Residential proxies are IP addresses assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to real household devices, such as laptops, smartphones, or routers. They route your internet traffic through these legitimate residential connections, making your requests appear as ordinary user activity.

This guide covers everything you need to know about residential proxies—how they work, their advantages, and when to use them.

How do residential proxies work?

When you connect through a residential proxy, your request is routed through a real device in someone's home. The target website sees the residential IP address instead of yours, making the connection appear legitimate. Proxy providers maintain networks of these IPs through partnerships or peer-to-peer networks.

Most providers offer rotating IPs (changing with each request or at intervals) and sticky sessions (maintaining the same IP for a set duration). These options let you optimize for different use cases.

What are residential proxies used for?

Common applications include web scraping, ad verification, price monitoring, SEO research, social media management, sneaker copping, and accessing geo-restricted content. Anywhere that authentic user traffic matters, residential proxies excel.

Are residential proxies legal?

Yes, using residential proxies is legal in most jurisdictions. However, what you do with them matters—respecting websites' terms of service, avoiding fraudulent activities, and ensuring the proxy provider sources IPs ethically are all important considerations.