You configured a proxy, started your script, and nothing works. Or worse — it works, but you are not sure the traffic is actually going through the proxy. Before you blame the target site or rewrite your code, spend two minutes confirming the proxy itself is doing its job.
Check 1: Compare Your IP With and Without the Proxy
The fastest test. Visit a site like ifconfig.me, ipinfo.io, or whatismyipaddress.com twice — once with your normal connection and once with the proxy active.
If the IP address changes, the proxy is routing your traffic. If it stays the same, your proxy configuration is not applied correctly. Check your port, username, password, and protocol (HTTP vs SOCKS5).
Check 2: Confirm the IP Location
An IP change is not enough. The new IP should be in the country and city you paid for. Use ipinfo.io or similar to check the geolocation of the proxy IP.
Geo-mismatch is a common problem with cheap proxy pools. You buy a US proxy and get an IP registered in a different state — or a different country entirely. For ad verification and geo-restricted content, this invalidates the whole setup.
Check 3: Test the Target Site Directly
Your proxy can work on an IP-check site but still get blocked on the site you actually care about. Open the target URL through the proxy in a browser or with a simple curl command:
curl -x http://user:pass@proxy-host:port https://target-site.com
If you get a 200 response with real content, the proxy works on that target. If you get a 403, a CAPTCHA page, or an empty response, the IP is either blocked or flagged — even if the proxy connection itself is fine.
Check 4: Run a Speed and Latency Test
A working proxy that adds 3 seconds of latency per request will destroy a scraping pipeline. Time a few requests through the proxy and compare to direct connections.
Some latency is normal — your traffic is taking a detour. But if every request takes 5+ seconds, the proxy server may be overloaded or too far from the target site's servers. Try a different endpoint from your provider.
Check 5: Verify Rotation (If You Are Using Rotating Proxies)
Make five consecutive requests through your rotating proxy setup and log the IP each time. You should see different IPs on each request — or at least rotation within a small pool.
If every request shows the same IP, rotation is not configured correctly. Check whether your provider uses a different port for rotation, requires a session parameter, or needs a specific API call to trigger IP changes.
Common Problems and Quick Fixes
- Proxy connects but IP does not change → Wrong protocol. Try SOCKS5 instead of HTTP, or vice versa.
- Authentication errors → Double-check username and password. Some providers use IP whitelisting instead of credentials.
- Works in browser but not in script → Your script may not be passing proxy settings correctly. Test with curl first to isolate the issue.
- Blocked immediately on target site → The IP is on a blocklist. Rotate to a new IP or switch proxy type (datacenter → residential).
Run these five checks before every new project. They take minutes and prevent the frustrating cycle of debugging code when the problem was the proxy all along.
