How to Set Up a Proxy Step by Step (Browser, Windows, macOS, Tools)

Your credentials are ready, so it is time to put them to work. A proxy can be set up at four levels: the operating system, for the whole computer; the browser, for browsing only; a multi-profile browser, to keep identities apart; and your tools and scripts, for automation. Here is each case step by step, followed by how to check the result and fix the most common errors.

Reading your credentials: host, port, username, password

An authenticated proxy comes down to four pieces of information, often delivered on a single line:

proxy.example.com:8080:username:password

• Host: the proxy server's address, either an IP address or a domain name.
• Port: the one given in your credentials. Never assume a default value.
• Username and password: copy them exactly, upper and lower case included.

Most software offers four separate fields. Scripts usually expect a URL with the protocol first: http://username:password@proxy.example.com:8080. In a URL, a reserved character in the password, such as @, must be encoded (%40).

At Airproxy, every dedicated ISP proxy is delivered in this format, ready to copy in one click or export from your customer dashboard. The same credentials work over HTTP(S) and SOCKS5, on the same host and port: the proxy type you select in your software sets the protocol (see our HTTP vs SOCKS5 comparison). In a browser, pick HTTP.

Windows and macOS: the system proxy

A proxy set at system level is used by every program that follows the computer's settings: Edge, Chrome, Safari, Firefox in its default configuration, and many other apps. Everything then goes out through the same IP.

Windows

1. Open Settings > Network & internet > Proxy.
2. Under Manual proxy setup, click Set up next to "Use a proxy server" (on Windows 10, the fields appear directly).
3. Turn the option on, enter the host and port, then click Save.

This panel has no field for the username: Chrome and Edge ask for it in a sign-in window, but an app that cannot do this fails, often with a 407 error. Other limits: HTTP proxy only, with no authenticated SOCKS5; some apps ignore it; one proxy applies to the whole session; and on a company computer, IT may have locked the setting.

macOS

1. Open System Settings > Network, select the connection in use (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and click Details.
2. In the Proxies section, turn on Web proxy (HTTP) and Secure web proxy (HTTPS), with the same host and port for both.
3. Turn on the option stating that the proxy server requires a password, enter the username and password, then click OK.

The secure web proxy is not a different protocol: it is the one HTTPS sites go through. Leave the SOCKS proxy unchecked, since browsers do not pass SOCKS5 credentials. The setting belongs to each connection, so redo it if you switch from Wi-Fi to Ethernet.

In the browser: Firefox, Chrome and Edge

Firefox

Firefox is the only one of the three with its own network settings, independent of the system.

1. Open Settings > General, then click the Settings button in the Network Settings section.
2. Choose Manual proxy configuration.
3. Enter the host and port under HTTP Proxy and check Also use this proxy for HTTPS, otherwise HTTPS sites bypass the proxy.
4. Confirm: on the first page load, Firefox asks for the username and password.

The same window has a SOCKS Host field and a Proxy DNS when using SOCKS v5 option, which has the proxy resolve domain names and prevents a DNS leak. But there is no field for a SOCKS username: for authenticated SOCKS5, use a proxy management extension that also sends DNS through the proxy. Over HTTP, the proxy generally resolves names itself.

Chrome and Edge

Chrome and Edge have no proxy settings of their own: the System section of their settings sends you to the Windows or macOS settings. To limit the proxy to the browser, use a proxy management extension:

• choose the HTTP type, then enter the host and port;
• save the username in the extension if it allows it, otherwise the browser will ask for it;
• avoid SOCKS5: Chrome and Edge cannot authenticate to it, even through an extension;
• install the extension from the official store and check its publisher: it decides where all your browsing goes.

Multi-profile browsers: one proxy per profile

When you manage several accounts, a single proxy for the whole browser is no longer enough. Multi-profile browsers create isolated profiles, each with its own cookies, fingerprint and proxy. The rule: one proxy per profile, and never the same IP on two profiles that are meant to be independent.

1. In the profile settings, choose HTTP or SOCKS5: these tools generally handle credentials in both protocols.
2. Enter the host, port, username and password (or paste the full line if the tool recognizes it), then test the proxy from the tool if it offers that option.
3. Match the profile's time zone, language and geolocation to the IP's country; many tools do this automatically.

Our guide to proxies for social media accounts covers this setup in detail, within each platform's terms of service.

Command-line tools and scripts

On the command line, the proxy is given as a URL, either as an option or in environment variables read by many tools, such as curl, wget and git:

# Linux and macOS: variables read by many tools
export http_proxy="http://username:password@proxy.example.com:8080"
export https_proxy="http://username:password@proxy.example.com:8080"
curl https://example.com

# One-off option, over SOCKS5 with DNS resolved by the proxy
curl -x "socks5h://username:password@proxy.example.com:8080" https://example.com

Both variables point to the same HTTP proxy, https_proxy being the one used for HTTPS sites; no_proxy lists exceptions. Not every program reads them. On Windows the syntax is different, and in Windows PowerShell you should type curl.exe, because plain curl refers to another command there. Full examples are in our guide to using a proxy in Python, Node.js and cURL.

Checking that the proxy works

1. Open What is my IP from the configured browser or profile: the address shown must be the proxy's, with the right country and a consistent ISP.
2. To test the credentials without configuring anything, paste them into the proxy checker and pick the protocol: you get availability, ping, latency, exit IP and anonymity level.
3. If the proxy responds in the checker but not in your software, look at your setup or your network.

Common errors and how to fix them

• 407 error (Proxy Authentication Required): the proxy did not receive valid credentials. In a browser, the sign-in window may have been closed or filled in wrongly; in a script, the credentials are missing or a special character is not encoded.
• Wrong protocol: with SOCKS5 in Chrome or Edge, or with SOCKS4, which has no password support, authentication fails. An "HTTPS" type sometimes means an encrypted connection to the proxy itself, which is something else: when in doubt, pick HTTP, which carries HTTPS sites too.
• Typos: a trailing space, a wrong port, swapped fields, or the full line pasted into the host field. Use one-click copy instead of typing.
• Connection refused or timed out: check the host, the port and your network, as some corporate or public networks block unusual ports. Also check that your rental is still active: an expired proxy left in the system settings blocks browsing.
• Leaks despite the proxy: your real IP still shows if the software ignores the proxy or if WebRTC reveals it, and local DNS resolution over SOCKS5 exposes the domains you visit. Our guide on how to test a proxy shows how to detect and close these leaks.

Airproxy's dedicated ISP proxies in France, Spain and the EU offer are listed on the offers page.