Guide to using proxies

December 02, 2019 11:32

Wondering what a proxy is all about? You've come to the right place.

1. Why might I need a proxy?

The great thing about PhantomBuster is that it runs from the cloud. This means Phantoms can act on your behalf without your browser having to be active or you having to be around. However, the thing about this "cloud" is that it actually has an address, or addresses, all over the world - and the ones being used might be totally different from where you are in the world.

Some websites, such as Facebook, are closely monitoring the geographical location of your IP address(es). If they see that you're connecting from your own browser in, for example, France, and PhantomBuster is simultaneously connecting from elsewhere in the world, they will very quickly catch on and block your account.

To avoid this, you can use a proxy. But what is a proxy? It acts as an intermediary and places your browser in the geographic location of your choice. In other words, having one close to you can come in handy, and is even highly recommended with some Phantoms (such as Facebook ones) in order to reach their full potential. Luckily, all Facebook Phantoms are configured with PhantomBuster proxies! For other Phantoms, however, check out other proxy services.

2. Use PhantomBuster’s built-in proxy

You can find Proxy settings by clicking on the "Advanced settings" located in the left sidebar:

This will open up the Advanced settings popup. Click on the "Proxies tab" to start:

Using PhantomBuster proxy comes with multiple benefits, and it is super quick and easy to set up.

You can totally use it for any of our Phantoms, and they are definitely mandatory with Facebook Phantoms to work successfully! You can check out this article which is a detailed explanation on how to get it set up for Facebook Phantoms.

3. Built-in proxy or Bright Data: which one should you choose?

This all depends on your location. At the moment, our built-in proxy has IP addresses at the following locations: Québec (Canada), Hauts-de-France (France), England (UK), Virginia (USA), and Oregon (USA). If you don’t live near one of these locations, we recommend using an external Proxy such as Bright Data.

A) Create a proxy with Bright Data

You're welcome to use any proxy service with PhantomBuster - there are several options! We recommend Bright Data (formerly Luminati Networks). Bright Data offers the world's largest proxy network, boasting reliable proxies in every country in the world. Bright Data has over 72 million IP addresses to choose from, so we're confident you'll find one that's fairly close to you!

For more info on why Bright Data could be a great option for you, checkout this blogpost!

If you already have a proxy, you can skip ahead to the next section for how to set it up on your PhantomBuster account.

B) Create a Bright Data account and select the proxy that’s closest to you

If you're just getting started, check out Bright Data's 7-day free trial. You can create your account via this link. Once you've experimented with the proxies, you can choose between their subscription plans, or pay as you go. For most subscriptions, 1 or 1 GB will be enough for your proxies' needs.

Bright Data has both "Residential" and "ISP" proxies. Residential proxies rotate, so you are better off choosing ISP proxies to keep the IP addresses static and close to your actual location:

Once you've created your account and selected the ISP proxies, you can set the "zone settings" to determine your IP:

Once you have the proxy, you'll need the proxy details for your PhantomBuster account and each Phantom that uses this proxy. You can get those credentials from your proxy zone’s ‘Access parameters’ tab of your Bright Data account:

If you have any trouble with the proxy, be sure to check out Bright Data's extensive FAQ.

4. Test the proxy in your browser

Check out this article for a step-by-step guide on how to do so.

Once you're sure your proxy is working, go ahead and log into the social network account you're planning on using with your proxy.

This is especially key for Facebook, as it's essential to use a proxy with all Facebook Phantoms.

5. Set up your proxy on PhantomBuster

Once you have your proxy, you have two options for using it with your Phantoms.

A) Proxy pool

To store your proxy's information on your PhantomBuster account so you can use it with multiple Phantoms, you can create a proxy pool. Click on your name in the top right of your account and choose "Proxies":

Click on "+ New proxy pool" and name it anything you like.

Fill in the proxy information you got from your proxy service - its address and your login details (make sure your proxy username and password do not contain any special characters such as "@" or "#", as this will cause the Phantom not to work!):

Click on "Add proxy" to save, then head to the advanced settings on the "Settings" step of your Phantom's setup.

In the "Proxy" section, choose "Random proxy from pool" and select your proxy pool:

B) Single-use HTTP proxy

In this same section, you can choose the "HTTP" option if you just need your proxy for one Phantom. Fill in the proxy details as before.

Don’t forget to click on 'Save' 💾 and you're ready to launch your Phantom with a proxy! 🍷 Bravo!

N.B.:

Using a proxy doesn’t allow you to do anything you want. You’re still using your own personal cookie that identifies you. If you try sending thousands of messages, you will be noticed for having suspicious behavior and flagged.
PhantomBuster will not work with a VPN, you must use a proxy instead.
️Using a proxy is strongly recommended for Facebook Phantoms.
Check out our proxy troubleshooting article to avoid other common errors.

If you think this article does not address your issue, please contact Support directly. We are continuously improving, so your feedback means the world to us!