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What Is a Forward Proxy?

A forward proxy is a server that sits in front of clients and sends their requests out to the internet on their behalf. Websites see the forward proxy's IP address instead of the client's.

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how it works

How a forward proxy works

The client knows about a forward proxy and is configured to use it: with a proxy URL in an app, the HTTP_PROXY and HTTPS_PROXY environment variables, system proxy settings or a PAC file. Each request goes to the proxy first, which opens the connection to the destination, either by forwarding an HTTP request or by tunnelling with CONNECT or SOCKS5.

Forward proxies serve the client side. Companies use them to filter and log staff web access, schools to apply content rules, and proxy services to give customers exit IPs in other networks and locations. The mirror image is a reverse proxy, which serves the website side.

  • Forward proxy

    This term
    Who sets it up
    The client or its network
    Who it acts for
    Clients making outgoing requests
    What the other side sees
    The proxy's IP, not the client's
    Examples
    Proxy services, corporate web filters

  • Reverse proxy

    Who sets it up
    The website operator
    Who it acts for
    Servers receiving incoming requests
    What the other side sees
    The proxy's address, not the origin server's
    Examples
    Load balancers, CDNs, web application firewalls
why it matters

Why forward proxies matter for proxy users

Every commercial proxy you buy is a forward proxy. The useful questions are where its exit IP sits and how that IP is assigned.

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Forward proxy: what it means for you
  • Static forward proxies give you one fixed exit IP, as ISP proxies do.
  • Gateway forward proxies, also called backconnect proxies, pick an exit IP from a pool for each request or session.
  • Environment variables apply a forward proxy to many command-line tools at once: export HTTPS_PROXY=http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@HOST:PORT. List internal hosts in NO_PROXY so they skip it.

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Guides from the blog

Setup guides and best practices from the CleanProxies blog.

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Related terms

Terms that come up alongside Forward proxy.

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Forward proxy FAQs

Straight answers about Forward proxy.

A forward proxy acts for clients and hides them from the websites they visit. A reverse proxy acts for websites and sits in front of their servers, handling incoming traffic.

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