Proxy server basics: forward, reverse, transparent and anonymous

A proxy server can mean different things depending on context. Start by identifying which side of the network it serves。

1. Forward proxies

A forward proxy requests external services for a client. The destination sees the proxy's IP.Residential proxies, SOCKS5 and HTTP proxies are examples of forward proxies.

2. Reverse proxies

A reverse proxy sits in front of servers and forwards client requests to a backend. Nginx and Cloudflare are common examples.

3. Transparent proxies

Transparent proxies intercept traffic at the network level without client configuration, often in ISP or corporate gateways.

4. Obfuscated proxies

Obfuscated proxies encapsulate traffic in protocols such as HTTPS or WebSocket. This is a separate concept from residential proxies.

5. Business applications

• International ecommerce and public data access use forward Residential proxies。
• Public-facing services use reverse proxies for load balancing and WAFs.
• Transparent and obfuscated proxies concern network management and are outside this service.