Sticky Session
IntermediateA rotating-proxy mode that pins one exit IP to your connection for a set period — long enough to log in, fill a cart, or finish a multi-step task.
In depth
A sticky session tells a rotating proxy network: give me a fresh IP, but then keep it for a while. The provider binds your session — usually identified by a session token in the proxy username — to one exit IP for a window of typically 1 to 30 minutes (some networks allow hours), instead of rotating on every request.
Why it exists
Websites tie state to your IP. If your address changes between loading a login page and submitting the password, or between adding to cart and paying, fraud systems notice the teleport and challenge or block you. Sticky sessions give automated workflows the IP continuity of a real visitor while preserving the option to rotate identities between tasks.
How it is configured
Most providers encode it in credentials, for example user-abc-session-x7f93:password@gateway:7777 — every request carrying session x7f93 exits through the same IP until the TTL expires or the device goes offline. Generating a new session token instantly yields a new IP.
Practical notes
- Match the TTL to the task: a checkout might need 10 minutes; account warm-up might want hours on an ISP proxy instead.
- Sessions can die early: residential and mobile exits go offline; production code must detect the IP change and restart the flow.
- One identity per session: run parallel tasks on separate session tokens so their footprints never mix.
Examples
- A checkout flow holds the same residential IP for 10 minutes across login, cart and payment.
- An account-creation tool gives each new sign-up its own 30-minute sticky session, then discards the IP.
- A scraper of a paginated, login-gated dashboard keeps one IP for the whole crawl of each account.
Common use cases
FAQs
Commonly 1–30 minutes on residential networks, with some providers offering extended windows. The hard limit is the exit device staying online — for guaranteed permanence, use a dedicated ISP proxy instead.
A sticky session temporarily pins an IP from a shared rotating pool; when it expires the IP returns to the pool. A dedicated IP is exclusively yours for the entire billing period regardless of sessions.
The provider transparently assigns a new exit, but the target sees your IP change mid-flow. Robust automations watch for the switch and restart or re-authenticate rather than continuing blindly.