NetworkingBeginner
Forward Proxy
A proxy that sits between you and the internet, makes requests on your behalf, and is the everyday kind of proxy used to change your IP or reach blocked content.
Full Definition
A forward proxy is the standard, client-side proxy. The client (your browser or scraping tool) is configured to send all outbound requests to the proxy server, which then contacts the destination on the client's behalf and returns the response. The destination site sees the proxy's IP, not the client's. Forward proxies are used for anonymity, geo-unblocking, content filtering (corporate networks), and caching. This is distinct from a reverse proxy, which protects and routes traffic to backend servers on behalf of a website.
