> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://doubledata.mintlify.site/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Proxy formats and sessions > Connect over HTTP, HTTPS, or SOCKS5 and choose a gateway, location, and sticky-session lifetime. Use your proxy username and password from the [dashboard](https://app.proxy.doubledata.com/dashboard/proxies) to connect through DoubleData. The same connection formats work for residential, datacenter, and mobile proxies. Your credential's product determines which IP pool you use. > [!NOTE] > > Proxy credentials are different from your organization's API key. Use your proxy username and password for proxy connections, and your API key for the [management API](https://doubledata.mintlify.site/authentication.md). ## Choose a gateway Choose the gateway closest to the application that sends your requests. | Gateway | Host | HTTP port | HTTPS port | SOCKS5 port | | - | - | - | - | - | | Europe (default) | `proxy.doubledata.com` | `7777` | `9999` | `8888` | | United States | `us.proxy.doubledata.com` | `7777` | `9999` | `8888` | Both gateways accept the same proxy credentials. Choosing the US gateway does not select a US exit IP. Add `-country-us` to your username when you need a US exit IP. Keep the same gateway while you use a sticky session. Switching gateways does not guarantee that you keep the same exit IP. ## HTTPS proxy connections Use HTTPS on port `9999` to encrypt the connection between your application and the proxy. Both gateways use publicly trusted Let's Encrypt certificates, which clients such as curl verify by default. Your application must support HTTPS proxies. In the dashboard's **Proxy Generator**, select **HTTPS** to generate connection details with port `9999`. The **Playground** also offers HTTPS. > [!NOTE] > > The proxy protocol and the destination URL are separate choices. You can send a request to an HTTPS website through either an HTTP or HTTPS proxy. Select an HTTPS proxy when you also want TLS on the connection to the proxy. ## Connection formats Replace `USERNAME` and `PASSWORD` with your proxy credentials. Replace the host with `us.proxy.doubledata.com` to use the US gateway. ```text HTTP proxy URL theme={null} http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@proxy.doubledata.com:7777 ``` ```text HTTPS proxy URL theme={null} https://USERNAME:PASSWORD@proxy.doubledata.com:9999 ``` ```text SOCKS5 proxy URL theme={null} socks5://USERNAME:PASSWORD@proxy.doubledata.com:8888 ``` ```text Host, port, username, password theme={null} proxy.doubledata.com:7777:USERNAME:PASSWORD ``` ```text Username, password, host, port theme={null} USERNAME:PASSWORD:proxy.doubledata.com:7777 ``` ```text Username and password before host theme={null} USERNAME:PASSWORD@proxy.doubledata.com:7777 ``` ```text Host before username and password theme={null} proxy.doubledata.com:7777@USERNAME:PASSWORD ``` Use the format your application expects. The colon-separated formats are import formats for tools that support them; they are not URLs. If your tool has separate fields, enter the host, port, username, and password separately. For HTTPS imports, use port `9999` and select **HTTPS** in your application's protocol setting. Formats without a URL scheme do not specify the proxy protocol. When you embed credentials in a URL, percent-encode reserved characters in the username and password. For example, encode `@` as `%40`. With curl, use `--proxy-user` to pass credentials separately. > [!WARNING] > > Keep proxy credentials private. Do not commit them to source control or share generated proxy lists. Requests through your proxy consume traffic from your account. ## Username parameters Append targeting parameters to your existing username. Keep your password unchanged. ```text theme={null} USERNAME-country-us-city-newyork-session-a1b2c3d4 ``` | Parameter | Example | Purpose | | - | - | - | | `-country-` | `-country-us` | Request an exit IP in a country using its two-letter country code. | | `-city-` | `-city-newyork` | Request a supported city within your selected country. Available for residential and datacenter proxies. | | `-session-` | `-session-a1b2c3d4` | Reuse a session for related connections. | | `-ttl-` | `-ttl-30` | Optionally set a sticky-session lifetime from `1` through `120` minutes. Requires `-session-`. | Use lowercase country codes and copy supported city values from the dashboard's proxy generator. For example, the generator formats `New York` as `newyork`. Leave country and city parameters out when you do not need location targeting. > [!NOTE] > > Location availability depends on your product and the current pool. Mobile proxies support country targeting only; do not add a city parameter. ## Product examples Use credentials created for the product you want. Adding a country or session parameter does not change a residential credential into a datacenter or mobile credential. > [tab] Residential > > Select a country, optionally select a supported city, and add a session ID when you want related connections to reuse a session. > > ```text Rotating, US theme={null} > http://USERNAME-country-us:PASSWORD@proxy.doubledata.com:7777 > ``` > > ```text Sticky, US with city targeting theme={null} > http://USERNAME-country-us-city-newyork-session-a1b2c3d4:PASSWORD@proxy.doubledata.com:7777 > ``` > [tab] Datacenter > > Use your datacenter proxy credential with the same country, supported city, and session parameters. > > ```text Rotating, Germany theme={null} > http://USERNAME-country-de:PASSWORD@proxy.doubledata.com:7777 > ``` > > ```text Sticky, Germany theme={null} > http://USERNAME-country-de-session-b2c3d4e5:PASSWORD@proxy.doubledata.com:7777 > ``` > > Datacenter proxies are separate from Static ISP proxies. For a Static ISP subscription, use the connection details returned by the [proxies API](https://doubledata.mintlify.site/api-reference/introduction.md); do not replace its host or append these username parameters. > [tab] Mobile > > Select a country and optionally add a session ID. Mobile proxies do not support city targeting. > > ```text Rotating, US through the US gateway theme={null} > http://USERNAME-country-us:PASSWORD@us.proxy.doubledata.com:7777 > ``` > > ```text Sticky, US through the US gateway theme={null} > http://USERNAME-country-us-session-c3d4e5f6:PASSWORD@us.proxy.doubledata.com:7777 > ``` ## Rotating and sticky sessions ### Rotating connections Leave out `-session-` to allow rotation when you open a new proxy connection. A reused HTTP connection or an existing tunnel can keep its current exit IP. Rotation does not guarantee a different IP on every request, and a previously used IP can appear again. ### Sticky sessions Add a nonempty session ID, such as `-session-a1b2c3d4`, and reuse the same full username and gateway for related connections. Use a different ID for a separate session. * Use a random alphanumeric ID. Eight characters, such as `a1b2c3d4`, are a practical choice and match the dashboard generator. Eight characters are a recommendation, not an enforced minimum. * Keep the country and city parameters unchanged during a session. * The default session lifetime is 120 minutes. To request a custom lifetime, append `-ttl-` with an integer from `1` through `120`, such as `-session-a1b2c3d4-ttl-30` for 30 minutes. * IP persistence is best effort. An exit IP can change before the session expires if it becomes unavailable or the connection recovers through another route. * A session ID identifies a proxy session; it does not preserve website cookies or logins. Your application must manage those separately. > [!NOTE] > > In the dashboard generator, **Rotating** produces lines without a session ID. **Sticky** gives each generated line its own session ID. Reuse one line for related connections; different generated lines represent separate sessions and can still return the same IP. See [Sticky sessions and TTL](https://doubledata.mintlify.site/guides/sticky-sessions.md) for lifetime rules, shared residential sessions, and examples. ## Try a connection Store your proxy credentials in environment variables before running these examples. ```bash theme={null} export DOUBLEDATA_PROXY_USERNAME="your_proxy_username" export DOUBLEDATA_PROXY_PASSWORD="your_proxy_password" ``` > [!WARNING] > > These requests use your live proxy credentials and consume traffic. ```bash HTTPS with a 30-minute sticky US session theme={null} curl --proxy https://proxy.doubledata.com:9999 \ --proxy-user "${DOUBLEDATA_PROXY_USERNAME}-country-us-session-a1b2c3d4-ttl-30:${DOUBLEDATA_PROXY_PASSWORD}" \ https://ipinfo.io/ip ``` ```bash HTTP with a sticky US session theme={null} curl --proxy http://proxy.doubledata.com:7777 \ --proxy-user "${DOUBLEDATA_PROXY_USERNAME}-country-us-session-a1b2c3d4:${DOUBLEDATA_PROXY_PASSWORD}" \ https://ipinfo.io/ip ``` ```bash SOCKS5 through the US gateway theme={null} curl --proxy socks5h://us.proxy.doubledata.com:8888 \ --proxy-user "${DOUBLEDATA_PROXY_USERNAME}-country-us:${DOUBLEDATA_PROXY_PASSWORD}" \ https://ipinfo.io/ip ``` The HTTPS example verifies both the proxy certificate and the destination certificate. With curl, `socks5h://` asks the proxy to resolve the destination hostname. ## Troubleshooting | Problem | What to check | | - | - | | Authentication fails | Use the proxy username and password from the dashboard. Keep the base username and password unchanged when adding targeting parameters. | | A location request fails | Choose a country and city listed for your product. Remove city targeting for mobile proxies. | | A sticky IP changes | Keep the full username and gateway unchanged. Session expiry or exit availability can change the IP. | | The US gateway returns a non-US IP | Add `-country-us`; the gateway location and exit IP country are independent. | | A TTL connection is rejected | Include a nonempty session ID and one integer TTL from `1` through `120`. Custom lifetime support also depends on the requested product and location. | | An imported proxy does not connect | Check your tool's expected field order and protocol: HTTP uses `7777`, HTTPS uses `9999`, and SOCKS5 uses `8888`. | | An HTTPS proxy connection fails | Use an HTTPS-capable client, the gateway hostname, and port `9999`. Check your system clock and trusted CA certificates; keep certificate verification enabled. | This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.