Access restrictions are increasingly common across the internet. Whether due to geo-blocking, firewalls, IP bans, DNS filtering, or government censorship, blocked websites impact individuals, businesses, researchers, and developers alike.
This complete guide covers how to circumvent blocked websites using a range of methods—from basic tools to enterprise-grade proxy solutions. You'll learn what causes access blocks, which strategies scale, and how to remain compliant while maintaining reliable access.
💡 Note: This guide is intended for accessing publicly available web content. Always follow local laws, organizational policies, and website terms of service.
Understanding the source of a block helps determine the best solution.
Common causes:
Each block type requires a different circumvention approach.
In rare cases, a blocked site may be the result of:
Closing incognito or clearing your browser cache can resolve these local issues. However, this does not bypass real IP blocks or network restrictions.
For more on session behavior, see Managing Large Proxy Lists.
DNS filtering is often used by ISPs or organizations to block access. Switching to public DNS can help bypass this.
Recommended DNS options:
Limitations:
VPNs encrypt your traffic and route it through a remote server, masking your IP.
Ideal for:
Not ideal for:
To understand the tradeoffs, read Proxy vs VPN vs Tor.
These are browser-based proxy services used to quickly access a site.
Pros:
Cons:
For business, automation, and repeat access, proxies are the gold standard.
A proxy masks your real IP and forwards your requests through another server. This allows you to:
See how Proxies for Market Analysts enable continuous, large-scale data access.
Datacenter proxies offer the best performance-to-cost ratio for blocked website access.
With ProxiesThatWork's bulk datacenter proxies, you get:
Use cases include:
Static IP usage can still lead to blocks. Rotation is key to resilience.
Rotation strategies:
Learn How to Rotate Datacenter Proxies Using Automation Tools to stay ahead of detection.
Some blocks are triggered by non-IP factors such as fingerprinting.
Fingerprint data includes:
For stealth browsing, use anti-detection tools (and see Anti-Detection Browser Comparison).
Tor anonymizes your traffic through layered relays.
Pros:
Cons:
| Method | Bypasses IP Blocks | Scalable | Automation-Ready |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incognito Mode | No | No | No |
| DNS Change | Limited | No | No |
| VPN | Sometimes | No | No |
| Web Proxy | Sometimes | No | No |
| Tor | Yes | No | No |
| Datacenter Proxies | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Using proxies and circumvention methods must be done responsibly:
See our guide on Compliance Best Practices with Bulk Proxies.
Simple DNS changes or VPNs can work for casual restrictions, but for consistent, scalable access to blocked content, proxies are the most reliable choice.
ProxiesThatWork offers affordable, high-performance bulk datacenter proxies built for web scraping, monitoring, and automation.
Used correctly, proxies offer a responsible, scalable way to access the open web—without reliance on fragile tools or risky tactics.
Jesse Lewis is a researcher and content contributor for ProxiesThatWork, covering compliance trends, data governance, and the evolving relationship between AI and proxy technologies. He focuses on helping businesses stay compliant while deploying efficient, scalable data-collection pipelines.