Skip to content

Reverse proxy: Definition and Applications

TL;DR:

Reverse proxy is a proxy server that sits in front of backend servers and handles incoming client requests. Typical duties: SSL termination, load balancing, caching, compression, rate limiting, WAF. Examples: nginx (most popular), HAProxy, Caddy, Traefik, AWS CloudFront.

What is Reverse proxy

Reverse proxy is a proxy server that sits in front of backend servers and handles incoming client requests. Typical duties: SSL termination, load balancing, caching, compression, rate limiting, WAF. Examples: nginx (most popular), HAProxy, Caddy, Traefik, AWS CloudFront.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this apply to my project?

See definition above. Most web projects with traffic > 100 RPS need it.