proxy

Rotating Proxy

A proxy configuration that automatically assigns a different IP address for each request or at a set interval to prevent IP-based rate limiting.

A rotating proxy automatically cycles through a pool of IP addresses, assigning a fresh IP to each outbound request or after a configurable interval. This prevents any single IP from accumulating enough requests to trigger rate limits, IP bans, or reputation-based blocks.

The rotation strategy matters as much as the pool size. Naive round-robin rotation across a small pool is easily detected — if requests arrive from the same 20 IPs in a predictable sequence, that pattern is as identifiable as a single IP. Effective rotation uses large pools, random selection weighted by IP health, geographic diversity, and session stickiness (keeping the same IP for a multi-step workflow that must appear to come from one user).

AlterLab rotates IPs automatically on every request with no configuration required. For workflows that need session continuity — logging in, navigating multiple pages, completing a checkout flow — AlterLab supports sticky sessions that maintain the same IP throughout the session lifetime.

Examples

# Force fresh IP on every request (default behaviour)
{ "url": "https://example.com", "rotate_ip": true }

# Sticky session — same IP for all requests in a session
{ "url": "https://example.com", "session_id": "user-checkout-123" }

Related Terms

IP Rotation
The practice of cycling through multiple IP addresses across requests so no single IP triggers rate limits or bans.
Proxy Pool
A managed collection of proxy IP addresses used to distribute outbound requests across multiple origins and stay below per-IP rate limits.
Residential Proxy
An IP address assigned by an ISP to a real residential device, used to route scraping requests through genuine consumer IPs.
Session Management
The handling of cookies, authentication tokens, and browser state across multiple requests to maintain a continuous browsing session.
Rate Limiting
A server-side control that caps the number of requests accepted from a single IP or session within a time window, returning HTTP 429 when exceeded.
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    Rotating Proxy — Web Scraping Glossary | AlterLab