How to Set Up a .onion Site

• A Linux server (Ubuntu/Debian recommended) - can be a VPS or dedicated server
• A web server (Nginx or Apache) running your site
• Root or sudo access
• Basic command-line knowledge

For maximum privacy, use a server from an offshore hosting provider that accepts cryptocurrency and doesn't require identity verification.

On Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install tor

Add the official Tor Project repository for the latest version:

# Add Tor Project repo
sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/tor-archive-keyring.gpg] https://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org $(lsb_release -cs) main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/tor.list'
sudo apt update && sudo apt install tor

Edit the Tor configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/tor/torrc

Add these lines:

HiddenServiceDir /var/lib/tor/my-onion-site/
HiddenServicePort 80 127.0.0.1:80

This tells Tor to:

• Store the onion service keys in /var/lib/tor/my-onion-site/
• Forward traffic from the .onion port 80 to your local web server on port 80

For HTTPS onion services, add: HiddenServicePort 443 127.0.0.1:443

sudo systemctl restart tor
sudo cat /var/lib/tor/my-onion-site/hostname

This outputs your v3 .onion address (56 characters + .onion). This is your permanent address - it won't change unless you delete the key files.

Backup your keys! The files in /var/lib/tor/my-onion-site/ contain your private key. If you lose them, you lose your .onion address forever.

Configure Nginx to listen only on localhost (your onion service forwards to 127.0.0.1):

server {
    listen 127.0.0.1:80;
    server_name localhost;
    root /var/www/my-onion-site;
    index index.html;
}

Security tips:

• Don't include your clearnet domain in the config - it leaks your identity
• Remove server version headers: server_tokens off;
• Don't log access: access_log off;

Setting up Tor hidden services correctly requires careful security configuration. One mistake can leak your server's real IP address.

AnubizHost handles all of this for you:

• Pre-configured Tor hidden services with v3 onion addresses
• Secure server configuration that prevents IP leaks
• DDoS protection for .onion services
• Automatic Tor updates and security patches
• Offshore servers with no KYC - pay with crypto

Deploy your .onion site in minutes, not hours.