Why is Nginx called a reverse proxy?

The diagram below shows the differences between a forward proxy and a reverse proxy.

A forward proxy is a server that sits between user devices and the internet.

A forward proxy is commonly used for:

1️⃣ Protect clients

2️⃣ Avoid browsing restrictions

3️⃣ Block access to certain content

🔹 A reverse proxy is a server that accepts a request from the client, forwards the request to web servers, and returns the results to the client as if the proxy server had processed the request.

A reverse proxy is good for:

1️⃣ Protect servers

2️⃣ Load balancing

3️⃣ Cache static contents

4️⃣ Encrypt and decrypt SSL communications

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