Contexts

Learning Focus

By the end of this lesson you will understand what contexts are, the different context types available, and how to use them for fine-grained request handling.

What Contexts Are

Contexts are path-based rules inside a virtual host. They let you change behavior for a specific URL path without redefining the entire site. Think of them as "this path gets special treatment."

Context Types

Type	Purpose	Example Use
Static	Serve files from a specific directory	Serve /assets/ from a CDN origin path
CGI	Execute CGI scripts	Legacy Perl or Python scripts
Servlet	Java servlet mapping	Java/Tomcat applications
Proxy	Forward requests to an upstream	Proxy /api/ to a Node.js backend
Redirect	Redirect a path to another URL	Send /old-page to /new-page
App Server	LiteSpeed SAPI or LSAPI	Custom PHP app handler

Common Use Cases

Serve Static Assets from a Separate Directory

Map /images/ to a dedicated storage path:

Setting	Value
URI	/images/
Type	Static
Location	/var/www/shared-images/

Proxy a Backend Application

Route /api/ to a Node.js backend:

Setting	Value
URI	/api/
Type	Proxy
Web Server	http://127.0.0.1:3000

Restrict Access to Admin Paths

Block public access to /wp-admin/ by IP:

Setting	Value
URI	/wp-admin/
Access Control	Allow your-ip, Deny all

Creating a Context in WebAdmin

1. Navigate to Virtual Hosts → select your vhost
2. Click Context → Add
3. Choose the context type (Static, Proxy, Redirect, etc.)
4. Set the URI (the URL path to match)
5. Configure the type-specific settings
6. Save and Graceful Restart

Key Takeaways

• Contexts are one of the most useful tools for fine-grained request handling.
• Use them for static file mapping, proxying backends, redirecting paths, and access control.
• Each context type has specific settings — match the type to your use case.

What's Next

• Return to the Server Configuration module for the complete overview.