Guides
How each proxy type works under the hood: CGNAT on mobile carriers, ASN classification, session models and the detection signals platforms read. Written for people who run the traffic, not for people who resell it.
Covered here: rotating residential proxies, static ISP proxies, mobile proxies.
GuidesCrawlee proxy setup: rotation, sessions, tiers and SOCKS5
Crawlee proxy setup for Node and Python: ProxyConfiguration, how sessions pin proxies, the browser trap where proxyInfo lies, tiers, SOCKS5 and 407 loops.
GuidesPrivacy Pass tokens explained: roles, flow and proxies
Privacy Pass tokens let a client prove it passed a check without saying who it is. How issuance and redemption work, where tokens run, what proxies change.
GuidesDetect AI browser agents: signals, signatures and tests
How to detect AI browser agents: declared identity, Web Bot Auth signatures, browser and behaviour signals, why IP checks fail, and a test you can run.
GuidesMASQUE proxy: how HTTP/3 tunnels UDP and IP traffic
A MASQUE proxy tunnels UDP and IP traffic over HTTP/3 with CONNECT-UDP and CONNECT-IP. How it works, who runs it today, and what it means for proxy users.
GuidesEncrypted Client Hello: what ECH hides and what proxies see
Encrypted Client Hello (ECH) hides the hostname in the TLS handshake. How it works, what stays visible, 2026 support, and why it often stops behind a proxy.
GuidesResidential proxy botnets: how they work and how to spot one
A residential proxy botnet rents out hijacked routers, TV boxes and phones as proxy exits. How devices get enrolled, the 2024-2026 cases, and how to check.
GuidesMCP proxy server: bridges, gateways and web egress
What an MCP proxy server does: stdio to HTTP bridges, aggregators and gateways, what the 2026-07-28 spec changed for them, security risks and web egress.
GuidesAnubis proof of work: how the AI scraper challenge works
How Anubis proof of work runs: the SHA-256 puzzle, the week-long cookie bound to your IP, weights by country and ASN, its limits, and where proxies fit.
GuidesHTTP/2 fingerprinting: the frames and what a proxy changes
HTTP2 fingerprinting reads the SETTINGS, WINDOW_UPDATE, PRIORITY and pseudo-header order a client sends first. Real values from Chrome, Firefox and Go.
GuidesHTTP CONNECT method: how HTTPS gets through a proxy
The HTTP CONNECT method turns a proxy into a blind tunnel. The request, the 200 reply, what the proxy can and cannot see, why tunnels fail, and HTTP/3.
GuidesCDP detection: how sites spot Chrome DevTools automation
How CDP detection spots Puppeteer, Playwright and Selenium through the Chrome DevTools Protocol, what the 2025 V8 change broke, and what a proxy changes.
GuidesBlock AI crawlers: robots.txt, server rules and verification
How to block AI crawlers: which bots train and which cite you, copy-paste robots.txt and server rules, bot verification, and what to do about bots that lie.
GuidesPay per crawl: how HTTP 402 lets sites charge AI crawlers
How Cloudflare pay per crawl uses HTTP 402, the crawler-price headers and Web Bot Auth, what sites and crawler operators set up, and where proxies fit.
Guides502 Bad Gateway proxy error: find who sent it, then fix it
A 502 through a proxy comes from the proxy or from the target's own gateway. How to tell them apart in one command, what causes each, and when to retry.
GuidesISP proxy pricing: the per-IP unit and how to size it
ISP proxy pricing explained: why static ISP IPs bill per IP per month, what moves the bill, terms and refunds, a sizing method, and the jobs ISP fits best.
GuidesLogging in to business accounts from abroad without lockouts
Log in to business accounts from abroad without lockouts: what login checks read, the platform route first, when a static ISP IP helps and what it cannot fix.
GuidesProxy timeout: connect, read or 504, and which side to fix
A proxy timeout names the phase that stalled: connect, the CONNECT tunnel, TLS or first byte. Read the error, time each phase with curl, fix the right side.
GuidesHow to set up a proxy on Android and iPhone
How to set up a proxy on Android and iPhone: Wi-Fi steps, what the setting misses, logging in with a password, mobile data, and device-wide options for QA.
GuidesWeb Bot Auth explained: signed requests, keys and proxies
Web Bot Auth lets bots sign HTTP requests with a published key. How the three headers work, who verifies them in 2026, and what a proxy changes.
GuidesIP reputation score: what it measures and how to read it
An IP reputation score rates how risky an address looks from blocklists, abuse reports and network type. How each scale works and how proxy IPs score.
GuidesProxy rotation strategy: sessions, pace and retries
A proxy rotation strategy decides when a job changes exit IP, how fast it hits each target and which failures it retries, with a failure table and Python code.
GuidesERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED: what it means, how to fix it
ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED means a proxy would not open the HTTPS tunnel. How to see the status Chrome hides, and the fix for each one, in Chrome and code.
GuidesProxies for market research: seeing each market as locals do
Which market research jobs need residential exits, where datacenter is enough, how to design a multi-market collection, and a sized 5-country weekly run.
GuidesWeb scraping architecture: components, patterns and proxies
Web scraping architecture splits a scraper into scheduler, fetcher, parser, storage and monitoring layers. How it changes with scale, and where proxies belong.
GuidesPuppeteer proxy setup: launch flag, auth, contexts, SOCKS5 and rotation
Set a Puppeteer proxy with --proxy-server or per browser context, authenticate with page.authenticate, fix 407 and SOCKS5 errors, and rotate by context.
GuidesBrowser profile proxy setup: one proxy, WebRTC and DNS
Set up one proxy per browser profile: own credentials per profile, the proxy type for each job, and how to check WebRTC, DNS and language before login.
GuidesBackconnect proxy: one gateway, many exit IPs, how to test
A backconnect proxy is one gateway address that routes your traffic to exit IPs from a pool. Gateway vs exit, rotation, proxy lists, and how to test one.
GuidesHow many proxies do I need? A sizing formula by job
How many proxies you need depends on the job: requests per hour, concurrent sessions, accounts or GB. Formulas, a pilot test and a worked example for each job.
GuidesProxy error codes: which hop sent it and how to fix it
Proxy error codes decoded by hop: which ones the proxy sends, which come from the target, how to read them with curl -v, and which ones are safe to retry.
GuidesHow to choose a residential proxy provider: a buyer's checklist
How to choose a residential proxy provider: sourcing and consent, pool depth where you need it, sessions, geo accuracy, real cost per GB and a test plan.
GuidesSelenium proxy setup: auth, SOCKS5, Firefox and rotation
Set a Selenium proxy in Chrome and Firefox, add username and password auth tested on Selenium 4.50 and Chrome 154, fix SOCKS5 errors and rotate per driver.
GuidesIPv6 proxies: when they work and where they fail
IPv6 proxies reach only targets that serve IPv6, and many rate limiters count a whole /64 as one client. How to check both, and when IPv4 or residential fits.
GuidesTest a Shopify store from another country, step by step
Test a Shopify store from another country: Preview covers prices and currency; redirects, geo apps and cookie banners need a local IP. Per-market checklist.
GuidesProxies for SERP tracking: location, device and pacing
Why rank data drifts when the location parameter and exit IP disagree, how to set city-level exits, which proxy type fits, and what Google's rules say.
Guidescurl proxy: -x, auth, SOCKS5, timing and exit codes
Run curl through a proxy with -x: credentials and encoding, socks5 vs socks5h, env vars, --noproxy, timing with -w, and what exit codes 5, 7 and 97 mean.
GuidesPython requests proxy: auth, sessions, SOCKS5 and rotation
Set a proxy in Python requests the right way: the proxies dict and its https key, auth encoding, sessions, SOCKS5, rotation, retries and the silent bypass.
GuidesAre free proxies safe? What a free list actually delivers
What studies of free proxy lists found: dead proxies, leaked IPs, injected scripts and swapped certificates, what HTTPS hides, and when free is fine.
GuidesAd verification proxies: checking ads market by market
How to verify ad placements, creatives and landing redirect chains per market from a consumer origin, which proxy tier fits, and how to size a setup.
GuidesScrape Google search results: API, parsing, pacing
How to scrape Google search results in 2026: the Custom Search JSON API and its limits, what Google's terms say, parsing, pacing and setting location.
GuidesProxies for AI agents: giving an agent reliable web access
Proxies for AI agents give a cloud-hosted agent a home or ISP origin. Which jobs need one, which type and rotation fit, and how to wire Playwright and MCP.
GuidesProxies for AI training data: throughput, sizing and rules
How to size proxies for AI training data: why datacenter ports carry most of the crawl, where residential fits, opt-out rules and a sized 10M page job.
GuidesHow anti-bot systems work, and where a proxy tier fits
How anti-bot systems work, from vendor docs: IP reputation, TLS fingerprints, browser checks and behaviour feed one score, then a policy picks the challenge.
GuidesMultiple Amazon seller accounts: what Amazon allows and how
Amazon allows extra seller accounts only for a legitimate business need. What counts, what each account needs, how teams log in, and where a static IP fits.
GuidesMultiple Facebook ad accounts: Meta's limits and setup
Meta allows several ad accounts in one business portfolio. The real limits, roles, agency access and spend controls, and where a steady login IP helps a team.
GuidesProxies for social media management: one client, one origin
Proxies for social media management, inside the rules: when Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn access tools do the job, and when one origin per client helps.
GuidesTikTok proxies: regional research and brand accounts
TikTok proxies for brands and agencies: what TikTok's rules allow, how to see what each market is shown, and how to run accounts you own from one origin.
GuidesOkHttp proxy: auth, SOCKS5, rotation and 407 fixes
OkHttp proxy setup in Kotlin and Java for OkHttp 4.12 and 5.x: proxyAuthenticator done right, SOCKS5 logins, the system proxy, rotation and the 407 traps.
GuidesPHP cURL proxy: CURLOPT_PROXY, auth, SOCKS5 and errors
PHP cURL proxy setup that works: CURLOPT_PROXY and PROXYUSERPWD, special characters, SOCKS5 and socks5h, env variables, reuse, rotation and the 407 errors.
GuidesInstagram proxies for brand and agency account logins
Instagram proxies for brand and agency teams: what Instagram allows, why login location matters, which proxy type fits, billing, and when you need none.
GuidesC# HttpClient proxy: WebProxy, auth, SOCKS5 and rotation
C# HttpClient proxy setup for .NET 8 and 10: WebProxy credentials, SOCKS5, environment proxies, IHttpClientFactory, rotation and the 407 and https:// traps.
GuidesJava proxy setup: HttpClient, Authenticator and SOCKS5
Java proxy setup that works: system properties, java.net.Proxy, HttpClient, a scoped Authenticator, the 407 fix for Basic over CONNECT, SOCKS5, OkHttp, Apache.
GuidesPlaywright proxy setup: scopes, auth, SOCKS5, rotation and timezone
Set a Playwright proxy per browser, per context or in playwright.config. Fix 407 and SOCKS5 auth errors, rotate by context, and set timezone for geo-QA.
GuidesUS mobile proxies: carriers, targeting and exit checks
US mobile proxies exit through US carrier networks. How CGNAT and the three national carriers shape them, how precise targeting is, and how to check the exit.
GuidesHow to scrape Google Maps: Places API first, then scraping
How to scrape Google Maps: how the Places API is billed now, what Google's terms allow, and a scraping method for public business data with city-level proxies.
GuidesUSA datacenter proxies: which US targets accept them
USA datacenter proxies are fast US server IPs. Which US targets accept hosting networks, which filter them, how to test one exit and when another tier fits.
GuidesHow to scrape Amazon: Python, the law and official APIs
Scrape public Amazon product and price data with Python: what the terms and courts say, the official API routes, polite rate limits and where proxies fit.
GuidesGermany proxies: targeting, sessions and exit checks
Germany proxies give a German exit IP. Which proxy type fits, how state and city targeting works, why DE is the code, and how to check the exit before a job.
Guides407 Proxy Authentication Required: causes and client fixes
A 407 means the proxy, not the site, rejected or never got your login. Causes in the order to check, and the fix for curl, Python, Node, browsers and apt.
GuidesUK residential proxies: regions, cities and sessions
UK residential proxies route through British home broadband. How UK targeting works, why GB is the country code, which session fits and how to check the exit.
GuidesUSA residential proxies: state, city and session guide
USA residential proxies route through US home connections. How state and city targeting works, which session type fits, and how to check the exit.
GuidesDo proxy providers keep logs? What they record and why
Do proxy providers keep logs? What a proxy gateway records, what it cannot see over HTTPS, why "no logs" claims failed in court and how to read a policy.
GuidesProxy format: IP, port, username and password, every form
Read and write proxy strings: host:port:user:pass, user:pass@host:port, http:// vs socks5h:// URLs, separate fields, password encoding and IPv6 brackets.
GuidesProxy provider security review: 6 checks before you buy
A proxy provider security review for privacy-first buyers: terms, abuse handling, credentials, measured traffic, logs, IP sourcing and what certificates prove.
GuidesPay as you go proxies: per-GB billing, no subscription
Pay as you go proxies bill per GB with no renewal. How to estimate GB, how per-GB rates scale, whether GB expire, and when a per-IP subscription fits better.
GuidesHow do websites detect proxies? Every layer, in order
Websites detect proxies by IP and ASN, TCP stack, TLS, headers, browser leaks and behaviour: what each layer sees, and a self-test you can run.
GuidesWhat is a proxy server? How it works and when to use one
What is a proxy server: how a request travels through one, forward vs reverse, what it hides and what it does not, proxy vs VPN, the risks and what it costs.
GuidesSwitching proxy providers without downtime: a checklist
Switching proxy providers without breaking jobs: what to inventory, how to map credentials and rotation, the parallel test to run, and when switching fails.
GuidesProxy acceptable use policy: what providers ban and why
What a proxy acceptable use policy bans, which targets get blocked, how KYC and enforcement work, what a breach costs, and what to read before you pay.
GuidesHow to use a proxy: system, browser, phone and code
How to use a proxy on Windows, macOS, iPhone, Android, Chrome, Firefox, curl and Python: what the details mean, where they go, and how to check it works.
GuidesWhat are mobile proxies? Carrier IPs, CGNAT and rotation
What are mobile proxies? Carrier IPs behind CGNAT, how rotation works, when they are worth it, when they are not, detection limits and per-GB billing.
GuidesWhat are ISP proxies? How they differ from residential
ISP proxies are ISP-registered IPs on servers, held for the term. How they differ from residential, pros and cons, billing, and a week-long test to verify one.
GuidesWhat are datacenter proxies? Uses, limits and pricing
Datacenter proxies use IPs owned by hosting companies. What they are used for, why strict sites block them, how to test a target, and IPv4 port pricing.
GuidesTypes of proxies: datacenter, residential, ISP and mobile compared
Types of proxies sorted by what the target sees: datacenter, residential, ISP and mobile, then by protocol, anonymity, rotation, access and billing.
GuidesBest proxies for web scraping: match the proxy to the job
The best proxies for web scraping depend on the target. Datacenter, residential, ISP and mobile compared by job, with billing models and a test to run first.
GuidesCGNAT explained for proxy buyers: why shared carrier IPs are the point
A CGNAT proxy exits from a carrier IPv4 shared by hundreds of subscribers. How the sharing works, how to check for it, and why it makes blocks costly.
GuidesWhat is a residential proxy? How it works and when you need one
A residential proxy sends traffic out through a home ISP connection. How it works, where the IPs come from, whether it is legal, and what it costs per GB.
Guides