Web scraping with a proxy is simply an automated way of extracting data from websites. It is used for a variety of tasks including price tracking, market research, content collection, etc. However, many sites do have scraping prevention methods in place that block IP addresses should there be any unusual behavior.
The use of web scraping makes it easy to overcome these barriers by using multiple addresses to obtain the data. In 2025, the requirements for users significantly increased. Effective harvesting demands more sophisticated solutions.
Let's go deeper into how one can select the best web scraping proxy while focusing on the important aspects of each category along with the best practicality options.
Indeed, they help conceal real IPs, blocks, and distribute load.
Let’s discuss in detail the pros this offer:
Imagine you want to conduct a harvest for flight details with the utilization of proxies to get a price. If you do this using a single IP, the system rapidly scrutinizes unusual activity and either issues captcha verification or completely blocks access. The solution is web scraping with proxy servers that rotate IP addresses every several minutes. This strategy makes it possible to simulate the requests coming from normal users and retrieve information seamlessly.
For maximum effectiveness, it is important to choose the right proxy types for scraping. They vary by the source of addresses, the level of anonymity, speed, and resistance to blocks, making them ideal proxy scraper sources. Let’s examine four main ones: residential, ISP, data center, and mobile.
Let’s compare them in the table below:
Type | Source of IP | IP assignment | Geographical coverage | Block probability | Optimal use |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Residential | Real user IPs | Dynamic | 200+ | Low | Best scraping proxy service for complex platforms (e-commerce, social networks, marketplaces) |
ISP | Dedicated internet provider IPs | Static | 25+ | Medium | Suitable for working with marketplaces, parsing, and anonymous surfing |
Data center | Server data centers | Static | 40+ | High | Mass collection from unprotected resources, working with APIs |
Mobile | Networks 3G/4G/5G | Dynamic | 18+ | Very low | Best proxy scraper for bypassing anti-bot protection in social networks, search engines, etc. |
Another part that needs much attention is harvesting methods. Data Center ones are usually the fastest because they are situated in modern server centers with well-optimized servers and low latency.
Mobile ones are much slower because the network has a higher bandwidth latency that varies with network congestion.
The speed at which the residential and ISP proxies connect is much better than data center and mobile ones. However, it still depends greatly on the provider’s infrastructure and connection conditions.
Using free scraping proxies is not recommended. They tend to be overloaded and running very slowly. They can also disconnect without notice. Such IP addresses are easily blacklisted, which makes accessing certain web resources restrictive. There is also no anonymity and data protection because these free solutions log traffic, which is a serious issue.
It is important to note that residential types intended for web harvesting utilize the IP addresses of average users that have access to the internet via a provider. They are virtually as close to real connections as possible, so they are greatly less likely to be blocked during the harvesting process.
Advantages:
Residential types tend to be sold by the gigabyte, making them more expensive than other types. They are also slower than datacenter ones because their speed is limited by the home internet. The wide geographical coverage provided comes from the ability of the proxies to represent real devices located around the world.
Web scraping with a proxy of residential type is most beneficial are internet platforms where parsing is fiercely dealt with, bots are easily detected, and server IPs are blocked. They are best suited for harvesting social media, marketplace, and search engines.
This type works through server IPs owned by hosting providers. They provide high stability but are easily recognized by antibots.
Cons:
The cons with this type is that getting blacklisted is much more likely compared to others. A web platform will easily know that requests exist to/from a server IP and will most likely suspend the connection and request that a captcha be filled.
Some services have private proxies which are less likely to be blocked because their use is not as suspicious as shared ones. These are more likely to be used by only a single client.
Web scraping with a proxy of datacenters is most useful where the information is already publicly available, the amount of pages that need to be parsed is high, and the speed in which the task is executed is more important than anonymity. For instance, price or news analysis and web page indexing.
These work by utilizing addresses from 3G, 4G, and 5G mobile operators. For this reason, mobile proxies are believed to be the most reliable. Websites are hesitant to block these as doing so could deny genuine access.
Advantages:
The main disadvantage is the high cost. Mobile ones are more expensive than residential and data center ones, especially when higher volumes of traffic are needed. Additionally, they are slower because they function through mobile networks, and are often resource limited.
Web scraping with a proxy of such type is the most effective approach for domains that require little to no detection and have an instant blocking capability, like social media, search engines, or personalized services.
These are related to Internet Service Providers (ISPs). On one hand, it offers the reliability of residential IPs, while on the other hand possessing the high speed and stability of server IPs.
These are more expensive than data center ones, but remain cheaper than residential and mobile solutions. In addition, the static nature gives these proxies a higher chance of being blocked compared to dynamic residential IPs.
The utilization of ISP proxies is optimal for activities requiring fast speeds, stable connections, and a moderate level of anonymity. They are better suited than datacenter IPs for harvesting Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and other ecommerce sites. They are also good for any sort of proxy scraping software which involves automating search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, which require a more reliable connection.
The traditional method of web scraping employs a pool of servers composed of many addresses. Yet, other methods are available. Well-organized techniques not only lower the chances of getting blocked but also assist in reducing traffic expenditures. Let us examine two such methods.
This is a fusion of multiple classes of IP address, for instance, the combination of a data center and residential address. This approach makes blocking less probable because traffic becomes more complex.
Benefits of web scraping using such approach:
The key idea is to appropriately allocate the traffic and avoid sending obvious automation signals. For instance, mass lower-tier pages can be scraped with data center options while more sophisticated antibot defenses can be overcome with residential ones.
Web scraping with a proxy of standart types is not effective with certain sites that employ captchas and sophisticated anti-bot measures. A particular configuration deals with this challenge.
Proxies configured to bypass the captcha do not exist, but the type of IP addresses and the rotation strategy determines its frequency. In these situations, proxies with bypass requirements, special services (2Captcha, Anti-Captcha), or both are needed. This adds additional expenses, but they are unavoidable if one wants to parse Cloudflare protected resources, search engines, and javascript intensive sites.
Look at reCAPTCHA and methods for bypassing that are applicable to security systems of web resources.
Indeed, proper configuration increases efficiency and reduces chances of blocks. Here are some tips that might be helpful.
Rotating addresses is one method to bypass captures, and the more frequently these addresses change, the lower the chances of being blacklisted. Rotational solutions are the best option because they automatically replace IP addresses at designated times.
Three techniques can be used for rotation:
The IP rotation can either be set up in the service of the provider or in a web scraping script/program.
If your goal is web scraping with a proxy, compile the lists based on the particular tasks to be accomplished.
Making requests too often from one IP will inevitably lead to a ban. The ideal time to wait between requests can range from 1 to more than 5 seconds depending on how complex the website is.
Considerations on setting the delay:
If you do not change User-Agent while web scraping with a proxy, it would raise suspicion.
To avoid this:
These parameters can be changed in scripts but there is a more practical approach using antidetect browsers. They provide fingerprint configuration flexibility making behavior look close to real users. Find out how it works in the review of the Undetectable antidetect browser.
Keeping track of the speed and uptime of the target IP addresses is important. Get rid of the slow and blocked ones. Automated tools can aid in avoiding issues with non-operational servers.
For example, you can employ tools like ProxyChecker or make use of the proxy checker here.
Blocks, reduced speed, and unstable connection are some of the several issues that may arise while performing scraping, even while using quality servers. In the following section, we will outline the most common issues and their solutions.
Problem | Possible causes | Solution |
---|---|---|
IP block | Exceeding the limit on requests from one IP, lack of rotation | Utilize rotational solutions, increase delay between requests |
Reduced speed | Server overload, low-quality IP addresses | Change the provider, choose less busy servers |
Captchas during parsing | The internet platform detects automatic requests | Use anticaptcha services, residential or mobile options, simulate real user behavior through antidetect browsers |
Connection interruption | IPs are unstable, the server rejects the connection | Check the functionality of the server, choose more reliable providers |
Data duplication | The same IP repeatedly requests pages | Set up caching of results and rotate IPs |
The type of proxy server that is best suited for harvesting information will depend on the purpose of the work, the protection level of the target site, and the budget. Server proxies are easily blocked, but provide high speed and are a good fit for mass scraping. Residential ones are harder to detect, which makes them optimal for parsing protected resources. Mobile ones are the most expensive, but they do have the highest level of anonymity.
When web scraping with a proxy, skillful management and correct decision-making becomes imperative. Implementing monitoring strategies, controlling the rotation speed, changing the speed of requests, and dynamically changing HTTP headers while minimizing blocks can be extremely useful. Different proxy scraper sources should be analyzed before choosing a method for the smallest estimated cost.
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