Password protect a directory with index listing in nginx

Install htpasswd utility:

apt install apache2-utils # For Debian/Ubuntu
dnf install httpd-tools # For Fedora/RHEL

Create the .htpasswd file: This file will store usernames and the hashed passwords:

htpasswd -c /etc/nginx/.htpasswd your_username

To add more users later without overwriting the file, omit the -c flag.

Edit your nginx configuration file:

location /protected/ {
  auth_basic "Restricted Area";
  auth_basic_user_file /etc/nginx/.htpasswd;
  autoindex on; # To enable directory listing (indexes)
}

Test and reload nginx:

nginx -t
sytemctl reload nginx