# What is Residential Proxy?

*Development · Last updated: November 5, 2026*

A type of proxy server that routes traffic using IP addresses belonging to real residential internet users, making detection difficult.

## Overview

A residential proxy routes your internet traffic through IP addresses assigned to home users by a real internet service provider instead of data centers. This allows target systems to see you as a standard home user. By offering high anonymity, it plays an effective role in bypassing bot detection systems.

***Analogy:** It is similar to dressing like a neighborhood resident to enter a building instead of carrying an official staff ID card.*

## How it works

Your request is first forwarded to the proxy network. The proxy network routes this request to an active IP address belonging to a real residential subscription. The target server sends the response to the residential user's IP address, and the data reaches you from there.

## Where it is used

It is widely preferred for web scraping, data collection, ad verification, and bypassing geo-restrictions.

## Commonly confused with

It is confused with the data center proxy type. Data center proxy addresses are obtained from server farms and can be easily blocked, whereas residential proxies are very difficult to block because they offer real user IP addresses.

## Questions and answers

**Is the use of residential proxies legal?**

Yes, the use of proxies is generally legal, but it is ethically important that the obtained IP addresses have joined the network with user consent.

**What is the difference from data center proxy servers?**

Data center proxies are fast and cheap but easy to detect. Residential proxies, on the other hand, are almost impossible to detect because they offer real user IP addresses.

## Related terms

- [Proxy](https://trescout.com/en/dictionary/proxy/)
- [Reverse Proxy](https://trescout.com/en/dictionary/reverse-proxy/)
- [Web Scraping](https://trescout.com/en/dictionary/web-scraping/)
- [Web Scraper](https://trescout.com/en/dictionary/web-scraper/)

This explanation was written in plain language for TreScout with AI and **machine-translated** from the Turkish original · the Turkish version prevails. If something looks wrong or missing, write to [hello@trescout.com](mailto:hello@trescout.com). [Read in Turkish →](https://trescout.com/dictionary/residential-proxy/)

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Source: TreScout Dictionary · https://trescout.com/en/dictionary/residential-proxy/