Yes, it is possible to configure your WordPress site with Nginx without losing any data. The process involves configuring Nginx as a reverse proxy server to handle the incoming requests and pass them to the appropriate backend server, which is typically PHP-FPM or a similar server running WordPress.
Here are the general steps to accomplish this:
Set up Nginx: Install Nginx on your server if it's not already installed. You may need to modify the Nginx configuration file (usually located at /etc/nginx/nginx.conf) to suit your requirements.
Backup your WordPress data: It's always recommended to back up your WordPress site before making any significant changes. This ensures you have a copy of your data in case something goes wrong.
Install and configure PHP-FPM: WordPress requires a PHP interpreter to process PHP files. Install PHP-FPM and configure it to work with Nginx. You may need to modify the PHP-FPM configuration file (usually located at /etc/php-fpm.conf) and adjust the settings as necessary.
Configure Nginx as a reverse proxy: Modify your Nginx configuration file to configure it as a reverse proxy for WordPress. You'll need to define server blocks for your domain and configure the necessary proxy settings to pass requests to PHP-FPM.
Test and troubleshoot: Restart Nginx and PHP-FPM, and then test your WordPress site to ensure it's functioning as expected. If you encounter any issues, check the Nginx error logs (/var/log/nginx/error.log) and PHP-FPM logs (/var/log/php-fpm.log) for any error messages that can help you troubleshoot.
By following these steps, you can configure Nginx to work with your WordPress site without losing any data. However, it's always advisable to have a backup of your data before making any significant changes to your site's configuration.