Proxy FAQ

A proxy server is an intermediary between your device and the internet. When you send a request through a proxy, it forwards the request using its own IP address, hiding your real IP from the destination server.

This lets you bypass geo-restrictions, protect your privacy, and avoid IP-based bans. IPProxy.site provides free, validated proxy lists updated every 30 minutes.

HTTP proxies only handle HTTP/HTTPS web traffic and can read and modify headers. SOCKS5 proxies work at a lower level and can forward any TCP or UDP traffic without modification, making them faster, more versatile, and harder to detect.

SOCKS5 also supports authentication and can resolve DNS through the proxy (socks5h://) to prevent DNS leaks. Read our full comparison: HTTP vs SOCKS5 Proxy Differences.

Free proxies are suitable for browsing, scraping public data, and bypassing geo-blocks. However, the proxy operator can see unencrypted traffic, so you should never send passwords, credit card numbers, or sensitive data through a free proxy.

For sensitive tasks, use a paid VPN or proxy service with a no-logs policy. IPProxy.site validates all proxies for connectivity but cannot guarantee operator trustworthiness. Learn more: Are Free Proxies Safe?

IPProxy.site scrapes and validates all proxies every 30 minutes. Each proxy is tested with a real HTTP request and measured for speed and latency. Dead proxies are automatically removed, so the list always shows currently working proxies.

Check the live proxy list to see the current count and last update time.

For HTTP proxies, use the requests library:

proxies = {"http": "http://ip:port", "https": "http://ip:port"}
requests.get(url, proxies=proxies)

For SOCKS5, install requests[socks] and use socks5h://ip:port. The h resolves DNS through the proxy, preventing DNS leaks.

Full tutorial: How to Use SOCKS5 Proxy in Python. Download proxies from the download page.

A DNS leak occurs when your DNS queries bypass the proxy and go directly to your ISP's DNS server. This reveals the websites you visit even though your HTTP traffic goes through the proxy.

To prevent DNS leaks with SOCKS5 proxies, use socks5h:// instead of socks5://. Read the full guide: What Is a DNS Leak and How to Prevent It.

socks5h is a SOCKS5 variant where the "h" stands for hostname resolution. With regular socks5://, your computer resolves domain names locally, which can leak DNS requests to your ISP.

With socks5h://, the proxy server resolves domain names on your behalf, keeping your DNS queries private. Always prefer socks5h:// for better privacy. More details: What Is socks5h and Why It Matters.

Free proxies are generally too slow and unreliable for streaming video. They may work for short clips or low-quality streams, but buffering and disconnects are common.

For streaming, a paid VPN or residential proxy service is more reliable. Free proxies work best for web scraping, bypassing simple geo-blocks, and testing. Browse our proxy list to find the fastest available proxies.

Free proxies die quickly because they are often misconfigured servers, temporary open relays, or overloaded by thousands of users. The operator may patch the misconfiguration, the server may go offline, or it may get blocked by target websites.

This is why IPProxy.site validates every proxy every 30 minutes and removes dead ones automatically. Download the latest list to get the freshest proxies.

HTTP — Best for simple web browsing and scraping. Works with any tool that supports HTTP proxies.

SOCKS4 — Supports TCP traffic but lacks authentication and UDP support. Mostly legacy.

SOCKS5 — The most capable: supports TCP/UDP, authentication, and DNS resolution through the proxy. Best for most use cases.

Read the detailed comparison: HTTP vs SOCKS5 Proxy Differences.

Use our free Proxy Checker tool. Enter the proxy IP, port, and protocol, and it will test the proxy in real-time against httpbin.org, measuring latency and confirming connectivity.

You can also test manually with curl:

curl -x socks5h://ip:port https://httpbin.org/ip

Your IP address is the public address assigned to your connection by your ISP. It reveals your approximate location, ISP, and can be used to track your browsing activity across websites.

Use our free What Is My IP tool to see your current IP, location, and whether you are using a proxy or VPN. If your IP is exposed, download free proxies to hide it.

Proxies route specific app traffic through an intermediary server. They are ideal for web scraping, managing multiple accounts, and tasks where you need many different IPs.

VPNs encrypt all traffic from your device and are better for privacy and security.

Free proxies are useful for testing and non-sensitive browsing. Paid VPNs are better for privacy-critical tasks. Read more: How Proxies Change Your IP.

IPProxy.site typically maintains hundreds to thousands of validated proxies across HTTP, SOCKS4, and SOCKS5 protocols. The exact count changes every 30 minutes as new proxies are discovered and dead ones are removed.

Check the homepage for the current live count, or use the API at GET /api/stats for programmatic access.

Yes! IPProxy.site provides a free JSON API with no API key required:

• GET /api/proxies — Validated proxies (supports ?protocol= and &country= filters)
• GET /api/stats — Current proxy counts
• GET /api/download/{http,socks4,socks5} — Plain-text proxy lists

Full documentation: API Docs.