What does http block do in Nginx

Question

I am wondering what the http block does in Nginx. I don't see many tutorials talking about when it is necessary to use that block, and many examples do not use it at all.

Answer 1

The http block is required for any nginx configuration that is intended to act as a HTTP(S) server. It often isn't included in examples, because most people use nginx for HTTP(S) service, however if you're using nginx to proxy (for example) IMAP/POP3, you don't need a http block.