As the internet becomes more restricted and location-aware, accessing websites reliably and securely has become more challenging. Businesses, developers, and data teams increasingly rely on residential proxies to browse the web, collect public data, and test online services without unnecessary interruptions. In this guide, we’ll explain what a residential proxy is, how residential proxies work, and how to use residential proxies effectively.
A residential proxy is an IP address assigned by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to a real household device. When you use a residential proxy, your internet traffic is routed through this real residential IP, making your requests appear as if they are coming from a genuine home user rather than from a server or datacenter.
Because websites generally trust residential IPs more than datacenter IPs, a proxy residential connection helps reduce blocks, CAPTCHAs, and access restrictions.
In simple terms, if you’re asking “what is residential proxy?” — it’s a way to browse the web using real-world IP addresses instead of artificial server IPs.
Residential proxies are widely used for legitimate online activities where accuracy, stability, and geo-specific access are required. Common use cases include:
Compared to datacenter proxies, residential proxies offer higher trust levels because they are linked to real ISPs, making them harder for websites to flag automatically.
Understanding how residential proxies work is straightforward: