Sticky session proxies
One address held across a sequence of requests, so a multi-step flow does not change identity halfway through.
Pick this when
A sequence of requests has to look like one visitor.
- Set with
- Rotation 0, alongside a session identifier
- Identifier
- A string you choose, up to 128 characters
- In parallel
- Several named sessions on one credential pair, each holding its own address
- Bounded alternative
- A 5 to 60 minute window releases on a schedule instead of on idleness
How it works
You pass a session identifier when building the connection, and requests carrying that identifier keep the same outbound address.
This is what a login, a cart or a checkout needs. Rotating mid-flow generally invalidates the state the site is holding for you.
Sessions are named, so several can run in parallel under the same credentials — each holding its own address.
How it differs
Against its nearest neighbours, by name. If one of these describes your situation better, the row is a link.
Where it fits
Use it for
- Authenticated sessions that must persist across requests
- Multi-step flows — search, then filter, then paginate
- Any workflow where a mid-sequence IP change would drop server-side state
Do not use it for
- High-volume stateless collection, where holding one address concentrates traffic on it
- Work that benefits from spreading requests widely — use per-request rotation instead
- Jobs that open a session per item and never close one, which runs you into the session ceiling
Sticky sessions concentrate your traffic on fewer addresses. Use them for the part of the job that needs continuity, and rotate for the part that does not.
A real connection
One credential pair covers everything. Type, country, rotation and session all travel inside the username, so you never provision a second proxy user to change one of them.
user-USERNAME-type-residential-country-it-session-cart_7f2-rotation-0Requests carrying the same session value keep the same address. Run several named sessions in parallel on one credential pair, each holding its own IP.
Questions
- How long does a sticky session last?
- It holds while you keep using it. For a bounded window instead, use timed rotation — 5 to 60 minutes — which releases the address on a schedule rather than on idleness.
- How many sessions can I run at once?
- Several, distinguished by the identifier you choose. There is a ceiling, and the network answers with a session-limit error rather than quietly reusing an address — so treat a session as something you open and release, not an unbounded pool. One session per concurrent worker scales; one per item does not.
- What if the address goes offline mid-session?
- On residential and mobile this can happen — the underlying connection is not yours. Write the workflow so a step can be retried, rather than assuming an address will survive an arbitrarily long job.
- Should I use sticky for everything?
- No. Sticky concentrates your volume on fewer addresses, which is the opposite of what stateless collection wants. Use it for the part of the job that needs continuity.
The same on every type
These four do not vary by proxy type, so they are worth stating once rather than six times. One balance covers all of it.
- Protocols
- HTTP, HTTPS and SOCKS5
- Targeting
- Country, then state or city; ASN by number
- Rotation
- Per request, sticky, or 5 / 10 / 15 / 20 / 60 minutes
- Rate
- $2/GB, sent plus received
Where this comes up
- Price monitoringA price is only meaningful alongside where it was observed. Get the location wrong and you are monitoring a number nobody is actually offered.
- Brand protectionInfringing listings are frequently hidden from the market where the brand’s legal team is sitting, and shown only where they are being sold.
Where the address comes from
Pick exactly one.
- IP classResidential proxiesThe target rejects hosting ranges but does not need a carrier address.
- IP classDatacenter proxiesNothing is blocking you yet, or a predictable round trip matters more than provenance.
- IP classMobile proxiesResidential was rejected too, or the platform expects a carrier address.