Daniel - August 31, 2020
What Are The Best Proxies For Bots?
In this post, we will how you the best proxies for bots.
In simple terms, bots are automated software programs developed to carry out a specific task or tasks. There are different kinds of bots out there, and the advantage they offer is that they save you time and stress from manually handling the tasks.
There are many benefits associated with using a bot with a proxy server. However, the most prominent is their anonymity; besides, these proxies make your real IP address invisible.
Do you intend to launch a bot or bots? Or are you searching for the best proxies for bots? This post will help you figure that out. To begin with, let’s answer this fundamental question – what type of proxies do bots need?
What Type of Proxies Do Bots Need?
There are two major types of proxies available, which include HTTP proxies and SOCKS proxies. Among the two, which is recommended for bots? Well, any of them can go, but it depends on the task that the bot will be automating.
In essence, HTTP functions as a protocol for transferring hypermedia documents between web servers and web clients. Conversely, HTTP proxy servers operate by using both a receiving web client and the sending web server – it plays both roles.
However, HTTP proxies are the most commonly used type of proxies because internet users typically send web requests. Take, for instance; they might be purchasing sneakers online with a sneaker bot, streaming music, unblocking streaming services, etc.
While most proxy settings for bots will only accept HTTP, some do accept HTTPS, i.e. advanced HTTP protocol with SSL (Secure Layer Socket). However, HTTP and HTTPS proxies carry out caching of downloaded information; so, you can simply go with HTTP.
If your bot is developed to handle more than sending and receiving web requests, the SOCKS protocol is ideal. Besides, traffic sent with a SOCKS proxy is routed via Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which is a third-party server on its own. In fact, Socket Secure (SOCKS) proxies are often mistaken to be VPNs, but they are different.
Here’s how a SOCKS proxy works. First of all, a connection request with a list of supported authentication methods is sent by a client to a server. The server accesses the supported authentication methods and picks one. Afterwards, the server and client can then exchange information. The request will get a failure response if none of the methods is selected.
On the other hand, there are different types of SOCKS proxies, including SOCKS4, SOCKS4A, SOCKS5. Not to mention, SOCKS proxies can handle HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and other requests. Although HTTP proxies can anonymize your bots’ traffic on the web; however, SOCKS proxies offer the most anonymity.
If you intend to run basic web requests, it is best to stick to a specific proxy protocol like the HTTP proxy. Likewise, SOCKS proxies are ideal for advanced bot functions.
How to Tell What Type of Proxy You Need for Your Bot
For your bot, you can opt for either HTTP or SOCKS proxies. Also, there are residential and data center proxies, so how can you tell what type of proxy is ideal for your bot?
Well, that doesn’t have to be an arduous task, unless you are a programmer and you are developing the bot by yourself. Even at that, you can quickly identify the best proxy for your bots. If you intend to use a bot software, the easiest thing to do is check the bot software documentation to discover the best proxy to use.
For instance, we have sneaker bots, Facebook bots, Twitter bots, gaming bots, etc. For social media bots, a proxy with a residential IP address is essential to ensure you do not get blocked.
If you are using a web scraper bot, then the best proxy you need is an HTTP proxy. As mentioned earlier, such proxies are best when it comes to downloading information from the web, but if you intend to do more than send and receive web requests, you can go with a SOCKS proxy.
To cop sneakers on websites like Nikestore, Champs Sports, Footaction, etc. you can use a sneaker bot, and as such, you need a sneaker proxy. Thankfully, ProxyRack provides a wide range of proxy services for all your bot needs, including sneaker proxies.
Are There Any Benefits With Using One Type of Proxy over the Other HTTP/Socks?
Since HTTP and SOCKS proxies are different, there is always the question of which is better than the other and which is the best to use. It is essential to know that both proxies have their unique advantages.
As mentioned earlier, HTTP proxies are the most common and most popular. When we talk about bots, proxies, servers, etc., it always references the internet, which serves web pages majorly via HTTP or HTTPS requests. As a result, HTTP proxies have a high ability to serve data.
Take, for instance; you intend to scrape a site using a bot; an HTTP proxy will be of advantage because websites are served over HTTP/HTTPS connections. It will perfectly understand the data such that it scrapes intelligently, extracting only the critical data and leaving the unimportant ones. In fact, HTTP proxies are ideal for filtering online content with perfection.
However, HTTP proxies do have some limitations, and that is where SOCKS proxies come in. HTTP proxies cannot handle large web requests at a time as they are specific-protocol proxies.
On the other hand, SOCKS proxies are flexible and can work with any traffic. Let’s look at it from a different perspective – SOCKS proxies utilize a universal connection, and there are no traffic limitations when using such proxies.
Due to its flexibility, SOCKS proxies are easy to configure like HTTP proxies. However, SOCKS proxies offer faster and more reliable connections. This is because they support the UDP protocol, unlike HTTP proxies that support TCP protocol. Specifically, this is obtainable with a SOCKS5 proxy.
Summarily, both HTTP and SOCKS proxies can anonymize your bot tasks if you use them accordingly. So, whether you make use of HTTP or SOCKS proxies, the best proxies for your bots depend entirely on the bot’s functions.
Should You Use Residential or Datacenter Proxies for Your Bot?
Find the perfect Proxy Product.
Both residential and datacenter proxies enable you to access the web anonymously. However, it is difficult to decide whether to use residential or datacenter proxies.
Datacenter proxies are very common. They are independent proxy servers that are not linked to your internet service provider (ISP) or even your internet connection. But the problem is a lot of websites can now identify when you access them with datacenter proxies, and as a result, such proxies are getting blocked.
On the other hand, residential proxies have a low tendency to be blocked. Such proxies utilize IP addresses of real places, even if it is not an actual address. Hence, you can access the web anonymously and bypass geo-restrictions without getting blocked regularly.
For the majority of bot tasks, you should use a residential proxy for your bot. Besides, datacenter proxies are more likely to be blocked by websites than residential proxies. Not to mention, residential proxies provide a range of IP addresses for several locations that you can connect from.
However, datacenter proxies do have an advantage; they are faster than residential proxies when it comes to managing a few accounts.
Being more specific, you will need a residential proxy for a task like social media management, scraping popular websites such as Instagram, etc. – this is to avoid being banned by these sites. Conversely, you should check with your bot’s software publisher whether to use residential or datacenter proxies for your bot.
Notably, you will spend more to acquire a residential proxy than for a datacenter proxy due to their reliability. Thankfully, a proxy service provider like ProxyRack offers residential and data center proxies at a relatively affordable price, so you don’t get to spend much.
Do You Need Geo Targetable IPs for Your Bot?
With your IP address, websites can determine where you are located. For instance, your IP address can reveal some information like your country, zip code, ISP, etc.
However, proxy servers can hide your real IP address, allowing you to access the internet with a different IP address. The new IP address could emanate from your geographical location or an entirely different country – it’s up to you to decide your preferred ‘online location.’ That brings the question – do you need geo-targetable IPs for your bot.
To access a geo-restricted website or service from your location, you should utilize a geo-targeted IP address.
In terms of bot usage, the primary question is – will the bot access a restricted website or service in your region? If yes, you need geo-targetable IPs for any region where such a website or service is not restricted.
For instance, if you intend to stream music with your bot on a platform like Spotify, geo-targetable IPs from an unrestricted country like the USA is ideal.
On the other hand, if your bot will be streaming music on a platform like SoundCloud, which is available for every country, then there is no need for geo-targetable IPs as you can access the platform from your location.
Another situation where geo-targetable IPs are essential is for SEO bots. To get ranking data for an international audience, you need geo-targetable IPs. If the bot will be logging into your accounts, it’s best to keep the IP address consistent, so it doesn’t get flagged.
Lastly, you need geo-targetable IPs for your bot if its function is international-related. Otherwise, it’s not a necessity.
Bottom Line
In summary, the best proxies for bots should be reliable and able to anonymize your bot’s traffic. As discussed above, the type of proxy you need for your bot depends entirely on the tasks.
Thankfully, at ProxyRack, we provide unique HTTP and SOCKS proxies in over 140 countries with our proxy network. We may have the proxies you need for your bot, and feel free to ask our support for suggestions on the type of proxies that you need.
