What Are Rotating Proxies and Why Should You Use Them?
Rotating proxies might sound like a fancy term for someone who just started diggin' around the world of tech, but they're actually a handy tool for anyone who wants to protect their online identity or collect data from the web.
Stay with us as we're going to explore what rotating proxies are, how they work, and the most popular use cases that match these proxies. So, without further ado, let's learn!
What is a rotating proxy?
A rotating proxy is a proxy server that automatically switches the user's IP address after every connection or after a set period. It ensures that each connection appears to be coming from a different device or location. This dynamic IP rotation offers heightened anonymity, making it challenging for websites to detect or block the user. People use rotating proxies for web scraping, ad verification, market research, and multi-accounting. There are three main rotating proxy types: residential, datacenter, and mobile.
Why use rotating proxies?
Rotating proxies can be handy for various use cases, including load testing, web scraping, creating multiple social media accounts, automating sneaker copping, running market intelligence research, and more. Actually, the list could go on and on! There're endless possibilities where to use rotating proxies and quite common benefits:
- Spreading requests over millions of IPs. The bigger the provider's IP pool, the greater chance for you to scale your tasks by routing your requests via different IPs.
- Overcoming blocks and CAPTCHAs. Rotating IP addresses for each request lower your chances of getting banned from the targeted sites.
- Improving anonymity and security. By constantly changing your IP, you make it harder for anyone to track you down. Rotating proxies become your shield against various attacks.
How does IP rotation work?
IP rotation does a simple yet vital thing – it assigns a new IP for every request you make. Rotating proxies serve a great deal while imitating massive real-time connections of different users. By choosing rotating proxies, you can send thousands of connection requests and be sure that the server rotates IPs every time.
If you're running some tasks that require keeping the same IP longer, you can use sticky sessions. They enable you to use the same IP for up to 1, 10, or 30 minutes, depending on your needs.
![how rotating proxies work](https://images.smartproxy.com/Image_1_a29fe8c8f5/Image_1_a29fe8c8f5.png?format=webp)
Our rotating proxy service has convenient backconnect nodes for the whole pool or location-targeted IP pools. For instance, you can use thousands of residential US proxies by connecting to a single backconnect node for US-targeted IPs. According to the same logic, you can reach any country, state, or city worldwide. Here's a short explanation with examples of how to deal with endpoints.
The main rotating proxy IP types
When it comes to rotating proxies, there're three main types you can equip: rotating datacenter proxies, rotating residential proxies, and rotating mobile proxies. Here's what ya' need to know about each of 'em:
- Rotating datacenter proxies are IP addresses that are provided by data centers. They're fast, reliable, and affordable, making them popular for running market intelligence campaigns, casually browsing the net, and adding an extra layer of security. These proxies are best for users who need a large number of IP addresses and don't need to worry about location accuracy. Datacenter IPs work well for market intelligence, entertainment, and cyber and brand security.
- Rotating residential proxies come with IPs from real desktop and mobile devices that are connected to local networks. They're a bit slower than datacenter proxies, but they win users for their accuracy in terms of location and can be used for a wider range of cases like web scraping, multiple account management, ad verification, sneaker coping, price comparison, and much more.
- Rotating mobile proxies assign IPs from, you've guessed it, mobile devices connected to cellular networks. Although they're a pricier option, they have the highest success rate among all the proxies and have a near-to-zero chance of getting detected by even the most sophisticated anti-proxy software. Mobile proxies are great when you need to manage multiple eCommerce or social media accounts, run ads, test apps, and power various automation tools.
The best rotating proxies
Looking for effective yet affordable rotating proxy services? We hear you and have something that really works. Our rotating proxy pool consists of 65M+ rotating residential, mobile, and datacenter proxies.
Some other technicalities we thought might be handy for you:
- Our residential rotating proxies' average response time is the best in the industry – <0.5 sec, according to Proxyway's research.
- Datacenter proxies are responding even faster, at <0.3 sec, according to our speed test, and you can choose Pay per IP or Pay per GB options.
- Proxyway research shows that Smartproxy residential IPs have the highest success rate in the market – 99.68%.
- The Pay As You Go option enables you to buy as many residential proxy GBs as you need without a subscription.
- Our mobile proxies have over 700 mobile carriers, iOS and Android filtering, and an amazing 10M+ of IP pool.
In a nutshell
Rotating proxies are an excellent deal compared to how much time and effort they can save you. If you're ready to optimize your IP rotation process, check our best value offers for residential, mobile, or datacenter proxies. And for any questions about how it works or what are the best tools for your use case, drop a line to our always-active support team.
About the author
![](https://images.smartproxy.com/500x528_06edeefc7c/500x528_06edeefc7c.png?format=webp)
James Keenan
Senior content writer
The automation and anonymity evangelist at Smartproxy. He believes in data freedom and everyone’s right to become a self-starter. James is here to share knowledge and help you succeed with residential proxies.
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