (upstream): where the real website lives, e.g. 127.0.0.1:8000.

  6. Leave the rest at its defaults unless you have a reason to change it:

    • Send plain HTTP visitors to HTTPS: on by default, so someone who types http:// is moved to the secure https:// version
    • Auto-SSL (ACME): on by default. This gets you the padlock icon, explained in HTTPS Certificates, Explained

  7. Click Add site.

Within moments, RustProxy requests a free HTTPS certificate for your domain and starts routing traffic.

The firewall check

If adding or changing a site changes the firewall (a new port, say), RustProxy shows you the change before saving it: green lines are being added, red lines removed. Click Add site (or Save changes) to go ahead, or Cancel to go back to the form.

If the change would stop you reaching the admin panel, you'll see a red warning and the button says Save anyway. Cancel unless you're sure you have another way in.

Most site changes don't touch the firewall at all, and those save straight away.

Checking it worked

Visit https://app.example.com (your real domain) in a browser. You should see your website, with a padlock icon in the address bar.

If it doesn't work right away, the most common causes are:

More help: Troubleshooting.

Editing, copying or removing a site

Every site in the list has Edit, Copy and Delete buttons:

Use Filter sites to find one quickly, and Sort by certificate expiry to put the sites whose certificates run out soonest at the top.

Getting help in the panel

Each page has a Guide button, and many sections of the form have a small ⓘ icon. Both open the matching page of this wiki.

Next steps