Using proxies with PhantomBuster

Why PhantomBuster needs a proxy

A Phantom that logs in to your account from a data centre in another country looks nothing like you. A proxy in your own country keeps the account's location steady.

Which proxy to use

A residential proxy with a sticky session in the country where the account is normally used. Use one proxy per account.

• Residentialfrom $2.64 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.

As one line:

resi.piratproxies.com:8080:USERNAME:PASSWORD

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. In PhantomBuster, open Settings, then Proxies.
2. Create a new proxy pool and give it a name you will recognise.
3. Add the proxy as one line: resi.piratproxies.com:8080:USERNAME:PASSWORD.
4. Open the Phantom, expand its advanced settings, choose your proxy pool and save.

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

Rotating or sticky

An account should come from one IP address in one country, day after day. Use a sticky session per account and keep its session ID for that account only. Do not rotate on every request with PhantomBuster: a session that jumps between addresses is the first thing a platform notices.

A sticky username looks like this:

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

If it does not work

• Put a sticky username in the line. A rotating one would log the account in from a new IP address on every launch.
• Before you connect an account, open the site once in a browser that uses the same proxy and check that it loads. Start with the smallest plan.
• 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

PhantomBuster 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.