If you’re looking to protect your privacy online or perform data scraping, then rotating proxies can be a solid option.But “What are Rotating Proxies?”. These rotating proxies have a great set of use cases. On top of that, with help from rotating proxies, you will optimize your workflow. Yet, at the same time, you don’t need to worry about using the same proxy server for a prolonged time. In doing so, you have much better security.
Defining Rotating Proxies
Sticking with the same proxy for a long time can limit its use. It can also put you at risk sometimes. That’s where rotating proxies stand out. They will switch the IP address assigned to the user, hiding the user’s IP. What’s important to note is that the proxy rotation can either happen with each new connection request. You can also choose for this to happen periodically if you want.
Unlike other systems, proxy rotation doesn’t require user input. You can set the proxy change to happen every 3 minutes, for example. Once you set it up, everything will automatically modify according to that initial input. A static proxy will give you a static IP that will hide your own IP address. In this case, you will constantly receive a new IP address.
Why should you use Rotating Proxies?
Since there are a variety of security concerns these days, you always want to stay safe online.
There are tons of use cases and benefits for rotating proxies, as you can see below:
IP Rotation
Being able to rotate proxies and thus change your IP often is always helpful. It gives you more freedom and flexibility.
Good For CATCHAs
Some websites will limit how many requests they can receive from an IP. Sometimes, they might even ban you for that. Either that, or you will have CAPTCHAs, request throttling, and so on.
Good for Web Scraping
If you want to perform web scraping, then a rotating proxy is a godsend. It allows you to swap your IP with a new one automatically. That means there's no need to worry about limits. The IP will be switched before any of that happens.
Unlimited IP´s
Unlike a proxy list, the entire process is much easier to manage. You can use a huge number of IP addresses. The provider for those rotating proxies doesn't require you to pay for a specific number of IPs. Instead, everything is handled automatically and at the agreed price.
Protects your Idendity
Having anonymity online is a huge benefit, and with a rotating proxy, you get that. It's much harder for anyone to track down your location.
Note: It’s important to note that rotating proxies won’t offer an IP list and you choose from there. Instead, you have a single address, also known as the backconnect gateway server. As expected, this helps you connect to the proxy pool of your provider. They have a certain number of IP addresses, and once you connect to them, the system will automatically choose one of the available options.
One thing to note about these rotating proxies is that not every IP will provide the same experience. A website might ban some IPs, others are slower, and so on. However, you can easily switch to a new IP, and that helps circumvent any possible challenges or issues.
Best Use Cases for Rotating Proxies
Every user has different requirements when it comes to a rotating proxy. Generally speaking, you want to use these solutions as a way to have many connections to a domain. Web scraping is obviously the standout use case when it comes to rotating proxies.
But at the same time, you can also use these for SEO monitoring. SEO professionals use rotating proxies as a way to run SEO audits, track the current ranking, and study keywords. Moreover, you can use rotating proxies to collect product data from sites like Amazon.
And then there are other use cases like price comparisons. In order for websites to compare prices, they need to initiate multiple connections at once. In some cases, these websites can get their IP banned, so a rotating proxy is crucial here.
Are there situations you need to avoid?
If you need to keep a session open, rotating proxies are not ideal. If you can have a sticky session with a predetermined interval, that might help. But it won’t always be the case. Also, rotating proxies are not ideal if you need to have a consistent identity on a website.
What are the Best Types of Rotating Proxies?
You can find a multitude of rotating proxy types. Each one comes with its own benefits and use cases. It’s a great idea to understand the reasoning behind every kind of rotating proxy and how it can help. Of course, pricing and efficiency can vary as well.
Mobile proxies are borrowing IPs from tablets, phones and so on. These devices are connected to either 5G, 4G, or 3G networks. One thing to note about mobile rotating proxies is they tend to be on the slower side for the most part. However, that also means they are hard to detect, the hardest out of all rotating proxy types out there. If you’re very serious about safety, these can be great. They are too much for web scraping, though.
Datacenter proxies offer very good uptime, and the connection speed is excellent. However, they also end up costing less when compared to other proxy types. That also means these are much easier to identify. Yet, they can work in most use cases when you require a proxy. They certainly deliver the best value for money.
Lastly, we have residential proxies. These IPs are acquired from WI-FI enabled devices spread all over the world. Their price is higher when compared to data center proxies, and they are also slower. However, you get the benefit of having fewer detection issues. If you are working with a website that has great protective measures, a residential proxy can help.
Each type of rotating proxies will provide you with great benefits and a wide range of use cases. But it always comes down to the type of situation you are in. Mobile proxies are excellent for anonymity, and data center proxies are the best bang for your buck. And then you have residential proxies, which can sometimes have a lot of blocked IPs by the website you need to work on. Checking the source and learning which ones fit your needs becomes the utmost priority.
Pros and Cons of Rotating Proxies
- Using a rotating proxy can be a great idea if you're looking for a comprehensive way of doing web scraping. You eliminate the need to worry about rotating IPs manually. Instead, you have a system that automatically does that for you.
- In general, you get access to a very large number of IPs. That makes it a lot easier not to worry about connection bans, which are prevalent for static IPs.
- You can use a multitude of different rotating proxy types, depending on the use case. You're not limited to only a single type.
- You don't have to deal with time-consuming CAPTCHA messages or any time-consuming tasks like that.
- The security brought by rotating proxies is incredible, and it makes the process stand out quite a bit.
- Costs will differ according to the rotating proxy you want and the features you expect.
- You can also experience forced rotation, which can end up being an issue sometimes.
How to Choose the Best Provider for Rotating Proxies?
There are always a few things to consider when it comes to selecting any proxy provider. Here are some of the ideas we recommend!
Read the Reviews and Ratings
Provider reviews can help narrow down the right option. We highly recommend going with established sellers that have very good reviews.
Check the Pricing and Proxy Offers
You want to know the type of rotating proxies they provide, but also their overall price. It's important to have a good idea of how much it all costs and what value you receive for your money.
Check the Kind of Supports they Offer
How easy is the company to communicate with? If they are hard to reach or you wait a long time for replies, that's an issue. You want to have smooth communication to solve any problems. That also includes any interactions with customer support.
Petaproxy is the best choice for rotating proxies because it offers a wide range of options, such as high-quality mobile and datacenter proxies, to make sure that your viewing experience is smooth and safe.
Conclusion
Using rotating proxies is a great way to not only improve your online anonymity but also scrap/acquire data without IP bans. It’s highly recommended to use a rotating proxy if you need to have a multitude of connections to the same website. These proxies offer a much better, more cohesive experience. Yet, at the same time, you also have the option to choose the rotating proxy types you want to use, along with other requirements. We highly encourage you to use rotating proxies if you want better online anonymity!
