If you want to keep your browsing private or bypass website restrictions, you can use a proxy with Python. In this guide, I’ll show you step-by-step instructions on how to use proxy with Python Requests.
Here’s the brief for you: To use a proxy with Python requests, you simply need to tell Python where to send your requests through the proxy by adding the proxy details when making the request.
You just include the proxy's address and port in your code, and Python will send your requests through that proxy instead of directly to the website.
Basically, it’s easy to follow and will help you use proxies with Python's requests library.
Key Takeaways:
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What’s a Proxy?
A proxy is like a middleman between you and the website. When you use a proxy, the website sees the proxy’s address instead of yours. This can help you stay anonymous or access blocked content.
So, What’s the Speciality of Python Requests?
Simple syntax to send HTTP requests with just a few lines of code.
Works with GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, and more types of requests.
Built-in features to manage request failures or timeouts.
Converts response data (like JSON or HTML) into usable formats.
Quickly fetches data from websites or APIs.
7 Steps on How to Use Proxy with Python Requests
Now, let me share the overall process step-by-step.
Step 1: Install Python and Requests
Before you start, you need to have Python installed on your computer. If you haven’t done so, go to python.org and download the latest version.
Once Python is installed, you need the requests library. It's a simple tool that allows you to send HTTP requests with Python.
To install it, open your terminal or command prompt and run:
This will install the requests library, which you can use to interact with websites.
Step 2: Get Your Proxy
To use a proxy, you need to have one. There are many proxy providers, some free and some paid, like Bright Data, Oxylabs, Smartproxy, Webshare, etc.
You can find proxies that are specifically made for web scraping or for just browsing privately.
For this example, let’s assume you have a proxy with the following details:
- IP Address: 192.168.1.1
- Port: 8080
- Username (for authentication): user123
- Password: pass456
This proxy will act as the middleman between you and the websites you're accessing.
Step 3: Setting Up the Proxy in Your Code
Now that you have your proxy, let’s integrate it into Python using the requests library.
Here's the basic setup:
What happens here is:
The website you’re trying to reach will see the proxy’s IP address instead of yours. This provides you with anonymity or allows you to bypass restrictions.
Read this blog to get a detailed idea of how to set a proxy in Python code.
Step 4: Add Proxy Authentication (If Needed)
Some proxies need authentication to work. If your proxy requires a username and password, you can add these details in the URL format.
Here's how you’d do it:
Now, your code includes the username and password for the proxy.
Step 5: Handle Errors
Sometimes, proxies don’t work as expected—either due to incorrect details or network issues. It’s a good idea to handle errors in your code so you know when something goes wrong.
Here’s how you can handle errors:
This will print an error message if something goes wrong.
Step 6: Rotating Proxies (If You Need Multiple)
If you’re working on a large project, such as scraping many pages, you might need to use different proxies to avoid getting blocked.
Here’s how you can rotate proxies.
Let’s say you have a list of proxies, and you want your script to try each one:
This will attempt to use each proxy in the list until it finds one that works.
It helps if you have many proxies and need to avoid hitting rate limits.
Step 7: Be Responsible
It’s important to remember that proxies can be used to bypass restrictions, but some websites may block or limit requests coming from proxies.
Always be respectful of the website's terms of service and avoid scraping too aggressively.
If you’re interested in learning how to set a proxy programmatically in an Android app, check out this informative blog now.
How to Rotate IPs with Python Requests
Rotating IPs helps you avoid getting blocked while scraping websites. Here's how you can do it step by step:
01. Get a List of Proxies:
02. Set Up Your Script:
First, you’ll need to import some tools:
- requests: To send requests to websites.
- random: To pick random proxies.
- BeautifulSoup (optional for scraping HTML content).
03. Create the Proxy Method:
04. Define a Proxy Request Method:
The proxy_request() method will use the proxy to send a request.
It takes:
- request_type: What kind of request you want (like GET or POST).
- url: The website you want to scrape.
- kwargs: Extra details like headers.
05. Try Different Proxies:
06. Make the Request:
Example in Simple Terms
1. You have a list of proxies:
ip_addresses = [ "http://proxy1.com", "http://proxy2.com", ... ]
2. The script picks a random proxy:
proxy = random.randint(0, len(ip_addresses) - 1)
3. It sends the request using that proxy:
response = requests.request(request_type, url, proxies=proxies, timeout=5)
If there’s an error (like the proxy is down), it will try another one until it works.
Different HTTP Methods in Python Requests
Here’s a table showing the different HTTP methods in Python Requests, along with their syntax and purpose:
Method | Syntax | Used to |
|---|---|---|
GET | requests.get(url) | Retrieve data from a server |
POST | requests.post(url, data=...) | Send data to a server to create or update a resource |
PUT | requests.put(url, data=...) | Update an existing resource on the server |
PATCH | requests.patch(url, data=...) | Partially update a resource on the server |
DELETE | requests.delete(url) | Delete a resource on the server |
HEAD | requests.head(url) | Retrieve the headers of a resource |
OPTIONS | requests.options(url) | Retrieve the supported HTTP methods for a URL |
Wrapping Up
Setting up a proxy with Python requests is easy and useful. It helps with things like web scraping, hiding your IP, or accessing content blocked in your area.
Follow these simple steps mentioned on how to use proxy with Python Requests to start using proxies in your projects. Install the tools, handle errors, and even rotate proxies when needed.
Now, you’re ready to use proxies in Python. Just remember to be responsible. Happy coding!