Blog
Proxy tutorials without the padding
Short, practical write-ups, mostly the answers we end up giving in Discord twice a week: what to test before you buy, what a job will cost, and how to keep a scraper polite and cheap.
Getting started
New to proxies, or new here: your first request, where your details live, and what to check before you spend more.
How to use a proxy: the four values and your first request
How to use a proxy from zero. Where the host, port, username and password live, a first request in curl and Python, and the three errors of day one.
Proxy formats explained: which string each tool wants
Proxy format explained: HOST:PORT:USER:PASS, user:pass@host:port and full URLs, which tool wants which, a tested converter, and fixes for special characters.
Tutorials
Code you can run today, with placeholders where your own host and credentials go.
How to check Google rankings by country
Check Google rankings by country with Search Console for your own site, gl and hl for quick looks, and a browser on a static IP in that country.
IP labelling explained, and how to check an IP's type
Residential, ISP or datacenter is a label a provider puts on an IP. Here is how to look up who owns an address and check the label with free tools.
ERR_PROXY_CONNECTION_FAILED and other Chrome proxy errors
ERR_PROXY_CONNECTION_FAILED: Chrome cannot reach the proxy. ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED: the proxy will not open a tunnel. Causes we reproduced, and fixes.
How to fix 407 Proxy Authentication Required
A 407 Proxy Authentication Required error means the proxy refused your login. Find the cause with curl -v, then apply the fix for curl, Python or Node.
How to fix 429 Too Many Requests when scraping
429 Too Many Requests means the website is rate limiting you. Read Retry-After, work out which limit you hit, and pace requests with a Python limiter.
Check proxy IP quality yourself: an IP reputation check
Check proxy IP quality yourself: who owns the IP, a Spamhaus blocklist lookup with dig and Python, geolocation disagreement, fraud scores, and what to do next.
How many threads per proxy? Find your safe concurrency
How many threads per proxy is safe? Start low, double while errors and latency stay flat, then cap concurrency per IP. Tested asyncio and httpx code inside.
Proxy error codes: a reference for HTTP, curl, Python, Node and Chrome
Proxy error codes in one list: 407, 429, 502, 503 and 504 from the proxy or the site, curl exit codes, Python, Node and Chrome errors, and what to check first.
Proxy timeout errors: find where the time goes
A proxy timeout can happen reaching the proxy, inside the tunnel, or waiting for the site. Tell which with one curl command, then set timeouts that fit.
Handling blocks and retries without burning proxy bandwidth
On a per-GB proxy, a careless retry loop pays for the same block page again and again. Which failures to retry, how to back off, and when to stop early.
How to scrape Amazon prices with Python
Scrape Amazon prices from public product pages with Python, requests and BeautifulSoup. Parse title and price by ASIN, spot a robot check, pace it, save to CSV.
How to scrape eBay listings with Python
Scrape eBay listings from public search pages with Python. Parse title, price, condition and shipping, track sold prices, stop at challenge pages, save to CSV.
Web scraping with Node.js: a polite scraper with proxies
Web scraping with Node.js: a tested undici and cheerio scraper with proxy rotation, a per-host limit, Retry-After backoff, robots.txt checks and JSONL output.
Rotating proxies in Python, in about ten lines
A working setup for requests and httpx, plus the two mistakes that make people think rotation is broken when it is their session pooling.
Explainers
How billing, blocking and metering work, so you can reason about them yourself.
Are proxies legal? Using a proxy, and scraping with one
Are proxies legal? In most countries, yes. What makes a use unlawful or against a site's terms, what to weigh before scraping, and where we draw the line.
How per-GB proxy billing works, and what a scrape will cost
A formula and a short script for estimating how many gigabytes a scraping job will use on a per-GB proxy, before you order any bandwidth.
Free proxies vs paid: what a free proxy list costs you
Free proxies vs paid, plainly. Where free proxy lists come from, their risks, a script that tests a list, and what a cheap paid proxy changes.
HTTP vs SOCKS5 proxy: how they differ, and which to use
HTTP vs SOCKS5 proxy: how each protocol works, socks5 vs socks5h DNS, which tools support which, tested snippets, and when to pick each one.
Proxies for a student research project, done properly
Collecting web data for a thesis or coursework? When you need a proxy at all, how to stay polite and within the rules, and how to keep the cost small.
Proxy vs VPN: what each one does, and which you need
Proxy vs VPN: a proxy relays one app's requests, a VPN encrypts a whole device's traffic. A comparison table, and which to use for scraping or public Wi-Fi.
Rotating vs sticky proxies: which one your job needs
Rotating vs sticky proxies explained with a decision table by job, plus static IPs as a third option and why a sticky session can end early.
What is a datacenter proxy? Meaning, detection and when it is enough
What is a datacenter proxy? A server IP from a hosting network. How sites detect them, why many do not mind, shared vs dedicated, and when one is enough.
What is a residential proxy? How it works and where the IPs come from
What is a residential proxy? An IP from a home internet connection that carries your requests. How it works, where the IPs come from, when to skip it.
What is an ASN? Autonomous system numbers for proxy buyers
What is an ASN? The number that names the network behind an IP. Who assigns it, how BGP ties IPs to it, and three free ways to run an ASN lookup.
What is an ISP proxy? Static residential proxies explained
What is an ISP proxy? A static IP registered to a home internet provider but hosted on a server. How it works, how to verify one, and when it fits.
What is CGNAT? Carrier-grade NAT and what it means for proxies
What is CGNAT? How carrier-grade NAT puts many users on one shared IP address, what 100.64.0.0/10 is, and how to tell if your own connection is behind it.
How to check your proxy provider's usage meter
A dashboard number you cannot verify is not a bill, it is a claim. Here is how to measure your own traffic and compare it, whoever you buy from.
Why your scraper started getting blocked
It worked for three weeks and now everything is a 403. Usually it is not the proxies. Here are the five causes, in the order they are worth checking.
Buying guides
Which product fits a job, and how to find out with a small order first.
How to buy proxies with crypto, and what to check before you send
Buy proxies with crypto without losing a payment. Coins and networks, confirmations, wrong-amount mistakes, refunds and receipts, step by step.
Cheap residential proxies: the price per GB is not your price
Cheap residential proxies are priced per GB, but you pay per page that works. The formula, a worked example and a checklist to find the cheapest.
Choosing a safe proxy provider: a sourcing checklist
How to choose a safe proxy provider after Google's IPIDEA takedown: an eight-point checklist for sourcing, consent, abuse handling, labels, meter and refunds.
Do proxy GB expire? How traffic expiry works, and what to check
Do proxy GB expire? Often, yes. How bundles, monthly resets and rollover work, what expiry does to your real price per GB, and what to ask before you buy.
Proxy provider reviews: how to read them, then test for yourself
Proxy provider reviews are often funded by affiliate links. What a trustworthy benchmark states, why success rates do not transfer, and how to run your own.
ISP or datacenter proxies? A guide for per-IP buyers
ISP and datacenter proxies are both static IPs rented by the IP. What differs is who the address is registered to, and when that is worth paying more for.
Pay as you go proxies: what it should mean, and a checklist
Pay as you go proxies should mean no subscription and no expiring traffic. A seven-point checklist to test any provider, and how ProxyPanda answers each.
Residential proxy country targeting: what we offer, and what to ask
Residential proxy country targeting, plainly. Our residential line has none, many jobs need no country, and what to ask any per-city provider.
Static IP for ecommerce store management from abroad
A static IP for ecommerce store management: why a seller abroad wants one fixed IP in the store's market, ISP vs datacenter, browser setup and renewals.
How to test a proxy provider before you place a big order
A one-hour test plan and a short Python harness that tell you whether a proxy provider works on your target, before a bigger order locks you in.
Residential or datacenter proxies? Start cheap
Most people buy residential proxies they did not need. A five-minute test tells you which one your target requires, and it fits inside a small first top-up.
Want one written?
If you cannot find the answer, ask in Discord. The questions that come up twice end up here as guides.