Anti-detect browsers & manual browser setup

This guide shows how to add a proxy to an anti-detect browser. Anti-detect browsers run isolated browser profiles, each with its own fingerprint and proxy, which makes them a common tool for legitimate multi-profile QA, localization testing, and ad verification. Every profile can authenticate against the same ColdProxy gateway, gw-{service-id}.coldproxy.com, on a port in the 30000-34999 range, using either user:pass or IP whitelisting. The same connection details also work with Chrome, Firefox, and system-wide proxy settings.

#What you need before you start

Every anti-detect browser asks for the same four values. With ColdProxy these come from your client area and from the proxy string gw-2312.coldproxy.com:PORT:USERNAME:PASSWORD:

• Protocol — HTTP/HTTPS or SOCKS5. Both run on the same port range; the gateway auto-detects the protocol. Pick SOCKS5 when you want the proxy to resolve DNS (use socks5h-equivalent "remote DNS" where the tool exposes it). See SOCKS5 vs HTTPS proxies to choose.
• Host — gw-{service-id}.coldproxy.com, where {service-id} is your numeric service/package ID (the examples below use gw-2312.coldproxy.com). A Use Hostname instead of IP toggle in the client area switches the gateway to a direct IP if you prefer.
• Port — any port in your plan's range, 30000-34999. Use 30000 in the examples below.
• Username / Password — your service credentials. The username is also where you encode geo-targeting and sticky sessions (see below).

#Geo-targeting and sticky sessions via the username

ColdProxy encodes geo and session controls in the username (full reference: Username tag scheme), so an anti-detect browser needs no special features to target a country or hold an IP; you just extend the username. The grammar is a sequence of key/value tag segments followed by your password:

user-key-value-key-value...:password

• Rotating (new IP per request) — use a username with no session tag, e.g. a country tag only:

user-country-us:PASSWORD

• Sticky (hold one IP) — sticky requires both a session ID tag and a duration tag together. With only one of them present, the proxy rotates per request:

user-country-us-session-481516-time-10m:PASSWORD

Sticky maximum durations differ by product: Residential IPv4 (Unmetered and GB Based) support 5s-24h; Residential IPv6 and Datacenter IPv6 support 5s-FOREVER. For background on rotating versus sticky behavior, see IP rotation, rotating and sticky proxies explained.

#Add the proxy to a browser profile

Create or edit a browser profile, open its proxy or network settings, and choose the custom or manual proxy mode. Do not choose "No Proxy" or a built-in proxy provider. Assign one proxy configuration to each browser profile so its network route stays separate from the other profiles.

#Enter the proxy in separate fields

Map the ColdProxy connection details to the tool's proxy fields:

1. Protocol — choose HTTP, HTTPS, or SOCKS5. If the tool also offers SOCKS4, do not select it; ColdProxy supports SOCKS5.
2. Host — enter gw-{service-id}.coldproxy.com.
3. Port — enter a port from your plan, such as 30000.
4. Username — enter your ColdProxy username, including any geo-targeting or session tags.
5. Password — enter your ColdProxy password.

Some tools derive profile timezone, locale, geolocation, or WebRTC settings from the proxy's exit IP. Add the intended country tag to the username, or use a SuperPort-bound port, so those profile settings match the proxy's exit IP and location.

#Paste a single proxy string

If your browser-profile tool accepts a pasted proxy string, use the host:port:username:password format. For a rotating US proxy credential, paste:

gw-2312.coldproxy.com:30000:user-country-us:PASSWORD

For a sticky session that holds a US IP for 10 minutes, paste:

gw-2312.coldproxy.com:30000:user-country-us-session-481516-time-10m:PASSWORD

#Reusable proxy entries vs per-profile proxies

Some tools save proxies in a reusable list and let you attach an entry to one or more profiles. Others store the proxy directly inside each profile. Both approaches work, but each attached profile should use its own unique session value when the workflow needs a stable IP.

#Run the tool's built-in proxy check

Use the tool's Check proxy or equivalent button before saving. Confirm that the check returns the expected exit IP and location. After launching the profile, verify the exit IP again inside the browser before starting the workflow.

#IP whitelisting instead of user:pass

If you prefer not to store credentials in each profile, ColdProxy supports IP authentication: whitelist up to 50 IP addresses in your client area, and requests from those addresses are authorized without a username and password. With IP-auth the proxies are issued in IP:PORT form and you leave the login/password fields blank in the anti-detect browser; authentication is by your source IP, so the gateway hostname works the same way as the issued IP.

Host: gw-2312.coldproxy.com
Port: 30000        # inside a US SuperPort range
Auth: (none — your machine's IP is whitelisted)

#Manual setup: Chrome

Chrome has an important gotcha. Chrome does not accept proxy credentials on the command line: with a flag like --proxy-server="user:pass@host:port", Chrome silently ignores the embedded credentials and prompts (or fails) on the proxy's auth challenge. You have two reliable options.

Option A: IP whitelist, no credentials. Whitelist your machine's IP in the ColdProxy client area, then point Chrome at the gateway with no auth needed:

google-chrome \
  --proxy-server="http://gw-2312.coldproxy.com:30000" \
  --user-data-dir="/tmp/coldproxy-profile"

Because there is no username, set geo with a SuperPort range and target a port inside it.

Option B: user:pass via the auth prompt. Point Chrome at the gateway and let it prompt for credentials when the proxy challenges. The host/port go on the command line; the username (with tags) and password go in the dialog:

google-chrome \
  --proxy-server="http://gw-2312.coldproxy.com:30000" \
  --user-data-dir="/tmp/coldproxy-profile"
# When prompted, enter:
#   Username: user-country-us-session-481516-time-10m
#   Password: PASSWORD

#Manual setup: Firefox

Firefox has its own proxy stack and accepts credentials through a login prompt, so manual user:pass works without an extension.

1. Open Settings → General → Network Settings → Settings…
2. Choose Manual proxy configuration.
3. For HTTP/HTTPS: set HTTP Proxy to gw-{service-id}.coldproxy.com and Port to 30000, and tick Also use this proxy for HTTPS.
4. For SOCKS5: set SOCKS Host to gw-{service-id}.coldproxy.com, Port to 30000, and select SOCKS v5.
5. Critical for SOCKS5: enable Proxy DNS when using SOCKS v5 (equivalently set network.proxy.socks_remote_dns to true in about:config). This resolves DNS at the proxy and prevents DNS leaks that would expose your real location.
6. Browse to any site; Firefox prompts for the proxy username and password on the first request. Enter your tagged username and password.

Username: user-country-us-session-481516-time-10m
Password: PASSWORD

#Manual setup: system-wide proxy

A system proxy applies to apps that honor OS proxy settings. Because most OS proxy dialogs do not store a username and password cleanly, IP authentication is the better fit here. Whitelist the machine's IP in your client area, then set the system HTTP/HTTPS or SOCKS proxy to gw-{service-id}.coldproxy.com:30000 and use a SuperPort range for geo-targeting.

• Windows: Settings → Network & Internet → Proxy → Manual proxy setup.
• macOS: System Settings → Network → (interface) → Details → Proxies.
• Linux: GNOME/KDE network proxy settings, or http_proxy / https_proxy / all_proxy environment variables, e.g. export https_proxy="http://gw-2312.coldproxy.com:30000".

#Verify the connection

After configuring any browser or profile, confirm the proxy is actually carrying your traffic:

• Open /tools/my-ip/ inside the proxied profile; it should show the exit IP and location, not your real address.
• Run /tools/proxy-checker/ to confirm IPv4/IPv6 reachability, exit IP, and location for the proxy string.
• If you are testing an IPv6 plan (Residential IPv6 or Datacenter IPv6), first run /tools/ipv6-checker/ on your target site. Many sites are IPv4-only (no AAAA DNS record) and an IPv6 proxy cannot reach them. Confirmed IPv6-compatible platforms include Google, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Bing, Yahoo, Netflix, and LinkedIn.

#Common issues

• "Proxy check failed" right after purchase — confirm payment and service status, then check the proxy credentials. Residential IPv4 (Unmetered) and Datacenter IPv6 may still be setting up for up to 10 minutes after payment clears; see Activation and setup times.
• Chrome rejects credentials — expected; Chrome cannot take user:pass on the command line. Use the auth prompt (Option B) or IP whitelisting (Option A).
• IP-auth profile shows the wrong country — IP-auth defaults to Worldwide. Configure SuperPorts and point the profile at a port inside the geo-bound range.
• Sticky IP keeps rotating — a sticky session needs both a session tag and a time tag in the username; one alone rotates per request.
• Wrong tag prefix — the country / session / time prefixes are set per product. Confirm the exact prefixes for your plan in the client area.
• IPv6 site won't load — the target may be IPv4-only; check it with /tools/ipv6-checker/ before assuming the proxy is broken.
• 407 / 403 / 429 responses — these are authentication or rate-related, not browser bugs; see proxy error codes 407, 403, 429, 502 and 504 explained.

Ready to pick a plan? Compare options on /pricing/ and review the four product lines on /proxy/.