Proxy basics

What is a rotating proxy API?

A practical introduction to public proxy selection, verification and retries.

The idea.

A rotating proxy API returns an address from a proxy pool. Your application then sends its traffic through that proxy.

The API selects a proxy; it does not carry your web traffic.

Make your first request.

$ curl 'https://gimmeproxy.com/api/getProxy?curl=true'

>>> import requests
>>> requests.get('https://gimmeproxy.com/api/getProxy?curl=true').text

> const res = await fetch('https://gimmeproxy.com/api/getProxy?curl=true')
> await res.text()

Use the returned address with your HTTP client.

Choose your filters.

A filter narrows the current public pool. A matching proxy may not be available.

Plan for timeouts.

1. Set a request timeout.
2. Request another proxy after failure.
3. Back off when you hit API limits.

What verification tells you.

A proxy passed an HTTPS check at the recorded time. It may still stop working afterward.