Everyone hates when their IP gets denied access to a specific platform. Being blocked from some sites while web scraping data or being flagged while managing multiple social media accounts can be time-consuming and frustrating.
If you usually experience this issue, don’t worry. Residential proxies can be the answer you’ve been searching for. Dealing with them is not as complicated as you might think. So, let’s take a closer look at residential proxies.
Residential Proxies Explanation
This is a kind of proxy server that utilizes IPs associated with real home devices. They work the same way as other types of proxies. They act like middlemen who receive your requests first instead of sending them directly to the web.
They then send them through a residential IP address to their intended destination. Once the results are ready, the proxy server forwards them to your device.
How Are Residential Proxy IP Addresses Created?
Technically, a partnership with the owners of residential IP addresses is what allows the creation of residential proxies. What happens is that a proxy provider usually discloses how they get and utilize the IPs they have.
The IP owner then gives consent for the IP they provide for renting and receives compensation, which can be money.
Use Cases of Residential Proxies
The strength of residential proxies is their ability to access secure websites with active anti-scraping measures. As mentioned, these proxies come from real IPs.
This feature makes them work wonderfully on CAPTCHAs, access location-restricted sites, and reduce IP-blocking incidents. So, what are some of their use cases? Let’s find out.
Web Scraping
You can’t talk about the use cases of proxies without mentioning web scraping. Why? Using residential proxies gives you the necessary anonymity to overcome online restrictions, IP blocks, and anti-scraping measures.
With the help of residential proxies, you can easily access and gather data without being detected by website administrators. This means you can monitor your competitors’ online presence, conduct market research, and retrieve prices smoothly.
Ad Verification
To ensure your ads display correctly and detect whether something is blocking or redirecting them, advertisers and marketers often employ residential proxies. You can use different residential IP addresses to check how your adverts appear in a specific region.
If you want to see how your ads appear in China, for example, you can use China-based residential proxies. This way, you can be certain that your advertisements are properly shown or do not even have any interference whatsoever.
Price Comparison
Do you run an e-commerce business? Price monitoring is something you should do to gain a competitive advantage. It enables businesses to know real-time prices offered by their competitors, how these prices change over time, and what effect they have on consumers and demand.
Usually, popular shopping websites don’t allow scraping bots using the same IP. This is one reason why residential proxies are very important since their HTTP requests appear like real users’ requests.
Private Browsing
Want to stay safe and secure online? You can use residential proxies to mask your real IP and surf privately. These proxies are difficult to detect and easy to integrate with other platforms and OSs. Plus, they can allow you to easily access geo-restricted content.
Sneaker Bots
Residential proxies play a significant role in sneaker copping. You can use them to get limited-edition sneakers.
Sneaker bots that use either residential or mobile IP addresses imitate real users, hence breaking buying limits. Residential proxies increase your success rate compared to when you use other proxies.
Picking a Residential Proxy Service
Choosing a reliable proxy service is critical if you wish to make the most out of them. This might seem obvious, but the provider you select has to be able to ensure you browse smoothly.
Why? This is because all providers are not the same. A good provider should prioritize quality and reliability. So, what do you look for?
Pool Size
This is all about the number of IP addresses a company has in its pool. The higher the number, the better, provided the IPs are premium. This way, you can rotate IPs more easily.
Location Coverage
Many users use residential proxies because of location spoofing. For instance, to access geo-restricted content or ad verification. Therefore, ensure the provider you choose offers proxies for different regions and countries.
Reputation
The reputation of a service provider is something you should take into account. After all, not all providers are the same. Therefore, read online reviews and testimonies from previous clients to know what to expect from a company.
Conclusion
One can utilize residential proxies to successfully complete various tasks online smoothly. You can use them to streamline web scraping, manage multiple social media accounts, bypass geo-restrictions, and ensure privacy.
However, it’s essential to ensure you choose the right company to leverage the proxies’ full potential. Therefore, do your research before selecting a provider.
