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What is a proxy list

Vladyslav Balva
Vladyslav Balva
07 September 2021 • 3 min read

A proxy list is a list of proxy servers (IP addresses and ports) that have been tested for operability and have responded to connection requests that can be used to work on the Internet. They can be available in tables or formed into .txt, .xml or .xlsx files for easy import, export to various software and services.

Depending on which proxy checker was used, you can get information such as: IP-address, port, country / city, response speed, type, anonymity, last update. The proxy list itself includes an IP address, a port, and if an authentication procedure is required, then also a username and password. In the vast majority of cases, they are separated by a colon.

There are free proxy lists, available to everyone and paid, which are provided by one person or by prior arrangement after payment, and no one else can use them anymore.

What are proxy lists used for?

If you are engaged in multi-accounting, mass mailing, cheat voting, buying exclusive things using third-party software (for example, sneaker bots), other massive operations on the Internet for which you need a lot of unique IP addresses or geolocations, then proxy lists come into play. For example, https proxy lists are used in antidetect browsers, when you need to perform many live operations from one device using different profiles and not get banned. If the process is automated by third-party software, then socks5 proxy lists are used more often. Although there are many options on the network, proxy lists consist of all possible types (http, https, Socks4, Socks5). Summing up, we can say that proxy lists are needed for bulk operations from one device, where a lot of unique things are required.

Paid vs Free

You may ask why should I pay if there are free proxy lists? The answer is very simple, it all comes down to quality. The fact is that creating a proxy list requires some effort and expense, so free options are very rarely updated, their IP addresses are taken from different servers with different response times, and they can simply be dead (inoperable). Free proxy lists are simultaneously used by a large number of users, and through their fault they can be blocked on a particular resource. In addition, proxy server connection protocols may not always be suitable for your tasks in such lists. Also, the more concurrent connections, the lower the speed. Therefore, the use of free proxy lists is always full of risks, failures and nerves.

Paid proxy lists are provided exclusively to one person, and you independently decide how to dispose of them. Buying them, you can choose a specific type of connection protocol, and you are also provided with a separate server with a dedicated high-speed channel connection up to 1 Gbps. You do not have to additionally check them for operability, it is enough to load them into your software and use them for your own purposes.

The purpose of proxy lists

You can often hear why I need a proxy list if I only need a few proxy servers? First, buying proxy servers one at a time is expensive. Secondly, it is always better to have several proxies in reserve, website algorithms are constantly being improved and there is a chance that this or that IP address can be blocked, get banned. Thirdly, you can always resell your proxy list or part of it in order to get the money back. Can be shared with friends, used for other projects.

If you automate your work in social networks, online games, and do web-scraping, then proxy lists are simply necessary, they will help make the process continuous, fast and of high quality.

The best proxies can only be many private proxies or proxy lists. If anonymity and a high level of protection of personal data on the Internet play an important role for you, as well as multitasking is an integral part of your work, then proxy lists will become a reliable assistant and an integral part in the process of automating all actions.

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About the author

Vladyslav Balva

Vladyslav Balva

CEO @ Proxy-Seller
CEO of Proxy-Seller with 12+ years in the proxy industry. Writes on market trends, infrastructure economics, and long-term shifts shaping how businesses use proxies at scale.

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