The same four values can be written several ways. Many tools want host:port:username:password, as in resi.proxies.boo:8080:USERNAME:PASSWORD. Code libraries want an address: http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@resi.proxies.boo:8080. Some tools put the login first.
A proxy that "does not work" is often just pasted in the wrong order, so the tool reads the password as a port. Check which format the tool expects before blaming the proxy. The generator on every BooProxies plan page writes your list in whichever format you choose.
When a tool offers a list of formats, the names can be cryptic: ip:port:user:pass, user:pass@ip:port, user:pass:ip:port. Read them as templates. Wherever a tool says ip, a host name such as resi.proxies.boo works too.
Questions about proxy format
Which proxy format is the most common?
host:port:username:password in tools with a paste box, and http://username:password@host:port in code. If a tool lists several, pick the one that matches your line exactly.
What if my password contains special characters?
In the address form, characters such as @, : and / must be percent-encoded, or the program splits the address in the wrong place. In separate fields they can be typed as they are.
Related terms
- Proxy authentication
- Proxy authentication is how a proxy checks you are a paying customer: either a username and password, or a list of allowed IP addresses.
- Proxy port
- A proxy port is the number after the host that tells your program which service to connect to: one port for HTTP and another for SOCKS5.
- 407 Proxy Authentication Required
- A 407 error means the proxy did not accept your login. The username or password is wrong, was cut short, or was never sent at all.
Read next: Proxy formats explained