Which protocol to choose for a browser, scraper or app, and why a proxy doesn't encrypt traffic on its own.
What a proxy protocol is
A protocol is the "language" an app uses to talk to the proxy server. It determines what kind of traffic can go through the proxy and which apps can work with it.
HTTP and HTTPS
An HTTP proxy is built for websites. It understands web requests and knows how to pass them on.
You can also open HTTPS sites through an HTTP proxy: the app asks the proxy to open a "tunnel" to the site (the CONNECT command), and everything after that travels through the tunnel encrypted. The proxy sees which site you're connecting to, but not what you do there.
Good for: browsers, scrapers and most apps that work with websites.
SOCKS5
SOCKS5 works one level lower: it doesn't look at the content, it simply forwards connections. That's why it can carry not only websites but almost any traffic: messengers, game clients, email apps.
Good for: apps that do more than work with websites, and cases where flexibility matters.
Which one to choose
| If you need to | Protocol |
|---|---|
| Work with websites in a browser or scraper | HTTP |
| Connect an app that does more than work with websites | SOCKS5 |
| You don't know what the app supports | Try HTTP, then SOCKS5 |
A common mistake
The protocol set in your app must match the protocol of the proxy port. If you choose HTTP for a SOCKS5 port or the other way round, the connection won't be established even though the username and password are correct. The protocol and port are shown on the order page.
Does a proxy encrypt traffic
Not on its own. Protection comes from HTTPS: if a site's address starts with https://, the content is encrypted between your browser and the site, and the proxy can't see it. So only enter passwords and payment details on HTTPS sites — with or without a proxy.