{"id":6509,"date":"2023-10-18T14:47:43","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T14:47:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/royadata.io\/blog\/?p=6509"},"modified":"2023-10-18T14:47:43","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T14:47:43","slug":"how-to-automatically-switch-proxies-from-a-list-of-ips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/royadata.io\/blog\/how-to-automatically-switch-proxies-from-a-list-of-ips\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Automatically Switch Proxies From a List of IPs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you\u2019ve come to this article it means you\u2019re using proxies. Congratulations. How\u2019s all that anonymity treating you? It also means that you probably have multiple proxies<\/strong>, and it\u2019s getting pretty laborious to switch between them manually. I get it. Proxies take time and energy to use correctly, and that\u2019s without loading them up and clicking on each one separately.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"Automatically\n<\/picture>\n

There\u2019s a better way to switch proxies<\/strong>. Whether you\u2019re using a couple of proxies to browse anonymously<\/a> or massive batches to scrape data<\/strong>, you should not be clicking on a di\ufb00erent proxy every time you want to use one. I\u2019ll explain three main methods for automatically switching your proxies. They\u2019re all pretty easy and some of them are free!<\/p>\n\n

<\/span>Browser Proxy Switchers<\/span><\/h2>\n

The browser in this sense means a web browser, which should be pretty obvious to you proxy savvy people. Browser switchers are very helpful because a lot of the time proxies are used by individuals in a casual way; people that just want to protect their anonymity, have purchased a small batch (or use free proxies), and need to switch between them.<\/p>\n

Often times our web browser is where we\u2019ll update proxy settings. Sometimes you have to update it in the networking settings of your OS, but if you want a single browser to use a single proxy or switch between a number of them, you\u2019re going to need an extension<\/strong>. Extensions are downloaded from web stores and are specific to individual browsers, like Chrome<\/a><\/strong> and Firefox<\/a><\/strong>. Extensions number in the thousands and do all sorts of things. These extensions will make switching proxies super easy.<\/p>\n

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We added a list for switching proxy chrome extension Here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

When checking out the extensions of a specific browser, you\u2019ll want to search for \u201cproxy switchers<\/strong>.\u201d A ton of options will come up, especially in a popular browser like Chrome. If you\u2019ve had any experience with this in app stores, it\u2019s the same concept. People upload countless extensions\u2014some of them are good, some are terrible. Make proxy switcher extension decisions based on reviews, how often the software gets an update (also called support), and how easy it is to use.<\/p>\n

\"Proxy\n<\/picture>\n

Proxy technology, in general, can get dicey quickly, so you\u2019ll want a trusted proxy switcher to be handling your proxies. I\u2019ve also selected a couple of well known extension-based proxy switchers for you.<\/p>\n

Also, note that this method will work for roughly 2-15 proxies. It\u2019s best for the person that just likes to browse the internet anonymously, as opposed to scraping data with large batches.<\/p>\n\n

<\/span>FoxyProxy<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Named after the adorable, swirling-tailed Firefox browser, FoxyProxy is probably the most common and long-lasting extension<\/strong> for easily switching proxies. Today it works with both Chrome<\/a><\/strong> and Firefox<\/a><\/strong>; you\u2019re probably using one of those two browsers, or can, so this is a pretty universal solution.<\/p>\n

\"FoxyProxy\"\n<\/picture>\n

One of the downfalls with browser extensions is that you have to use the browser the extension is available on, so shop around for what\u2019s best for you.<\/p>\n

FoxyProxy Standard is recommended, though the Basic version is available for simpler users that don\u2019t want bells and whistles. Both are free<\/strong>, and both can be added with a single click.<\/p>\n

With FoxyProxy Standard you\u2019ll receive an extension that allows you to easily upload all your proxy IP addresses and switch between them at will. You do this with a simple click, and the browser will start browsing the internet with the proxy you\u2019ve just chosen.<\/p>\n

Some of you might be thinking, \u201cUh, that\u2019s not automatic at all. You\u2019re still clicking!\u201d Those of you thinking such things are spoiled and are clearly used to technology solving all of your problems. You\u2019re also right, of course.<\/p>\n

FoxyProxy Standard<\/strong><\/a> can perform more complex functions, the most important of which is automating the proxy switching. You can set a number of rules for automatic switching. They can be set to automatically switch based on what website you\u2019re visiting or for di\ufb00erent types of proxies. This allows a SOCKS proxy<\/a> and HTTP proxy<\/a> to be employed at di\ufb00erent times, depending on your browsing habits.<\/p>\n

FoxyProxy functions a little di\ufb00erently in Chrome and Firefox, and it\u2019s really built for Firefox. In that browser, it provides helpful color-changing bars to indicate your proxies\u2019 strength, has clear tabs for changing specific settings, and is accessed easily.<\/p>\n

In Chrome FoxyProxy melts into the Chrome API<\/a>, which is nice, but it\u2019s not quite as user friendly. Still, the functionality is great \u2014 there are lots of updates and help and you can switch through your proxies easily.<\/p>\n\n

<\/span>Proxy SwitchySharp<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

As you\u2019ll begin to see, there are a ton of options in the Chrome web store. Proxy SwitchySharp<\/a><\/strong> is one of the most reviewed and is actually a ported project from SwitchyPlus<\/strong>, a well-known extension proxy switcher that stopped receiving support.<\/p>\n

\"Proxy\n<\/picture>\n

Proxy Switchyaharp also works within Chrome\u2019s API and allows you to switch proxy to use in a single click. You can do it manually, but you can also set up rules for switches to occur at specific times or scenarios.<\/p>\n

The user interface for Proxy SwitchySharp is well designed, and you\u2019ll be able to do a lot of complex, scenario-based functions with this extension.<\/p>\n\n

<\/span>Safari Option<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Unfortunately for users of Safari, there aren\u2019t any extensions<\/strong> that allow you to easily or automatically switch proxies.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

You can always use Chrome or Firefox on a Mac to get through this issue, but I\u2019m all about providing you with options.<\/p>\n

Safari does have a method of easy proxy switching<\/strong>, though it won\u2019t ever be \u201cautomatic.\u201d To do this, you\u2019ll need to be able to access your Network settings in Mac OS System Preferences. Once there, find the \u201cLocation\u201d drop-down menu (it\u2019s at the top). It will likely say \u201cAutomatic,\u201d which is not at all the type of automatic we are looking for.<\/p>\n

\"A\n<\/picture>\n

Click on this to \u201cEdit Locations,\u201d which will open up a screen that allows you to add, subtract, and edit new locations. Essentially, you create a Location for every proxy you have. This will allow you to have a custom setting for each proxy.<\/p>\n

Do this by naming the Location so you\u2019ll remember which proxy it is, then head over to the \u201cAdvanced\u201d<\/strong> button in the same network panel. In the \u201cAdvanced\u201d section head to Proxies; you\u2019ll find a number of types of proxies<\/a> that can be entered, including the authentication methods. Select the type of proxy you are using, enter the IP address and port, click \u201cOk,\u201d then click \u201cApply.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do this for every proxy you want to use in Safari. After this, you can click on the Apple button in the top left of your screen (not in Safari itself), and you\u2019ll see the option for Location under System Preferences.<\/p>\n

All of your entered locations will be there, and you can select one to use at any time. This routes all your web tra\ufb03c (or all your tra\ufb03c, if you have a SOCKS proxy) through the selected Location.<\/p>\n