Sticky Sessions Explained: When Your IP Should Stay the Same
In short: normally a rotating proxy can hand you a new IP address with every request. A sticky session tells it to keep giving you the same IP for a while instead, usually somewhere between 1 and 30 minutes. That matters because some websites expect every page of a visit to come from the same visitor. Logging in is the classic case: if your address changes halfway through, the site can lose track of you.
Turning it on takes three steps:
- In your dashboard, choose sticky instead of per-request rotation.
- Start a session, usually by adding a session ID to your username or by connecting to the sticky port.
- Do your task. When you want a fresh IP, start a new session or let the time window run out.
The companion guide, rotating vs sticky sessions, compares both modes side by side. Is this allowed? Either mode is fine for legitimate work within each site's terms of service.
Written and kept up to date by the people who run Budget Proxies. If a step no longer matches what you see on your screen, let us know through the contact page.
What this guide walks you through
- What happens behind the scenes
- Sticky or a new IP each time? One question decides
- Everyday tasks and the mode that suits them
- How long should you keep the same IP?
- Beginner mistakes, and what sticky sessions cost
What happens behind the scenes
Think of the session ID as a name tag pinned to your requests. You connect to the proxy gateway exactly as you normally would, but each request now wears the same tag, either inside your username or because it arrives on the sticky port. The gateway sees the tag, picks one IP from the pool for it, and sends every tagged request through that IP until the session ends.
When the time runs out, or you switch to a new tag, you're given a fresh IP. Your browser or script never has to change anything else: it talks to the same gateway throughout, and we handle the stickiness on our side.
Sticky or a new IP each time? One question decides
Ask yourself: does the website need to remember me from one page to the next?
- No, each page stands alone. This is called stateless work: fetching lots of product pages or checking search rankings, where nothing carries over between requests. Per-request rotation suits it, and it spreads your activity widely across the pool.
- Yes, it needs to remember me. This is stateful work: logging in and clicking around, keeping items in a basket, or filling in a form that runs over several pages. That's the job sticky sessions exist for.
Everyday tasks and the mode that suits them
Find your task in the table to see which mode fits. As a rule of thumb, sticky wins whenever the site has to recognise you between pages, and rotation wins whenever it doesn't.
| Task | Mode to use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Logging in, then moving around the site | Sticky | The site expects the same visitor throughout |
| Forms over several pages, or a checkout | Sticky | Each page carries on from the last |
| Fetching unrelated pages | Per-request | No page depends on another |
| Checking lots of search rankings | Per-request | Spreads your activity across the pool |
| Looking after an account | Sticky | One steady address for the session |
How long should you keep the same IP?
Long enough to finish the task, and no longer. A quick log-in-and-check might only need a minute or two. A longer browse, or a form spread over several pages, can use the full window. Keeping one IP for longer than you need simply pushes more of your requests through that single address.
Mobile proxies have one extra wrinkle: the phone network changes IPs on its own timetable, which limits how long any one address can be held. What are mobile proxies explains why.
Beginner mistakes, and what sticky sessions cost
A few slips catch people out early on:
- Using sticky for everything. Pages that stand alone are easier, and lighter on any one address, with rotation.
- Picking the longest window "just in case". Match the window to the task instead.
- Choosing a window shorter than the task. If the session ends halfway through a login or a form, your next request arrives from a new IP.
Every plan includes sticky sessions without charging anything extra, and you can switch between sticky and per-request in your dashboard whenever you like. They work on the datacenter, residential and mobile plans, over HTTP/HTTPS or SOCKS5. Session length doesn't change the price, so the only thing to estimate is your data use: the proxy calculator does that, the pricing page lists the plans, and you can buy now from $2.49/GB.
Questions beginners ask
Not sure what to buy? Start at step 1
Here are our four types, from the lowest price per GB upwards. Try a small amount of the first one that could work for your project, and only move up a step if a quick test lets you down.
Sites without bot protection, big batches of public pages, automation and SEO tools
Protected sites, ad checks, market research and seeing what one place really sees
Apps and platforms built for phones, plus testing your own mobile app
Well-guarded sites, where a better success rate is worth the higher price
Small first order? Datacenter from $2.49/GB · billed on the data you actually move · ready straight away · 30 days to use it · no traffic logs.
What to read next
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 ca…
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 t…
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 …
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…
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, a…
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 check…
Read the guide →Got a particular job in mind?
Ready to try your first proxy?
Choose from 55+ countries, pay from $2.49/GB for only the data you use, and get your login details straight away. If a step trips you up, human support is there 24/7.
