Firefox proxy settings, explained for first-timers

In plain English: unlike Chrome and Edge, Firefox has its own proxy settings. That means you can send just Firefox through a proxy (a go-between server that fetches pages for you) while your other apps keep using your normal connection. It's a gentle way to try a proxy for the first time, because nothing else on the computer changes and it's quick to undo. The steps below work on Windows, macOS and Linux, since Firefox's settings screen is the same on all three.

Quick start in 3 steps

1. Open Firefox's Settings, scroll down to Network Settings and click Settings....
2. Choose Manual proxy configuration, enter the proxy's host and port, tick the HTTPS box and click OK.
3. Open any site, type your proxy username and password when Firefox asks, then confirm the new address with our my IP tool.

Have these to hand

• Your proxy details: the host (the server's address, either an IP or a name), the port (the number that belongs with it), your username and your password. The dashboard shows host and port as host:port, with the login next to them.
• A recent Firefox. Older versions label one or two options differently; we point those out below.
• A rough idea of the type you want. Not sure? Read "Which type should I pick?" further down before you buy.

Step 1: find the proxy settings

1. Click the menu button (three lines, top right) and choose Settings.
2. Stay on the General page and scroll right to the bottom, where Network Settings sits.
3. Click Settings.... A box called Connection Settings appears.

Shortcut: type about:preferences#general into the address bar, press Enter and scroll down. You land in the same spot.

Step 2: type in your proxy

1. Select Manual proxy configuration.
2. Put the host in HTTP Proxy and the number in the Port box beside it.
3. Tick Also use this proxy for HTTPS, so secure sites (the ones with a padlock) go through it too. Older versions call this "Use this proxy server for all protocols".
4. Leave No proxy for as it is, unless you know of local addresses that should skip the proxy.
5. Click OK.

There's no username or password box here, and that's normal. Firefox asks for them in a pop-up the first time the proxy needs them, then keeps them for the rest of the session.

Got SOCKS details instead?

SOCKS is another way of talking to a proxy, and it can carry more kinds of traffic than plain web requests. If your dashboard gave you SOCKS details:

1. Leave the HTTP Proxy boxes empty.
2. Fill in SOCKS Host and its Port.
3. Pick SOCKS v5.
4. Tick Proxy DNS when using SOCKS v5. That sends your look-ups through the proxy as well (more on why below).
5. Click OK, then sign in when the pop-up appears.

Check it, and check for leaks

Open a new tab and load our my IP tool. If the address and location belong to the proxy, Firefox is using it. If you still see your own, check the port, look for a typo in the host, and make sure you didn't close the sign-in pop-up without filling it in.

Then run the DNS leak test. DNS is the look-up that turns a name like a shop's web address into a number. Even with a proxy on, some of those look-ups can still go out through your home internet provider, which tells it which sites you visit. If your provider appears in the results, switch to the SOCKS setup with Proxy DNS when using SOCKS v5 ticked, or look at your computer's DNS settings.

Turning it off again

Because the setting lives inside Firefox, undoing it is quick. Reopen Connection Settings and pick No proxy, or Use system proxy settings if you want Firefox to follow the computer again. The change applies straight away, with no restart.

Which type should I pick?

• Trying proxies out, light browsing or testing: datacenter proxies cost less and respond quickly.
• Sites that check where visitors connect from: residential proxies use addresses that home internet providers hand out.
• Seeing a site as phone users do: mobile proxies run over mobile networks.
• One site that keeps refusing residential: residential premium uses a cleaner, less-used set of home addresses.

See the four side by side on the proxies overview and check what they cost on the pricing page.

Common mistakes

• Forgetting the HTTPS tick box. Without it, secure sites skip the proxy while ordinary ones use it, which makes testing confusing.
• Retyping the username by hand. Usernames often include a country or session part. One slip and the pop-up keeps coming back, so copy and paste it from the dashboard.
• Choosing HTTP when you were given SOCKS details, or the other way round. Firefox then reports that the proxy server is refusing connections. Check which kind your dashboard lists.
• Blaming the browser for slowness. A proxy far away from you adds delay. Run the endpoint through our proxy checker to see whether the proxy or your own network is the slow part.

Is this allowed?

Running Firefox through a proxy is legal in most places, and plenty of people do it for privacy or to see how websites behave elsewhere. What you then do through it still has to follow each site's terms of service and the law where you live. Some countries limit proxy and VPN use, so a quick check is wise if you're not sure about yours.

Beginner questions

Will my other apps use this proxy?

No. This setting belongs to Firefox. Other browsers and apps keep your normal connection unless you set them up separately.

Can I keep one Firefox with a proxy and one without?

Yes. Each Firefox profile keeps its own settings, so one profile can use the proxy while another connects directly. Typing about:profiles into the address bar lets you create and open profiles.

Does the proxy hide who I am?

It hides your IP address from websites. Logging in, cookies and your browser's settings can still tell a site it's you.