Backend
What is Reverse Proxy?
A server that receives client requests and forwards them to backend servers, hiding internal topology and centralizing cross-cutting concerns.
Definition
A reverse proxy accepts requests on behalf of one or more backend servers and relays responses back to clients, who never see the internal topology. Unlike a forward proxy, which acts for clients, a reverse proxy acts for servers. NGINX, Caddy, Envoy, and Traefik are typical choices. Teams use them to terminate TLS, compress responses, cache static assets, rewrite URLs, and enforce rate limits in one place instead of in every application. Most load balancers and API gateways are specialized reverse proxies.