In the world of web scraping and public data collection, staying under the radar is critical, and that’s where rotating IP addresses come in handy. But before diving deeper into the benefits and methods for successful IP rotation, let’s first revisit the basics of IPs in general.

IP address is a unique number assigned to every device on the internet, allowing it to communicate with other devices online. There are two main types of IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6. While their primary purpose is the same – user identification and communication, IPv6 is the newer version designed to address the growing number of internet-connected devices.

Now, IP addresses can be either static or dynamic. The difference between the two is clear from their names – a static IP remains the same every time you connect to the internet, while a dynamic one changes periodically. 

What is IP rotation?

IP rotation is the practice of frequently changing the IP address when sending requests on the internet. Instead of using the same IP all the time, a user can swap between a pool of different addresses, which usually happens at predetermined intervals or after performing a specific number of requests.  

What is proxy IP Rotation?

Proxy IP rotation uses a pool of multiple proxy servers and switches between them automatically. Proxy IP rotation makes each connection appear to originate from a different device or location, making it ideal for use cases like web scraping, SEO monitoring, market research, analytics, online security, and more.

By distributing your requests across multiple proxy servers, this practice makes it harder for target websites to identify one’s activity as automated. Rotating proxies help you mimic organic user behavior, increasing the likelihood of successfully bypassing IP blocks, CAPTCHAs, and other common anti-scraping measures.

Why rotate IP addresses?

At this point it’s already clear that IP rotation offers a significant advantage when there’s a need to send a large number of requests while maintaining anonymity. Now, let’s break down some of the key IP rotation use cases in more detail.

Web scraping and data collection

This is the most common and important use case of IP rotation. Many modern websites employ various anti-scraping technologies in order to prevent bots from overloading their servers. By making the target website believe that your requests come from multiple unique users, you can not only be sure to access the needed public data but also avoid IP-based blocks, CAPTCHAs, rate limits as well as extract larger datasets more efficiently. 

Security and privacy 

With the increasing number of cyberthreats, IP rotation is also a great method to create an additional level of protection online. For example:

• Hiding browsing behavior from trackers: Different websites, advertisers, and data brokers often track users’ online activities to build a profile based on their IP address. IP rotation helps to avoid that as each new IP makes it harder to track your browsing history.   
• Preventing targeted cyberattacks: IP rotation prevents malicious actors from targeting your device as there’s less vulnerability associated with your IP address when it constantly changes. 
• Anonymizing online activity: For sensitive activities like competitive research, IP rotation helps hide a user’s true identity and prevent websites from linking their requests to a single location.

Accessing geo-restricted content 

A common challenge when it comes to public data gathering is geo-restricted content. Individuals and businesses often need to get access to public data that’s unavailable in their region. IP rotation easily deals with this issue by assigning proxies based in the required countries, which ultimately leads to more informed and precise decision making. 

How to rotate an IP address?

Now that it’s clear what IP rotation is and why to use it, let’s discover some useful methods of performing IP address rotation.

Using a Proxy Rotator

Implementing an automated proxy rotation tool is the most straightforward way to successfully rotate one’s IP addresses. These tools handle the complexity of managing and rotating multiple proxies so you don’t have to worry about changing your IP manually.

Webshare’s Rotating Proxy Endpoint excels at this task by allowing proxies to connect randomly within your list for each request. You don’t have to do anything on your end. Find out how to set up Rotating Proxy Endpoint hassle-free in our FAQ.   

Using manual IP rotation methods

Another method you can try out for individual projects or small-scale web scraping tasks is manual IP rotation. For instance, proxy managers like FoxyProxy can assist in setting up and switching between proxies in a few clicks. However, this method ensures only a basic level of privacy and requires constant management from your side.

Using Python Requests (for developers)

Developers can also perform proxy rotation programmatically using tools like Python Requests library. This principle involves managing a list of proxies and creating a function to rotate them. This function then selects a proxy from the list and uses it to make HTTP requests. 

For detailed explanations and code examples on setting up IP rotation with Python Requests library, check out a detailed tutorial on Webshare’s blog.

Different IP rotation methods: Comparison

Choosing the best IP rotation method for you depends on several factors, including your use case, available time, and budget. Here's a short comparison table to simplify your decision:

Common mistakes in IP rotation & how to avoid them

IP rotation is definitely great; however, it might not be enough to make sure you stay undetected while collecting publicly-available data. Here’s a breakdown of some common mistakes in IP rotation and how to avoid them.

#1 Overusing the same IPs

Using the same few IPs repeatedly increases the likelihood of websites recognizing the pattern of requests originating from the same pool of IP addresses. To avoid that, make sure you constantly have access to a large and diverse proxy pool as well as monitor IP usage regularly to swiftly identify IP addresses that are being overused. 

#2 Not rotating user agents & headers

Rotating IP addresses only is not enough to ensure complete anonymity. Web servers use user agent strings to identify the browser making the request, so consistently using the same user agent gives you away as a bot. 

Rotating user agents and other headers in addition to IP addresses will help you to further mimic organic user behavior. Randomize your user agents and headers for each request, ensuring a different combination for each request you send to the target website. 

#3 Ignoring rate limits & request timing

Another common mistake users make when web scraping is ignoring website rate limits and request timing. Real users are very unlikely to make multiple requests per second, and these actions often overwhelm websites ultimately leading to blocking. To avoid this, implement delays between requests to simulate natural human browsing.

#4 Choosing the wrong proxy type

Just like choosing the right IP rotation method, choosing the right proxy type should be approached with your requirements and use case in mind. This is because selecting an unsuitable proxy can act as an obstacle and lead to immediate blocks. 

For situations when anonymity is critical, go for residential proxies. However, when you need speed and cost-effectiveness, datacenter proxies are usually a more appropriate choice.

Conclusion & best practices

IP rotation is undoubtedly a beneficial practice when you need to ensure complete anonymity and stay undetected online. To successfully implement IP rotation in your web scraping tasks, start by setting up Webshare’s Rotating Proxy Endpoint and exploring simple starter guides from Webshare Academy. And if you're interested in upskilling yourself, learn more in-depth proxy rotation techniques with Python Requests, Selenium, or Puppeteer frameworks.  

Frequently asked questions

How can I get a rotating IP for free?

While truly free rotating IP solutions are rare, you can explore free proxy lists. These proxies are a great way to do some testing and understand if that’s what you need for your project. Consider them for light, non-critical tasks only.

Can websites detect rotating proxies?

Yes, sophisticated websites can still detect rotating proxies, especially if the proxy pool is small or the rotation pattern is too consistent. However, by choosing a reliable proxy provider, you’ll ensure that the risk of detection is significantly decreased.

How often do crawlers need to rotate IP address?

The IP address rotation frequency usually depends on the use case and the target website's anti-scraping technologies. More sophisticated anti-bot systems may require rotations every few requests, while less protected sites might tolerate longer intervals.

Which proxy type is best used for rotating proxy?

Residential proxies are the most common proxy type when it comes to IP rotation as these proxy servers originate from real devices and residential locations, making them harder to detect than other proxies, such as datacenter ones.

Does rotating my IP address make me anonymous?

While IP rotation significantly enhances your anonymity, it doesn't guarantee complete anonymity. Your identity can still be revealed by factors like overusing the same IPs, choosing the wrong proxy type, and ignoring website rate limits.

Will rotating my IP hide my browsing history?

Proxy IP rotation alone won’t hide your browsing history as this data is stored in your browser and cookies. To ensure your browser history stays hidden, clear your browsing data and cookies regularly.