Rotating: a new address each time
With a plain username, each new connection leaves from a different IP address. This is what you want for collecting many separate pages: no single address makes enough requests to be noticed.
Rotating username
USERNAMESticky: one address for a while
Add a session to the username and every request that carries it leaves from the same address, for as long as the time you set. This is what you want for anything with steps: a login, a cart, a form that sets a cookie.
Sticky username
USERNAME-country-us-time-600-session-a1b2c3d4The session ID is the switch
The session ID is a short label you make up. Same label, same address. A different label, a different address. To run ten separate visitors, use ten labels; to get a new address for one of them, change its label.
The generator on your plan page writes these usernames for you, and can produce a whole list with different labels in one go.
Which one for which job
| Job | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Crawling product pages | Rotating | Each page is separate |
| Logging in to an account | Sticky | The site expects one visitor |
| A browser profile | Sticky, one label per profile | Profiles must not share an address |
| Solving a captcha, then submitting | Sticky | Token and request must match |
| Checking prices in ten countries | Rotating, country in the username | Only the country matters |
Two things that surprise people
- Programs reuse connections. With a rotating username, several requests sent over one open connection share an address. The address changes when a new connection opens.
- A sticky session ends. When its time is up, or the device behind it goes offline, the next request gets a new address. Set a time longer than the job.
Questions
How long can a sticky session last?
On most plans you set the time in the username, in seconds. On Mobile you choose short or long, and on Mobile USA the session ID alone holds the address. A session can also end early if the connection behind it drops.
Do sticky sessions cost more?
No. The price is for traffic, and it is the same either way.