Proxy Error

What Is a Proxy Error?

A proxy error happens when a proxy server fails to process or forward your request to the target website or service. It usually means something went wrong between your device, the proxy, and the destination server.

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Proxy servers act as middlemen between you and the internet, relaying requests and responses. When a proxy error occurs, it signals a breakdown in this chain. Errors can arise from different causes:

• Configuration issues – wrong IP, port, or authentication details.
• Connectivity problems – timeouts, blocked IPs, or poor network conditions.
• Server-side issues – the target website refuses the request or is unavailable.
• Proxy limitations – bandwidth limits, blocked domains, or expired sessions.

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What Are Common Proxy Error Types?

Connection Errors

• 502 Bad Gateway: This proxy error code occurs when the proxy server receives an invalid response from the upstream server.
• 504 Gateway Timeout: This happens when the proxy server doesn't receive a timely response from the upstream server.
• Connection refused: This error indicates that the target server actively refused the connection attempt.

Authentication Errors

• 407 Proxy Authentication Required: This error occurs when the proxy server requires authentication, but valid credentials haven't been provided.
• Invalid credentials: This happens when the provided username or password is incorrect or has expired.

DNS-related Errors

• DNS resolution failure: This error occurs when the proxy server can't resolve the domain name to an IP address.
• Host not found: This happens when the requested hostname doesn't exist or can't be reached.

Rate Limiting and Blocking Errors

• 429 Too Many Requests: This error indicates that you've exceeded the allowed number of requests in a given timeframe.
• IP banned or blocked: This occurs when the target website has identified your proxy IP as suspicious and blocked it.

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Use Cases

Practical situations where you may encounter proxy errors:

• Web scraping: automated requests trigger 403 or 429 errors when proxies are overused or blocked.
• Corporate networks: employees trying to access external websites may see proxy authentication errors.
• Streaming or geo-restricted services: proxies may fail if providers detect and block them.
• Testing apps or APIs: developers using proxies for debugging may hit timeouts or misconfigurations.

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Best Practices

Actionable tips to avoid or fix proxy errors:

✅ Check credentials and settings: ensure IP, port, username, and password are correct.

✅ Rotate proxies: avoid bans or throttling by switching IPs regularly.

✅ Monitor proxy health: use tools to track uptime, latency, and error rates.

✅ Use high-quality providers: cheap or free proxies often fail under load or get blocked quickly.

✅ Handle retries in code: implement logic to retry failed requests gracefully.

✅ Respect website limits: avoid aggressive scraping or traffic patterns that trigger blocks.