Glossary 60 terms
The proxy & scraping glossary
Every term you will meet configuring proxies, debugging blocks or scaling a scraper — defined precisely, without the jargon loop of definitions that need their own definitions.
Glossary
Proxy types
Anonymous Proxy What an anonymous proxy is, how it hides your IP while revealing proxy use, and how it compares with transparent and elite anonymity levels. Backconnect Proxy A backconnect proxy is one endpoint that routes each connection through a large pool of rotating exit IPs. Learn how it works and how sticky sessions fit in. Datacenter Proxy What a datacenter proxy is, how hosted IPs deliver speed at low cost, and where they fall short against IP-reputation and ASN-based blocking. Elite Proxy An elite proxy hides your IP and gives no sign a proxy is in use. Learn how high-anonymity proxies handle headers and why that matters for web scraping. Forward Proxy What a forward proxy is, how it routes client requests to the web on your behalf, and how it differs from a reverse proxy in scraping and privacy workflows. HTTP Proxy An HTTP proxy relays web traffic, forwarding plain HTTP requests and tunneling HTTPS via CONNECT. Learn how it works, authentication, and header behavior. HTTPS Proxy An HTTPS proxy carries encrypted web traffic through a CONNECT tunnel, keeping TLS end-to-end. Learn what the proxy can and cannot see and how it works. IPv6 Proxy What an IPv6 proxy is, how the huge IPv6 address space enables cheap unique IPs at scale, and why target compatibility matters before you rely on one. ISP Proxy What an ISP proxy is, how ISP-registered IPs hosted in data centers combine residential trust with datacenter speed, and when static IPs beat rotation. Mobile Proxy What a mobile proxy is, how 4G/5G carrier IPs and CGNAT create high-trust addresses, and when to use them for scraping, testing, and ad verification. Proxy Server Learn what a proxy server is, how it forwards traffic between clients and websites, and why proxies matter for privacy, scraping, and data collection. Residential Proxy What a residential proxy is, how ISP-assigned home IPs carry your traffic, and why they pass reputation checks that block many datacenter addresses. Reverse Proxy What a reverse proxy is, how it routes and shields backend web servers, and why scrapers constantly interact with reverse proxies such as CDNs. Rotating Proxy What a rotating proxy is, how backconnect endpoints swap pool IPs per request or interval, and how sticky sessions balance rotation with continuity. SOCKS5 Proxy SOCKS5 is a protocol-agnostic proxy standard that relays raw TCP traffic with authentication, IPv6, and remote DNS support. Learn how it works. Static IP Proxy What a static IP proxy is, how dedicated fixed addresses work, and why IP consistency matters for account management, whitelisting, and long-lived logins. Transparent Proxy What a transparent proxy is, how interception without client setup works, and why it offers zero anonymity for scraping or privacy purposes.
Glossary
Networking
ASN (Autonomous System Number) Learn what an Autonomous System Number (ASN) is, how internet routing uses it, and why ASN reputation is a key signal in proxy and bot detection. Bandwidth Bandwidth is the data transfer capacity of a connection. Learn how it differs from latency, why it matters for proxies, and how metered plans count it. DNS Learn how DNS translates domain names into IP addresses, how resolvers and caching work, and why DNS resolution matters for proxies and web scraping. DNS Leak A DNS leak exposes your lookups outside the proxy tunnel. Learn how DNS leaks happen, how they reveal your location, and how to detect and prevent them. IP Address Learn what an IP address is, how IPv4 and IPv6 addressing works, and why IP reputation and geolocation matter for proxies and web scraping. IPv4 Learn what IPv4 is, how 32-bit dotted-decimal addressing works, why addresses ran out, and what IPv4 scarcity means for proxies and scraping. Latency Latency is the delay before data arrives across a network. Learn what drives round-trip time, how proxies affect it, and how to reduce it in scraping. NAT (Network Address Translation) Learn what Network Address Translation (NAT) is, how routers share one public IP across many devices, and why CGNAT matters for proxies and scraping. Proxy Chaining Proxy chaining routes traffic through multiple proxies in sequence. Learn how chains work, what they add in anonymity, and the latency trade-offs involved. Proxy Port A proxy port is the TCP port a proxy server listens on. Learn how host:port endpoints work, port conventions like 8080 and 1080, and how ports map to settings. SSL/TLS Learn what SSL/TLS is, how the TLS handshake encrypts web traffic, and why TLS fingerprints matter for proxies, scraping, and bot detection. Subnet Learn what a subnet is, how CIDR notation like /24 divides IP networks, and why subnet-level blocking matters for proxy quality and scraping.
Glossary
Anti-bot & fingerprinting
Antidetect Browser Learn what an antidetect browser is, how fingerprint-isolated profiles work, and why they pair with proxies for multi-account and scraping workflows. Bot Detection Bot detection explained: how websites combine IP reputation, fingerprinting, and behavioral analysis to identify automation, and what it means for scrapers. Browser Fingerprinting Browser fingerprinting explained: how websites combine device and browser attributes into a unique identifier, and what it means for scraping and proxy use. Canvas Fingerprinting Canvas fingerprinting explained: how hidden HTML5 canvas rendering identifies devices, why the hash stays stable, and what it means for web scraping. CAPTCHA Learn what a CAPTCHA is, how challenge tests tell humans from bots, why websites trigger them, and what they mean for web scraping and automation. Cloudflare Challenge Cloudflare challenges verify visitors before granting access to protected sites. Learn how JavaScript and managed challenges work and why scrapers see them. Cookies Learn what HTTP cookies are, how Set-Cookie and session state work, and why cookie handling matters for web scraping, sticky sessions, and bot detection. Honeypot A honeypot is a trap that exposes bots — hidden links, invisible form fields, or decoy servers. Learn how honeypots work and how crawlers avoid tripping them. HTTP Headers HTTP headers are key-value metadata sent with every request and response. Common headers, how proxies handle them, and their role in bot detection. JA3 Fingerprint JA3 fingerprints explained: how an MD5 hash of TLS ClientHello fields identifies client software, its role in bot detection, and why JA4 succeeded it. Rate Limiting Rate limiting caps how many requests a client can send in a time window. Learn how it works, what HTTP 429 means, and how scrapers stay under per-IP limits. TLS Fingerprinting TLS fingerprinting explained: how the ClientHello reveals client software, why proxies do not change it, and how it affects web scraping success. User Agent The user agent is the HTTP header string identifying the browser, OS, and device behind a request. How sites use it and why it matters in web scraping. WebRTC Leak A WebRTC leak lets websites see your real IP through browser peer-to-peer APIs, even behind a proxy. Learn how it happens and how to prevent it.
Glossary
Scraping
Data Parsing Learn what data parsing is, how HTML and JSON parsing turn raw pages into structured records, and why parsers are the most fragile part of a scraper. Headless Browser Learn what a headless browser is, how tools like Puppeteer and Playwright drive it, and why it matters for scraping JavaScript-heavy websites. Price Scraping Learn what price scraping is, how automated price monitoring works, and why regional targeting and residential IPs matter for accurate e-commerce data. SERP Scraping Learn what SERP scraping is, how automated search-result collection works, and why geo-targeted rotating proxies are key to accurate rank data. Web Crawler A web crawler fetches pages and follows links to discover content at scale. Learn how crawl frontiers, politeness policies, and robots.txt shape crawling. Web Scraping Web scraping is the automated extraction of website data. Learn how scrapers fetch and parse pages, key use cases, legality basics, and the role of proxies.
Glossary
Operations
API Key An API key is a service-generated token that identifies and authenticates an application. How keys work, their role in proxy platforms, and safe handling. Concurrency Concurrency is how many requests run at once. Learn how parallel connections scale scraping throughput and how proxy pools keep per-IP request rates safe. Geo-Targeting Geo-targeting routes traffic through an IP in a chosen country, state, or city so websites serve local content. How it works, uses, and accuracy limits. IP Rotation IP rotation automatically changes the outbound IP used for proxy requests. Learn per-request, interval, and session-based rotation and when to use each mode. IP Whitelisting IP whitelisting grants proxy access to pre-approved source IPs instead of using a password. How it works, when to use it, and common pitfalls. Proxy Authentication Proxy authentication verifies who may use a proxy, via username/password credentials or IP whitelisting. Methods, the 407 error, and best practices. Proxy Pool A proxy pool is the set of IP addresses a proxy network can route traffic through. Learn how pools are built, health-checked, and why size and quality matter. Session Control Session control is how you manage proxy IP assignment: sticky sessions, TTLs, rotation, and geo-targeting via username parameters. Learn how it works. Sticky Session A sticky session keeps the same proxy exit IP across requests for a set duration. Learn how session pinning works and when to prefer it over rotation. Success Rate Learn what success rate means for proxies and scraping, how it is measured, and why definitions and target mix change the number you see. Uptime Uptime is the percentage of time a service is operational. Learn how it is measured, what the nines mean, and how uptime differs from proxy success rate.
Know the vocabulary. Now use the network.
Residential, ISP, mobile and IPv6 proxies with country targeting and sticky sessions — one account, every term on this page in practice.
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