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Documentation

Proxy not connecting? Find the cause

Run the 60-second test first; its result tells you which section to read. Never send your proxy password to anyone, including support.

Start here: the 60-second test

Run one request through the proxy from a terminal. Copy the host, port, username and password from the proxy's page in your workspace.

  • It prints the proxy's IP address: the proxy works. If a website still fails, read “Connects, but the website blocks you”; if only your tool fails, read “Works in curl, not in your tool”.
  • 407 Proxy Authentication Required: read “Authentication failed (407)”.
  • Timed out or connection refused: read “Timed out or refused”.
HTTP proxy test
curl -x http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@PROXY_HOST:PORT https://api.ipify.org

Using SOCKS5? Test with: curl --socks5-hostname USERNAME:PASSWORD@PROXY_HOST:PORT https://api.ipify.org

Authentication failed (407)

  • The proxy password is not your dashboard password. Copy the username and password from the proxy's page.
  • Look for a stray space or line break at either end of what you pasted.
  • In the user:pass@host:port form, characters such as @ : / # % in the password must be URL-encoded — or use your tool's separate username and password fields.
  • Check the order your tool expects: host:port:user:pass and user:pass@host:port are different formats.
  • IP allowlist authentication is not supported; every connection needs the username and password.

Timed out or refused

  • Check the host and port character by character, and that your tool's protocol (HTTP or SOCKS5) matches what you configured.
  • Do not put https:// in front of the proxy address. The proxy itself is reached over http:// or socks5://, even when you browse HTTPS sites through it.
  • Office, school, hotel and some mobile networks block proxy ports. Try a phone hotspot or a server on another network.
  • Networks in some countries and regions filter proxy traffic. Test from a server outside that network.
  • Turn off any VPN, system-wide proxy or second proxy extension while you test; chained proxies often time out.
  • Security software that inspects HTTPS, or a local firewall, can drop the connection. Allow your tool, or test with it paused.

Connects, but the website blocks you

If https://api.ipify.org loads through the proxy, the proxy is healthy. A 403, an endless CAPTCHA or an “access denied” page comes from the website, which has decided not to serve this IP address.

  • Test the same website without the proxy, and a neutral website with it, to confirm where the block is.
  • Slow down: fewer parallel requests, realistic headers and cookies. Aggressive traffic gets an address blocked quickly.
  • In your workspace choose Report a problem → Blocked by a website and name the site. A person reviews each case; these are not replaced automatically.

Works in curl, not in your tool

  • Browsers and extensions: set the proxy for both HTTP and HTTPS, and answer the username and password prompt — dismissing it fails every request.
  • Anti-detect browsers: check that the profile you launched is the one bound to this proxy, and that its proxy type matches.
  • Scrapers and scripts: pass the proxy to the HTTPS client too, not only to plain HTTP, and confirm no environment variable such as HTTP_PROXY or NO_PROXY overrides it.
  • Some tools default to SOCKS4 or resolve DNS locally. Choose SOCKS5 with remote DNS, or use HTTP.
  • Restart the tool after changing proxy settings; many read them only at start.

It worked before and stopped

  • Open the proxy's page: an expired proxy stops answering at its expiry time. Renew it or order a new one.
  • If the proxy was replaced, the old IP address no longer works. Copy the new connection details everywhere you saved the old ones.
  • Very high concurrency can cause refused connections. Lower the number of threads and try again.
  • If the 60-second test now times out from two different networks, choose Report a problem → Can’t connect. We test the proxy from our side and, if it is down, replace it immediately at no charge.

Before you open a ticket

  • The time of the failure and your time zone.
  • The proxy's IP address or resource ID — never the password.
  • The exact error text or status code, and the tool you used.
  • The network or country you connected from, and whether the 60-second test passed.

Never paste a password or a full proxy URL into a ticket. Support can see the proxy you attach.