Free Public Proxies: How to Read and Check a List

Two different interfaces: a proxy list and a web anonymizer

An IP address and port for an application

The Free Proxy List page shows filters on the left and an address table on the right. Each row contains an IP, a port and information about that entry. For example, 192.0.2.10:8080 means IP 192.0.2.10 and port 8080. This is a documentation address used for illustration, not a working proxy.

The IP and port are the values used in a proxy-capable application's settings. The URL of the list page is not a substitute for them. If the same IP appears with different ports, these are different connection entries for one address; the number of rows does not necessarily equal the number of distinct IPs.

A website with a field for the page URL

A web anonymizer presents a different interface: a field for the destination URL and a button to open it. The user enters an address such as https://example.com into that form, rather than copying an IP and port into a separate application.

The anonymizer's own website address is not an IP:port entry for proxy settings. The ProxyCompass Free Proxy List uses the first format: an address table. The separate illustration below shows what a web-anonymizer form looks like.

How to read the proxy table

Each row has several attributes. Some describe the address; others report a directory check. Read them separately: location, connection type and the time of the last check answer different questions.

Latency measures how long a response took; Speed concerns the data-transfer rate. Neither is a measurement of your own route to the proxy. If a speed cell has no numeric value, its unit label alone is not a result you can compare.

What the filters select

The left panel changes which entries appear in the list. It does not configure the proxies or change the properties of their addresses.

• Countries selects countries. A city can appear in the table, but this panel has no separate city selector.
• Protocols selects reported connection types. A filter option being present does not establish that matching entries are currently available.
• Anonymity selects the check labels shown in the corresponding column.
• Max Latency sets an upper limit for the recorded response time, in milliseconds.
• Speed offers the categories Fast, Medium and Slow.
• Min Uptime (%) sets a minimum availability value from earlier checks.
• Last Checked selects entries by the age of their last check.

The Filter button applies the chosen conditions. Adding conditions can leave fewer entries. An empty result means the current list has no entries matching that combination; the filter does not create new addresses.

These controls belong to the public Free Proxy List directory. They do not describe the settings available in paid ProxyCompass packages.

Downloading TXT, CSV and JSON

Three buttons above the table offer different ways to save the list:

• Download TXT provides a text file for working with the data as plain text.
• Download CSV provides a tabular format suitable for a spreadsheet editor.
• Download JSON provides a structured format for software to process.

The file format does not change the properties of the included addresses. A downloaded file also does not update itself as the directory changes: it retains the data obtained at export time. If an entry later disappears from the page, it will not remove itself from a previously saved file.

What Online and the check time tell you

The Proxies online counter refers to entries the directory presents as available according to its checks. It is not a count of addresses reserved for you, or confirmation that your target website can be reached.

Last Checked shows how old the result is. Uptime describes earlier observations. Neither field promises that a connection will remain available or that a task will succeed on the next attempt. The addresses and their state change, and a saved copy can already be behind the page.

A successful availability check also says nothing about who operates the server. The directory supplies discovered addresses and test results; even a recent Online result or an Elite label does not verify the operator. Assess those labels as individual test results, not as a promise of dependable service.

How to check a list with Bulk Proxy Checker

ProxyCompass provides a Bulk Proxy Checker for a separate batch check. Paste several addresses into one form, start the check and receive a combined results table. There is no need to enter each address into an application's settings in turn: one page lets you see statuses, compare response times, filter entries and save the results.

Use it to check a downloaded list again shortly before use. The directory's last check and your export may already be out of date. The checker works on a web page, so a separate application is not required.

1. Prepare the addresses for Your Proxies

For open proxies, prepare IP:port entries, one per line. Use the IP and port themselves, not the URL of a list page. Do not include table headings, countries, network names or earlier check results alongside them.

For example, a list has the following structure. These are documentation addresses, not proxies to connect to:

192.0.2.10:8080
198.51.100.20:3128
203.0.113.30:1080

If the source is a CSV or JSON file, first extract its IP and port pairs. Do not paste the entire structured file as a plain address list. Remove duplicate pairs: repeated copies of the same entry do not provide separate proxies.

The input states a limit of up to 500 addresses. Split a longer list into batches. The Clear button beside Your Proxies empties the input when you want to replace the list.

2. Start the check and follow the counters

Click Start checking. The interface also provides Stop to stop checking and Continue to continue. Save any results you need from the current run before replacing the list.

Four indicators appear at the top of the page:

• Checked counts checked entries.
• Online counts entries that passed the check.
• Offline counts entries that did not pass.
• Live Rate shows the percentage of checked entries that passed.

The counters can still change until checking finishes. For example, a completed check of 100 entries with 20 Online gives a 20% positive result. It does not estimate how many days the addresses will remain available.

3. Read the Proxy Check Results table

The counters give an overview, while the table lets you inspect individual addresses:

Response is not a file-download speed measurement. Nor should an ISP name be treated as a promise of connection quality: it identifies the network associated with the IP, rather than giving a guarantee from that network.

4. Select entries with Filter Results

These filters apply to check results. They do not change the original IP, its country or the proxy's properties.

• Status: All displays all results, Online selects entries that passed, and Offline selects those that did not.
• Protocols selects entries by the connection types reported in the results.
• Country selects a country.
• Max Response (ms) sets an upper response-time limit in milliseconds.

Choose the conditions and click Apply Filters. Use Reset in the same panel to start filtering again. That button belongs to the filters; the address input has its own Clear button.

For example, select Online and set Max Response to 500 ms, or half a second. This is a condition for displaying results, not a proxy-speed setting or a timeout for a new test. It is also separate from the input limit of 500 addresses. If filtering leaves an empty table, relax the conditions to see which entries were excluded.

5. Save the results as TXT or CSV

The TXT and CSV controls appear above Proxy Check Results. Text is convenient for further work with a list; a tabular file is useful for viewing and comparing results in a spreadsheet editor. If you need only IPs and ports, separate those values from the other fields before moving them into another application.

Use a clear filename and the check date when saving. This helps distinguish a new result from the original list or an earlier export. The downloaded file is a snapshot of the check; it does not update when a proxy's state changes.

What the check actually establishes

Online means the address passed the checker's test at that moment. To assess it for your task, you still need to try the required page and action from your own connection. Offline means this test failed; first check for a mistyped IP or port. Neither result promises how long the proxy will stay available.

Do not use this external checker to test paid ProxyCompass proxies authorized by client IP. A check from another network can fail authorization and report a functioning address as unavailable. Test those proxies from an authorized connection.

The checker saves time by testing a whole list and letting you filter and export the results. Save the check date with the file, and repeat the check when you need a fresh result. A successful run does not reserve the listed addresses or keep them online for you.