Selenium is an open-source tool used to automate tests carried out in web browsers. It has a single interface that allows users to write scripts in various programming languages, such as Ruby, PHP, Perl, Python, C#, and Java. It is compatible with all major browsers and works on most operating systems. Selenium includes an API to test written scripts, a library with APIs and language-specific bindings, a driver executable module that opens a browser instance and executes the test script, and a framework that integrates with programming language test frameworks. The platform has many features, including the ability to automate web applications, submit forms, and click buttons. It is free to use due to its open-source nature, and is constantly updated and improved by the work of many developers.
Why Do You Need Proxies for Selenium?
!= ”
Previously, we discussed how Selenium is used to automate browser tasks like web scraping and automation. But how do proxies factor into this?
Proxies act as a middleman between your device and whatever server, app, or service you are trying to access. This allows your web traffic to be rerouted through the proxy server, using an alternate IP address. This can provide you with a range of advantages, including improved privacy and bypassing IP bans.
Since web automation and scraping are generally considered legal activities, many online platforms employ mechanisms to detect and block this non-human traffic. To ensure you can perform these tasks without interruption using Selenium, you need to employ countermeasures to evade detection. Proxies can help with this by assigning a different IP address to each request or a series of requests, making it appear as though it is coming from different devices.
Now that you understand why you need proxies, what type of proxy server should you use for Selenium?
What Types of Proxies Work With Selenium
The usage scenario of your web scraping and automation projects will influence the type of proxy you should implement for Selenium. Rotating datacenter proxies are recommended for this purpose since they provide superior speeds compared to residential proxies. Furthermore, since they utilize a pool of IPs that are assigned to a series of web requests, you won’t be blocked by websites that have set a request limit. This allows for successful web automation tasks with Selenium without worrying about getting detected and banned.
ProxyCompass is a trusted proxy provider with powerful solutions that can help you avoid detection. Get in touch with us today to learn why clients from all over the world rely on our cutting-edge proxy services for their web scraping projects!