create docker-compose.yml with following content :

version: "3.7"

services:
  web:
    image: nginx:alpine
    volumes:
      - ./nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf
    ports:
      - 8080:80
    networks:
      - app1_net
      - app2_net

  app1:
    image: httpd:latest
    networks:
      - app1_net

  app2:
    image: httpd:latest
    networks:
      - app2_net

networks:
  app1_net:
  app2_net:

the following nginx.conf configuration file in the same directory:

events {}
http {
    server {
    listen 80;
    listen [::]:80;

    server_name example.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://app1:80/;
    }
    location /app2 {
        proxy_pass http://app2:80/;
    }
  }
}

run docker compose

docker compose up 

Go to http://localhost:8080 and observer the command line

• It will show you the nignx-container web_1 container (reverse_proxy) was requested • And forwarded the request to “app1” container • Reload a few times to make this more obvious

Go to http://localhost:8080/app2 and observe the command line

• It will show you again that nginx-container web_1 container (reverse_proxy) was requested • And now forwards to “app2” container • Reload a few times to make this more obvious