---
title: "Rotating proxy"
url: https://proxy.wiki/glossary/rotating-proxy/
type: Glossary Term
author: "proxy.wiki editorial"
published: 2026-08-19
updated: 2026-08-19
site: proxy.wiki
topics: ["Proxy fundamentals"]
license: CC BY 4.0 — quote freely with attribution to https://proxy.wiki/
---

# Rotating proxy

> A proxy endpoint that changes the exit address automatically, either on every request or on a timer.

**A rotating proxy assigns a different [exit address](/glossary/exit-node/) over time from a [pool](/glossary/proxy-pool/), without you managing individual addresses.** You connect to one endpoint and the provider handles selection.

## Two rotation models

- **Per request.** Every request may leave from a different address. Best for large numbers of independent fetches.

- **[Sticky](/glossary/sticky-session/).** The same address is held for a set period, so a multi-step flow stays coherent.

## The mistake people make

Rotating on every request is not automatically safer. If a workflow spans several requests — a search, then a result page, then a detail page — changing address mid-flow can look more suspicious than keeping one, because a real user’s address does not change between clicks. Match the rotation to the shape of the task.

## Where it is configured

Usually by port, by a flag in the username, or by an API call. There is no standard; the syntax is provider-specific and worth checking before you build against it.