Web Proxy FAQs

What is a web proxy?

A web proxy is one way to protect your identity as you connect to different websites. It is essentially a server or system through which traffic passes between your computer and the websites you are visiting. The proxy server, as the term implies, works on behalf of your computer when you connect to a website. It works like a search engine but actually acts as an intermediary. It fetches your request and passes it to the target website’s server and gets its response back to you. Your public IP address will only be disclosed to the proxy server which, in turn, uses its own IP address as it communicates to the target websites.

How do you know if a website is a web proxy? You will find a field for you to type the URL to browse online using the proxy. Examples of web proxy servers include Apache, HAProxy, Nginx, Privoxy, Squid, Varnish (reverse proxy only), WinGate, Ziproxy, and IIS configured as proxy

What are the benefits of using a web proxy?

The common use of web proxies is for anonymous web browsing. Anonymity is useful in two  ways: to keep your browsing private and to be able to unblock websites. Hundreds or thousands of users from other parts of the world use web proxies to unblock Youtube, Facebook and other social media sites. Other uses for web proxies is compressing data as well as  blocking or disabling common nuisance online like advertisements, pop-ups, and cookies. ‘

Caching websites is also an important function of a number of web proxies. The proxy server retains a copy of a page you are visiting so you don’t have to request a new page from the destination site if you want to access it again. This process can help improve the speed of your online connection.

Another benefit that thousands or millions of Internet users appreciate is the availability of free web proxies. All it takes is to search for “web proxy” to find a number of options.

Which information cannot be hidden by a web proxy?

Not everything can be hidden behind an online proxy. Make sure you are not using it to keep the following private because it will not work:

  • Web browsing history
  • Internet bandwidth usage
  • Your identity linked to any account you log into (for example, when you log into What information can a web proxy not hide or protect?Facebook or  Gmail)
  • Your proxy status or use of a proxy to go online
  • Your connection to the web proxy

What are some more secure alternatives to web proxy servers?

A virtual private network (VPN) is a private encrypted connection over a public network. It requires installing a software which will establish a secure tunnel with the VPN server. Your online presence will appear with a remote IP address. Though VPNs are secure, remember that the encrypted data that travels through a public network may still be subject to intrusion. More users getting on the VPN will reduce the bandwidth for each user which means slow connection.

A highly anonymous proxy server has the basic benefits of web proxies mentioned above plus a number of benefits including higher anonymity. Your proxy status will be concealed. However, this type of server is most likely paid. You may be offered a great package of services and perks: dedicated bandwidth, 24 by 7 support, high-speed servers, no advertisements, and more.