# Proxy Management

> Proxy Management for Browser Automation

- Skill: `lucadominguez/proxy-management` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add lucadominguez/proxy-management`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/lucadominguez/proxy-management/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: lucadominguez (https://skillmd.com/u/lucadominguez)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/lucadominguez/proxy-management

---

# Proxy Management for Browser Automation

Use this skill when setting up or troubleshooting proxy infrastructure for browser automation, web scraping, or multi-account systems.

**Support files (shared with browser-automation skill):**
- `references/proxy-and-detection.md` — Proxy provider comparison, platform-specific anti-detection, email verification patterns
- `references/proxyempire-rotation.md` — ProxyEmpire residential proxy SID rotation pattern for IP cycling
- `references/provider-inventory.md` — Active proxy/SMS provider accounts, balances, how to check each, what works/fails

## Proxy Architecture

For multi-account systems, use sticky residential IPs — one dedicated IP per profile that persists across sessions. Rotating per-request triggers security flags.

```
Format: ip:port:username:password
Providers: Bright Data ($8/IP/mo), IPRoyal ($5/IP/mo), Oxylabs ($8/IP/mo), Proxy-Cheap ($3/IP/mo)
```

**Proxy assignment pattern:**
- Each profile gets a dedicated IP assigned on first use
- Proxy stays assigned until explicitly released
- Health tracking: 3 consecutive failures → mark unhealthy, rotate
- Fallback: if no healthy unassigned proxies, use least-failed proxy

**Proxy config for Playwright:**
```python
# With auth
context_options["proxy"] = {
    "server": f"http://{ip}:{port}",
    "username": username,
    "password": password,
}
# Without auth — add to launch args instead
args = [f"--proxy-server=http://{ip}:{port}"]
```

## ProxyEmpire SID Rotation

ProxyEmpire residential proxies use a session-ID-in-username pattern:

```python
session_id = f"sid-{uuid.uuid4().hex[:12]}"
username = f"r_{api_key}-country-ca-region-british+columbia-city-vancouver-{session_id}"
proxy = f"http://{username}:{password}@v2.proxyempire.io:5000"
```

**When to rotate**: Every scraping request (new SID = new IP). For account creation, use one SID per account to maintain IP consistency through the multi-step flow.

**Credentials on file**: ProxyEmpire key `r_ffc0d9d520`, password `70266b2665`, endpoint `v2.proxyempire.io:5000`. Tested Jul 18 returned 407 — may be expired.

## Provider Health Tracking

```python
class ProxyPool:
    def __init__(self):
        self.proxies: dict[str, ProxyState] = {}
    
    def assign(self, profile_id: str) -> str:
        """Assign least-used healthy proxy to profile"""
        
    def mark_failure(self, proxy_id: str):
        """Track failures; 3 consecutive = unhealthy"""
        
    def rotate(self, profile_id: str) -> str:
        """Release current, assign new"""
```

## Pitfalls

- **Cloudflare blocking**: If a proxy triggers a Cloudflare challenge or CAPTCHA, the IP is burned for that platform. Mark it unhealthy, rotate to a new one, and slow down.
- **Consistent fingerprints matter more than perfect ones**: A profile that changes user agents or screen sizes between sessions triggers more flags than a mildly suspicious but consistent fingerprint.
- **Geo consistency**: Match proxy geo to account details. Canadian phone numbers with Canadian residential proxies — mismatched geo is a red flag.
- **Sticky over rotating**: Per-request IP rotation looks like a bot. One IP per session/profile is safer.