How to use a proxy with Node-RED

Which proxy to use

Residential proxies suit automation that acts like a visitor, with a sticky session for anything that logs in. For testing your own site from other countries, any plan with the right country works; Residential Lite is the cheapest.

• Residentialfrom $2.64 per GB
• Residential Litefrom $0.69 per GB
• Mobilefrom $2.64 per GB

What to enter

A PiratProxies plan gives you four things: a host, a port, a username and a password. These are the values for Residential; the username and password are on your plan page.

The country and the session are chosen in the username, not in a separate setting. The generator on your plan page writes the username for you, and Targeting and sessions explains each part.

Steps

1. Open an http request node and tick Use proxy.
2. Add a new proxy configuration with the address http://resi.piratproxies.com:8080.
3. Tick the option to use proxy authentication and enter your username and password.
4. Deploy, then trigger the flow against an IP-check address.

Menu names can differ a little between versions of Node-RED. The four values to enter are always the same.

Rotating or sticky

If Node-RED is acting as one visitor through several steps, use a sticky session so the IP address stays the same throughout. If each run is independent, leave the session out and every run starts from a new address.

A sticky username looks like this:

USERNAME-country-us-time-600-session-a1b2c3d4

If it does not work

• A proxy configuration is shared. Every http request node that selects it uses the same username, and so the same session.
• A 407 error means the username or password was not accepted. Copy both again from your plan page, and check that nothing added a space or cut the username short.
• If the IP address is in the wrong country, look at the username: the country code is part of it. More fixes.

Questions

Node-RED is a product of its own makers. PiratProxies is not affiliated with it; the name is used here only to say what this guide is about. Use it within the rules of the sites you work with and our acceptable use policy.