Glossary

Proxy

An intermediate server that forwards network traffic on behalf of a client.

Definition

A proxy sits between you and the internet, taking your requests, fetching the response, and handing it back. Unlike a VPN, most proxies operate at the application layer (e.g., browser-only or HTTP-only) and many do not encrypt traffic.

Proxies are most useful for narrow, technical tasks: routing a single application through a specific IP, testing geo-restricted content, or reducing load on a backend service. They're not a general-purpose privacy tool.

Example

A web-scraping job points its HTTP client at a residential proxy. The target website sees the proxy's IP and a residential ISP, not the data center the scraper actually runs in.

Frequently asked questions

Is a proxy the same as a VPN?

No. A VPN encrypts all traffic from your device; most proxies handle one app and may not encrypt at all.

Are proxies legal?

The technology is legal; using a proxy to violate a site's terms or to commit fraud is not.

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