What are rotating proxies and why are they needed?

Quite often we encounter restrictions when we want to obtain something we cannot afford, just like on the internet - a user, when trying to access certain information or services online, may face a block from anti-fraud systems (security systems). Websites block IP addresses, track users, and restrict access based on their geolocation or behavior. You may be wondering, "How to bypass such restrictions?" One of the most effective tools is proxy servers.

What is a proxy and why are they needed?

Proxy servers act as intermediaries between your device and the internet. When you visit a website or use an online service, usually the request goes directly from your device, and the website sees your real IP address. However, if you connect through a proxy, the request first goes through a proxy server, which changes your IP address to its own.

What is this for?

Firstly, it helps to maintain anonymity. Your real IP address is hidden, making it difficult to track your location and online activities.

Secondly, proxies allow bypassing various restrictions. For example, if access to a certain website or service is limited in your country, you can use a proxy server with an IP address from another country and gain access to the blocked content.

Another important function of a proxy is data protection. A proxy server can filter traffic, block malicious websites, or hide information about your device. This is especially useful when working in public Wi-Fi networks or in situations where confidentiality is important.

Proxies are also commonly used to optimize internet performance. For instance, companies may use them to distribute workload in order to speed up access to websites or applications.

Finally, a proxy is a tool actively used for automation. For example, in data collection (web scraping/parsing), mass registration of accounts, or online advertising testing. They enable creating dozens or hundreds of connections, each appearing as a request from a separate user.

Thus, a proxy is not just a way to hide your IP, but a versatile tool for a multitude of tasks: from protection and anonymity to scaling and bypassing restrictions.

Types of Proxies

There are several types of proxies, each suitable for different tasks. Let's go over the main ones for a better understanding of what will suit you best.

Proxy Data Center

These are the most basic (and cheapest) proxies. They operate on servers in data centers and provide you with IP addresses that are not tied to real people, very much like a conveyor belt.

Such proxies are fast and well-suited for bulk tasks. Due to the availability of these proxies, websites have entire blacklists where a significant portion is made up of data center proxy addresses. Therefore, they may not be a very good option for working with sites with strong security systems, as the IP address of these proxies is very easy to trace, and you could end up getting banned.

Residential Proxies

These proxies already look like real users. They use IP addresses of genuinely existing households. When you connect through a residential proxy, your request appears as if it came from a real person sitting behind a computer.

They will be perfect if you need anonymity. For example, if you want to register accounts on a well-protected platform, bypass geo restrictions, and so on.

Naturally, the downside is their price. Residential proxies are not the most budget-friendly option, but if you need to be as authentic as possible online, their price is justified.

Mobile Proxies

These proxies use IP addresses from mobile operators (as their name suggests). If you want to be seen as a mobile internet user, this is your option.

The advantage is that such proxies generate maximum trust from websites. They are hardly ever blocked because they appear as regular mobile users.

But there's a catch here too. Firstly, mobile proxies are expensive because they are more complicated to work with. Secondly, the speed can be lower, especially if the mobile network is overloaded.

Rotating Proxies

And finally, rotating proxies, they are also sometimes called dynamic proxies. This, in my opinion, is the best type of proxy for web scraping. Since they automatically change your IP address every few minutes or after each request.

Plus, rotating proxies come in different types. They can be based on data centers, residential, or mobile IPs. So you can choose the option that suits your task. Due to their functionality, these proxies are among the most expensive.

Rotating Proxies

When it comes to rotating proxies, let's understand how they work.

You are connecting to a service with a large pool of IP addresses. The service system automatically switches the IP address after each of your requests or after a certain period of time.

Such proxies greatly facilitate your work during parsing by rotating (changing) IP addresses, making the website think that requests are coming from different users and not blocking you. This allows you to collect a lot of data from a specific source.

Advantages of Rotating Proxies

From their main advantages, I would highlight

Anonymity and Security Your real IP address remains completely hidden. Moreover, due to frequent IP changes, tracking systems simply can't "pinpoint" you. This is an excellent way to maintain confidentiality, especially when dealing with sensitive data - such as advertising account credentials, payment information, or corporate logins. Their leakage or blocking can lead to not very good consequences for the business.
Avoiding Blockages Frequent IP changes help bypass anti-fraud systems. Even if one address is blocked, the system will automatically switch to the next one.
Speed of Operation Rotating proxies use a pool of multiple servers. This means that the load is distributed, allowing you to send more requests simultaneously. It is especially useful when working with large volumes of data.

Main Applications

Web Scraping If you need to gather data from multiple websites, rotating proxies are a must-have. With them, you can send thousands of requests without the fear of being banned. Each such request is seen by the website as coming from a separate, real user, rather than as activity from a single IP address.
Automatic IP Address Rotation for Different Content Suppose you need to check how a website is displayed for users from different countries. With rotating proxies, thanks to the automatic rotation feature of IP addresses, you can "travel" around the world and see what content the audience in different countries sees.
Advertising and Testing For launching advertising campaigns, it is important to see how they are perceived by users from different regions. Rotating proxies help emulate user activity from different locations to test creatives, check clicks, and overall monitor the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

Comparative Proxy Analysis

To better understand the difference between types of proxies, study the following table.

Parameter	Proxy Data Center	Residential Proxies	Mobile Proxies	Rotating Proxies
Anonymity	Low anonymity level. Websites can easily recognize them as proxies since the IP addresses belong to data centers, not real users. Suitable for tasks where high anonymity is not required.	High anonymity level. These IP addresses are associated with real users, making them virtually indistinguishable from regular visitors. This provides better protection against anti-fraud systems.	Provide a high level of anonymity by using IP addresses from mobile operators. They appear as regular mobile users, minimizing the risk of blocking.	It depends on the frequency of changing IP addresses. Constantly changing IPs reduces the likelihood of blocking, but for complex tasks, it is important to choose proxies with a high-quality pool of addresses.
Speed	Usually high as dedicated servers with powerful infrastructure are used. However, speed may decrease during high loads or frequent blocks.	Speed can vary depending on the provider and network congestion. Typically slower than data center proxies, but sufficient for most tasks.	The speed can be slower due to the specifics of mobile networks. However, mobile proxies allow working with services that require access through mobile IP addresses.	It depends on the quality of the proxy service and the rotation frequency. If IP addresses change too frequently, it can slow down the work, but the right choice of service compensates for this drawback.
Price	The most economical option. The cost is lower because data-center proxies offer extensive shared resources. Suitable for tasks that require a large number of IPs at a minimal price.	Usually more expensive, as these proxies provide a real user experience and offer a high degree of anonymity. The price is justified for tasks that require the most natural behavior.	More expensive due to the complexity of obtaining mobile IP addresses and their limited quantity. Suitable for specialized tasks, such as mobile app testing.	The cost varies greatly. The price is influenced by the rotation frequency, quality of IP addresses, and the selected tariff. For large tasks, it is worth choosing tariffs with access to a large pool of IPs.
Stability	High connection stability. However, anti-fraud systems may block such IP addresses, especially during mass operations or suspicious activity.	More stable, as IP addresses are associated with real devices and look more natural to anti-fraud systems. This reduces the likelihood of being blocked.	Stability depends on the quality of the mobile operator and provider. Delays may occur due to mobile network congestion or poor coverage.	Stability varies depending on the service. High-quality rotating proxies ensure smooth operation, but low-quality ones may suffer from frequent connection drops.
Application	Suitable for mass tasks such as mass web scraping, automation on marketplaces, web application testing. Not the best choice for tasks requiring high anonymity.	Perfect for tasks requiring a high level of anonymity: registering and managing accounts on social networks, bypassing geoblocking, web scraping.	Most commonly used for testing mobile applications, working with content accessible only through mobile devices, or bypassing restrictions related to mobile access.	Suitable for mass operations such as web scraping, bypassing anti-bot systems, testing advertising campaigns and content strategies. IP rotation makes them a versatile tool.

How to Choose a Rotating Proxy

Speed The higher the speed, the more requests you can send in the minimum amount of time. If working with large data volumes, pay attention to the connection speed provided by the service.
Geolocation Check which regions are supported. If you need access to data in a specific country, make sure the service has IP addresses from that region. The broader the geography, the better.
Provider Reliability Here everything is important: the quality of IP addresses, customer support, and connection stability. It is better to choose trusted services with a good reputation and a large pool of IP addresses to avoid wasting time and effort resolving issues (if they arise).

I cannot take responsibility for the quality of every proxy provider, but you can pay attention to these services:

Conclusion

Each type of proxy has its own advantages and use cases. For tasks related to bulk operations and web scraping, rotating proxies become an indispensable tool. Their use in combination with anti-detection browsers is the key to effectively bypassing website security systems and maintaining anonymity.