PiratProxies

Automation and testing

How to use a proxy with TestCafe

TestCafe runs browser tests without WebDriver. It takes a proxy, with its login, as one command-line option.

Which proxy to use

Any plan with the country you want to test from.

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.

Hostresi.piratproxies.com
HTTP port8080
SOCKS5 port1080
UsernameUSERNAME
Passwordfrom 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. Add --proxy followed by username:password@host:port.
  2. In a configuration file, the same value goes in the proxy property.

Example

Shell

testcafe chrome tests/ --proxy USERNAME:PASSWORD@resi.piratproxies.com:8080

Replace USERNAME and PASSWORD with the login from your plan page. The example asks an IP-check address, so the output is the address your request left from.

Rotating or sticky

If TestCafe 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

  • Add --proxy-bypass localhost if the site under test runs on your own machine.
  • 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

Which PiratProxies proxy should I use with TestCafe?

Any plan with the country you want to test from.

TestCafe 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.