Learn Proxies One Step at a Time
Every guide here assumes you're starting from scratch. We explain each term the first time it comes up, say plainly what a proxy can't do, and keep everything within the law and each website's terms of service.
Brand new to proxies? Read these four first
Read in this order, they take you from "what is a proxy?" to a working setup.
Every guide we've written
What Are Proxies? A Starting Point for Beginners
A proxy passes your traffic on, so websites see its address rather than yours. How it works, the types you can buy, which to tr…
Read the guide →What Are Datacenter Proxies? The Low-Cost Place to Start
Datacenter proxies use addresses from server companies, so they're quick and low-cost. How they work, where they struggle, and …
Read the guide →What Are Residential Proxies? Home Addresses, Explained
A residential proxy sends your requests through a real home connection, so sites see a local visitor. How it works, when it's w…
Read the guide →Datacenter vs Residential Proxies: Which Should a Beginner Buy?
Datacenter is quick and low-cost; residential is trusted more. A plain comparison of speed, price and success, with a simple ru…
Read the guide →Mobile vs Residential Proxies: Do You Really Need Mobile?
Mobile proxies use phone-network IPs; residential ones use home broadband. How trust, cost and uses differ, and why residential…
Read the guide →Proxy or VPN? The Difference, and Which One You Need
Already have a VPN app? How a proxy differs, what each one is good for, and why a proxy suits jobs like checking prices or sear…
Read the guide →SOCKS5 or HTTPS? Choosing a Proxy Protocol Without the Jargon
Your app asks for a proxy protocol and you're not sure which. HTTPS and SOCKS5 in everyday words, when each one fits, and why s…
Read the guide →How Rotating Proxies Work, Explained Without Jargon
A rotating proxy spreads your requests over many IP addresses from a big pool. How it works, per-request vs sticky, and what ro…
Read the guide →Which Proxy Type Suits Your Web Scraping Project?
Starting a scraping project? How to match the proxy type to the website, why rotation helps, which tools work, and how to colle…
Read the guide →Checking Your Ads Appear Where You Paid for Them
Running ads in other towns or countries? Why you need a local IP to check them, which proxy type suits desktop and phone ads, a…
Read the guide →How to Use a Proxy: A First-Timer's Walkthrough
Never set up a proxy? Copy four details from your dashboard into a browser, your computer or a short script, then check it work…
Read the guide →How to Choose a Proxy Without Overspending
Not sure which proxy to buy? Start with the website you'll use, try the lowest-priced type that could work, and only pay more i…
Read the guide →Shared vs Dedicated Proxies: Do You Need Your Own IP?
Shared proxies split a pool of IPs between customers, which keeps the price down; dedicated ones are yours alone. Here's when s…
Read the guide →Free vs Paid Proxies: Is Free Ever Good Enough?
Free proxies cost nothing, but they vanish, crawl along and can expose what you send. Here's when free is fine, when it isn't, …
Read the guide →What Is an IP Address? A Plain-English Guide
Every device online has an IP address, a number that tells data where to go. See yours, learn IPv4 vs IPv6 and public vs privat…
Read the guide →What Is a Residential IP? (You Probably Have One)
A residential IP is the address a home broadband provider gives a household, and you're probably on one now. Why sites trust it…
Read the guide →Forward vs Reverse Proxy, Explained with Everyday Examples
A forward proxy runs errands for you; a reverse proxy is a website's front desk. Here's the difference in plain words, and why …
Read the guide →What Are Mobile Proxies, and Do You Need One?
A mobile proxy uses an IP from a 4G/5G phone network. Learn why websites trust these addresses, why they change on their own, a…
Read the guide →What Are ISP Proxies? Home-Registered IPs on Fast Servers
An ISP proxy is an IP registered to a home internet provider but run on fast servers, and it stays the same. When that helps, a…
Read the guide →Sticky Sessions Explained: When Your IP Should Stay the Same
With a sticky session, your proxy IP stays put for a set time, so logins and multi-page forms don't break halfway. Here's how t…
Read the guide →Proxy Authentication for Beginners: Password or Whitelist?
Before a proxy carries your traffic, it checks you're a customer: by username and password, or by an IP whitelist. Here's how e…
Read the guide →Proxy Protocols in Plain English: HTTP, HTTPS and SOCKS5
A protocol is the language your app speaks to a proxy. HTTP, HTTPS and SOCKS5 explained with everyday examples, plus which one …
Read the guide →Rotating vs Sticky Sessions: Which One Do You Need?
Rotating hands you a new IP on every request; sticky keeps one for a few minutes. Here's an easy way to tell which one your tas…
Read the guide →ISP vs Residential Proxies: Which Suits a Small Project?
Both are trusted like home connections. ISP IPs stay fixed and fast; residential IPs rotate through real homes. Which suits you…
Read the guide →Checking Your Search Rankings from Another Place
Search results change from place to place. A plain-English guide to checking where your site ranks somewhere else, which proxy …
Read the guide →Social Media Accounts and Proxies: A Beginner's Guide
Looking after your shop's page or a club's account? A plain guide to mobile vs residential proxies, keeping one steady IP per a…
Read the guide →Keeping an Eye on Prices in Other Countries
Online prices change with the shopper's location. A beginner's guide to seeing local prices through a proxy, which type to star…
Read the guide →Checking Online Shops and Listings from Abroad
Sell online? A plain guide to checking prices, stock, listings and reviews the way shoppers in other countries see them, which …
Read the guide →Market Research with Proxies for Small Projects
Researching a market for a class project or a small business idea? How a proxy shows you each country as locals see it, which t…
Read the guide →Following Your Competitors, the Simple Way
Running a small business or side project? How to follow rivals' public prices, ads and rankings country by country, which proxy…
Read the guide →Your First Web Scrape with Proxies, Step by Step
Never scraped a website before? Five plain steps: decide what data you need, choose a proxy type, set up rotation and pacing, s…
Read the guide →Getting Lots of CAPTCHAs? Why, and How to See Fewer
Seeing "are you human?" checks again and again? Why CAPTCHAs appear, and how a gentler pace, clean IPs and good habits cut them…
Read the guide →Is My Proxy Fast? How to Test It Properly
Is it the proxy that's slow, or the website? A beginner's guide to measuring success rate, latency and throughput fairly, and t…
Read the guide →Why Your Proxy Got Blocked, in Plain English
A blocked proxy usually comes down to three things: requests sent too fast, a poor IP reputation, or the wrong proxy type for t…
Read the guide →What Your Proxy Error Code Is Telling You
Seeing 407, 403, 429 or 502 through a proxy? What each error code means in plain English, whether the problem is on your side o…
Read the guide →Not Sure How Many Proxies to Buy? Start Here
With us you don't buy a set number of IPs; you pay for data. A beginner's guide to estimating how many gigabytes your project n…
Read the guide →Python and Rotating Proxies: A Gentle First Walkthrough
New to Python and proxies? Two easy ways to rotate IPs with the requests library, a gateway that swaps them for you or a list y…
Read the guide →Web Scraping the Polite Way: Habits to Learn Early
A beginner's checklist for scraping that stays fair and keeps working: read the rules, pace yourself, rotate IPs, save what you…
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