How to Test and Restart Nginx and PHP-FPM Services on Ubuntu

Before applying any changes to the configuration files of Nginx or PHP-FPM, it is advisable to test them for any errors to avoid breaking the server.

Nginx

nginx -t

The expected output should look like this

nginx: the configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf syntax is ok
nginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test is successful

If the test is successful, you can safely restart the service with service nginx restart

php-fpm{version} -t # ex: php-fpm8.2 -t

The expected output should look like this

NOTICE: configuration file /etc/php/8.2/fpm/php-fpm.conf test is successful

Similarly, if the test is successful, you can restart the service with service php{version}-fpm restart, ex service php7.4-fpm restart