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Apify supports custom proxy URLs in two ways: enter them in an Actor’s Input tab when its schema exposes Proxy and browser configuration, or create a proxy configuration in the Apify SDK and request a generated URL. Custom endpoints are supplied through proxy_urls in Python or proxyUrls in JavaScript. Do not combine those settings with Apify Proxy options in one configuration; the JavaScript SDK documents that combination as an initialization error.
Your proxy provider—not Apify—determines the endpoint format, credentials, rotation, location, and authentication method. Keep credentials out of source code and logs.
Choose the setup that fits your Actor
| Route | Best for | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Apify Console | A one-time or occasional run | The Actor input schema must expose Proxy and browser configuration |
| SDK configuration | Reusable crawlers, scheduled jobs, and dynamic proxy selection | An installed Apify SDK version whose API matches your code |
Apify’s documentation confirms that you can use your own proxies in both Console and the SDK (official setup guide). The two routes configure the same general idea—user-supplied proxy endpoints—but the exact fields and code names are different.
Use a custom proxy in Apify Console
- Open the Actor in Apify Console and select the Input tab.
- Look for Proxy and browser configuration.
- If that section exists, enter the proxy URLs supplied by your provider. Follow that provider’s required scheme, host, port, credentials, and rotation format.
- Save the input and run the Actor.
The section is controlled by the Actor’s input schema, so it will not appear for every Actor. If you cannot find it, use the SDK route below or modify the Actor input schema only if you maintain that Actor.
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What a proxy URL usually contains
A provider may give you an HTTP, HTTPS, or SOCKS endpoint, optionally with a username and password. Do not copy the hostname, port, or password from Apify’s managed proxy instructions into a third-party configuration. Apify Proxy has its own account access and connection settings; an external provider’s URL format is provider-specific.
Configure custom proxies with the Python SDK
The Python flow is: create a proxy configuration with proxy_urls, call new_url(), then pass the resulting URL to the crawler or HTTP client used by your Actor. The official Python documentation shows this shape:
from apify import Actor
proxy_cfg = await Actor.create_proxy_configuration(
proxy_urls=[
"http://proxy-1.example:8080",
"http://proxy-2.example:8080",
],
)
proxy_url = await proxy_cfg.new_url()
print(proxy_url)The example hosts are placeholders and will not work as written. Replace them with endpoints from your provider. Install and use the API that matches your project’s SDK version; Apify’s reference pages identify versioned APIs, so check the Python proxy-management guide and Python ProxyConfiguration reference before copying code.
Attach the generated URL to an HTTP request
How you attach the URL depends on your HTTP library. For an HTTP client that accepts a proxy mapping, use the generated value for the appropriate protocol:
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import httpx
async with httpx.AsyncClient(
proxies={"http://": proxy_url, "https://": proxy_url},
timeout=60,
) as client:
response = await client.get("https://example.com")
response.raise_for_status()
print(response.text[:200])Some libraries use a single proxy argument, while crawler frameworks accept a proxy configuration object. Follow the client’s own API rather than assuming that every Actor uses the same request mechanism.
Generate URLs dynamically
Python also documents new_url_function for generating a custom URL dynamically. This is useful when your provider issues short-lived credentials or you must select an endpoint per request. Keep the function deterministic enough to debug and never print its credentials.
Configure custom proxies with the JavaScript SDK
JavaScript uses the proxyUrls option (capital “U”). A minimal configuration is:
import { ProxyConfiguration } from 'apify';
const proxyConfiguration = new ProxyConfiguration({
proxyUrls: [
'http://proxy-1.example:8080',
'http://proxy-2.example:8080',
],
});
const proxyUrl = await proxyConfiguration.newUrl();
console.log(proxyUrl);Use the generated URL with your crawler or request library. The option names and constructor behavior are version-sensitive; verify them against the JavaScript ProxyConfigurationOptions reference. JavaScript also documents newUrlFunction for dynamic generation.
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Do not mix custom URLs with Apify Proxy options
Choose one mode for a configuration. A custom-URL configuration should not also set Apify Proxy groups, country options, or other Apify-managed proxy settings. The JavaScript reference says combining custom proxies with Apify Proxy options causes an initialization error. If you need Apify’s managed service, configure that mode separately; if you need your provider’s endpoints, remove the Apify Proxy fields.
Custom proxy versus Apify Proxy
| Question | Custom proxy | Apify Proxy |
|---|---|---|
| Where does the endpoint come from? | A provider you select and supply | Apify’s managed service |
| Configuration input | proxy_urls or proxyUrls |
Apify-specific groups and connection settings |
| Who defines credentials and rotation? | Your provider | Apify account and service settings |
| Can both be in one SDK configuration? | No; keep modes separate | No; keep modes separate |
Apify’s Proxy documentation describes its own hostname, port, and password-based connection. It also warns that use of the Apify Proxy password is charged to the account and that the password is sent unencrypted when used with the documented HTTP protocol. Those details do not describe every external provider.
Credentials, rotation, and request behavior
- Credentials: store proxy URLs in environment variables or a secret store. Do not commit them, include them in public examples, or log complete URLs.
- Rotation: passing multiple URLs lets the SDK choose among configured endpoints according to its implementation. A provider may instead encode rotation in one gateway URL; consult that provider’s documentation.
- Scheme support: use the scheme your client and provider both support. An HTTP proxy URL is not automatically interchangeable with a SOCKS URL.
- Authentication: preserve URL encoding for special characters in usernames or passwords, or use the client’s dedicated credential fields.
- Geography and session: country, city, sticky-session, and ASN behavior belongs to the proxy provider unless the provider documents URL parameters for it.
Testing and reliability checklist
- Test one endpoint outside the full crawler with a harmless URL.
- Confirm the observed public IP and expected region using a service approved by your organization.
- Run a small Actor input before starting a large crawl.
- Record status codes, timeouts, and proxy failures without recording secrets.
- Set client timeouts and retry limits appropriate to the provider’s documented behavior.
A proxy can add latency or fail independently of the target site. Do not infer a success rate, speed improvement, pool size, or geographic coverage unless your provider publishes that figure for the relevant plan and date.
Troubleshooting common failures
The Console field is missing
Cause: the Actor schema does not define Proxy and browser configuration. Fix: use SDK configuration, or update the schema if you control the Actor. The Console route is not universal.
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Initialization fails after adding proxy settings
Cause: custom URLs and Apify Proxy options were supplied together. Fix: remove one mode’s options and create a configuration for only custom endpoints or only Apify Proxy.
Authentication fails
Cause: incorrect credentials, unescaped special characters, or a provider-specific authentication requirement. Fix: copy the provider’s exact URL format, URL-encode credentials, and test the endpoint with the provider’s recommended client.
Requests time out
Cause: an unavailable endpoint, overloaded pool, blocked destination, or timeout that is too short. Fix: test each endpoint individually, remove unhealthy URLs, increase the client timeout conservatively, and check provider status and destination restrictions.
The target blocks the request
Cause: the target may distrust the proxy’s IP range, detect automation, or require browser behavior. Fix: verify that the provider permits the destination, use the target’s compliant access method, and do not treat a proxy as a bypass for authentication, CAPTCHA, or access controls.
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Code works locally but not in the Actor
Cause: missing environment variables, a different SDK version, or a crawler that does not consume the generated URL. Fix: print only non-sensitive configuration diagnostics, pin and verify the SDK version, and attach the URL through the crawler’s documented proxy hook.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a SOCKS proxy in Apify?
Only if the Actor’s request library and your installed SDK support the provider’s SOCKS scheme. Check both APIs and the provider’s connection instructions before deployment.
Should I put proxy URLs in the Actor source code?
No. Use secrets or environment variables and keep credentials out of source control, logs, and shared examples.
Does a custom proxy automatically provide a country-specific IP?
No. Location and session behavior come from the proxy provider and the endpoints or plan you selected.
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