IP authorization—also called IP whitelisting—is one of the most common and secure ways to authenticate when using proxies. Instead of sending a username and password with every request, you simply allow specific IP addresses to access your proxy resources.
This guide explains how to authorize your IP on ProxiesThatWork, why IP-based authentication is used, how to manage dynamic IPs, and best practices for developers, businesses, and automation workflows.
IP authorization is an authentication method where access to proxies is granted only to approved (whitelisted) IP addresses.
When IP authorization is enabled:
This method is widely used in professional proxy setups because it is simple, fast, and secure.
ProxiesThatWork focuses on bulk datacenter proxies designed for high-volume and automated use cases. IP-based authentication is preferred because it:
For most users, IP authorization is the recommended authentication method.
You must authorize your IP if:
Without IP authorization, the proxy network will not allow traffic from your system.
Before authorizing, identify the public IP that will send proxy requests.
Common examples:
Ensure this is a static or stable IP whenever possible.
Access your account dashboard where proxy configuration and access controls are managed.
This dashboard is where IP authorization settings are configured.
In the IP authorization or access control section:
Once added, your IP is authorized to use the proxy network.
After IP authorization, configure your proxy using the provided IP:Port format.
Because your IP is already authorized:
This setup is ideal for automation tools and scripts.
In most cases, IP authorization is applied immediately.
If you recently updated your IP:
IP authorization relies on a stable source IP. If your IP changes, access will be blocked.
For automation and scraping, cloud or server-based IPs are strongly recommended.
| Feature | IP Authorization | Username & Password |
|---|---|---|
| Setup simplicity | High | Medium |
| Performance | Faster | Slightly slower |
| Credential management | None | Required |
| Automation-friendly | Yes | Yes |
| Security | High | High (if managed well) |
ProxiesThatWork supports IP-based authentication as the primary method due to its reliability and ease of use.
Follow these best practices to avoid access issues:
Cause: IP not whitelisted
Fix: Add your public IP to the authorization list
Cause: IP mismatch or outdated IP
Fix: Verify your current public IP and update the whitelist
Cause: Different IP addresses
Fix: Authorize the server’s public IP separately
IP authorization improves security by:
However, IP authorization should still be combined with:
Yes. You can authorize multiple IP addresses if you run proxies from different systems.
Yes. IP authorization is ideal for scraping frameworks, bots, and data pipelines.
No. As long as your public IP does not change, authorization remains active.
For many use cases, yes. It eliminates credential exposure and simplifies access control.
IP authorization is the fastest and most reliable way to authenticate when using ProxiesThatWork’s bulk datacenter proxies.
By whitelisting a stable IP address, you remove unnecessary credentials, reduce errors, and improve performance—especially for automation and high-volume workloads.
If you plan to scale scraping, monitoring, or data collection, proper IP authorization is a foundational step toward a stable and professional proxy setup.
Rowan is a digital privacy advocate and web automation expert. With a background in software development and network analysis, Rowan helps users understand how proxies and anonymity tools can improve both security and efficiency online.