Picture this: You're working online, maybe trying to access a website that's restricted by location or just trying to maintain your privacy, when suddenly a message pops up saying, "Anonymous Proxy Detected."
Not a great feeling, right? This error is more common than you think, and there are simple ways to fix it. No matter what type of proxy you're using, we'll tell you what this error message means and how to get around it.
What is an Anonymous Proxy Server?
Anonymous proxies are intermediary servers that hide your IP address and other information from the sites or services you visit.
When you use anonymous proxies, your internet traffic goes through the proxy server before reaching the target server. This is why it's tricky to track your activity. Instead of seeing your IP address, the site sees the IP address of the proxy server.
However, there are some signs that the user is utilizing the proxy server as an intermediary. Put simply, the site or service you're using will know you're connected through a proxy, but it won’t know where you are.
Why Use Anonymous Proxies?
Anonymous proxies help users hide their real IP addresses, which stops websites, advertisers, and other third parties from tracking their behavior and location. This makes the online space much more private.
In addition to increasing privacy, using an anonymous proxy server located in another country allows users to access content that is restricted in their current region (e.g., streaming services or news sites).
Remember to protect against network threats such as hackers. By hiding their IP address, anonymous proxy users make it difficult for attackers to identify a specific device or location.
Monitoring competitors' prices and offers, content parsing with parallel mass queries, market research, social networking promotion and advertising, and SEO tasks can all be done much more effectively with anonymous proxies than without them.
What Does “Anonymous Proxy Detected” Mean?
If you're trying to hide your IP with a proxy, getting a message saying you've been exposed isn’t ideal. You might see an error message saying something like, "Anonymous Proxy Detected, click here." This means the server you tried to connect to has noticed you're using a proxy server.
Sometimes, websites block traffic from anonymous proxy servers to prevent fraud, spam, or bots from accessing the site. It's pretty straightforward: proxy servers can hide the real identity of users who have malicious intent.
Some services have policies restricting or blocking access for people using anonymous proxies because it's difficult to track or verify user activity.
For instance, the streaming service Hulu has restrictions on viewing content from outside the United States. VPN, VPS, unsupported third-party apps (not the original Hulu app), and traffic anonymization services are all examples of anonymous proxies for them. As a result, the IP addresses of users accessing Hulu while using these services are blocked.
We know that sometimes the "Anonymous Proxy Detected" message pops up because there are too many requests or the proxy server is low-quality. In these cases, it's usually pretty straightforward to find a fix. Just reduce the number of requests and look for a more reliable proxy provider like Froxy.
How to Fix the Error?
To fix the “Anonymous Proxy Detected” error, try the following steps:
- Shut down all applications that establish a connection through the proxy server.
- Clear your browser cache and cookies.
- Request a new IP through proxy rotation.
- Restart the required application or website.
Of course, you may encounter other errors while using a proxy. In that case, the rescue plan remains the same. However, if you are still unable to access the required service after taking these measures, you should check with the proxy provider you are working with.
If the policy of the service you want to use via anonymous proxies prohibits anonymization, you will probably encounter the “Anonymous Proxy Detected” error message over and over again.
What To Do If IP Address is Blocked?
In the article “What to Do If Your IP Gets Banned While Scraping,” we covered best practices for avoiding being blocked.
If you've tried to avoid it but still got blocked, or the site's security is too complex to be easily bypassed, here are some ways to deal with IP blocking:
- Contact support for unblocking.
If your IP address has been blocked because your internet service provider (ISP) gave you a previously blacklisted IP address, you might be able to get it unblocked by contacting the site's support team. Explain the situation, and they may be able to unblock you, especially if the problem isn't related to a violation of the site's terms and conditions, like scraping.
- Reboot the router.
This might sound like run-of-the-mill tech support advice, but it'll do the trick if your ISP uses dynamic public IP addresses. Restarting the router might give you a new IP. Just keep in mind that this won't work if your ISP uses private IP addresses assigned to the equipment.
- Try a more reliable proxy server or rotate IPs.
If you want to bypass IP bans, proxy servers are your best bet. Residential proxies let you switch IPs, so you can quickly move on to another if one is blocked. This makes it challenging for blacklists to catch up. So, look for a provider with a solid proxy network and the ability to automatically rotate (rotating proxies).
Conclusion and Recommendations
The "Anonymous Proxy Detected" error can be a bit of a shock, but it's usually just a sign that the site is blocking access from your proxy. Anonymous proxies are still a great tool for many tasks, but tracking scripts can interfere with your work or rest time.
We hope these simple instructions will help you deal with site restrictions without overwhelming you. You can always ask your proxy provider for assistance and find qualified support and solutions to the problem.
