ERROR_PROXY_NOT_AUTHORIZED: Proxy Authentication Fixes

ERROR_PROXY_NOT_AUTHORIZED means CaptchaAI cannot connect through your specified proxy. This guide covers all causes and fixes.

Common Causes

Correct Proxy Format

CaptchaAI expects the proxy in this format:

proxytype: HTTP | HTTPS | SOCKS4 | SOCKS5
proxy: host:port:username:password

import requests

# Correct format
data = {
    "key": "YOUR_API_KEY",
    "method": "userrecaptcha",
    "googlekey": "SITE_KEY",
    "pageurl": "https://example.com",
    "proxytype": "HTTP",
    "proxy": "192.168.1.1:8080:myuser:mypass",
    "json": 1,
}

resp = requests.post("https://ocr.captchaai.com/in.php", data=data)

Proxy Format Variations

# With authentication
proxy = "192.168.1.1:8080:username:password"

# Without authentication (rare — most captcha proxies need auth)
proxy = "192.168.1.1:8080"

# SOCKS5
proxytype = "SOCKS5"
proxy = "192.168.1.1:1080:user:pass"

Validation Before Submission

import re
import requests


def validate_proxy(proxy_str, proxy_type="HTTP"):
    """Validate proxy format and connectivity."""
    # Check format
    parts = proxy_str.split(":")
    if len(parts) < 2:
        raise ValueError(f"Invalid proxy format: {proxy_str}")

    host = parts[0]
    port = parts[1]

    if not port.isdigit():
        raise ValueError(f"Invalid port: {port}")

    # Check proxy type
    valid_types = {"HTTP", "HTTPS", "SOCKS4", "SOCKS5"}
    if proxy_type not in valid_types:
        raise ValueError(f"Invalid proxy type: {proxy_type}")

    return True


def test_proxy(proxy_str, proxy_type="HTTP"):
    """Test if proxy is working."""
    parts = proxy_str.split(":")
    host = parts[0]
    port = parts[1]

    if len(parts) == 4:
        user, password = parts[2], parts[3]
        proxy_url = f"{proxy_type.lower()}://{user}:{password}@{host}:{port}"
    else:
        proxy_url = f"{proxy_type.lower()}://{host}:{port}"

    proxies = {"http": proxy_url, "https": proxy_url}

    try:
        resp = requests.get(
            "https://httpbin.org/ip",
            proxies=proxies,
            timeout=10,
        )
        print(f"Proxy working. IP: {resp.json()['origin']}")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Proxy failed: {e}")
        return False


# Test before using with CaptchaAI
proxy = "192.168.1.1:8080:user:pass"
if test_proxy(proxy, "HTTP"):
    print("Proxy is ready to use")

Handling Special Characters in Passwords

from urllib.parse import quote


def format_proxy(host, port, username, password):
    """Format proxy string, handling special characters."""
    # URL-encode password if it contains special characters
    safe_password = quote(password, safe="")
    return f"{host}:{port}:{username}:{safe_password}"


# Password with special characters
proxy = format_proxy("192.168.1.1", "8080", "user", "p@ss:word!")

Proxy Type Detection

def detect_proxy_type(host, port):
    """Try to detect which proxy protocol works."""
    import socket

    for proxy_type in ["HTTP", "SOCKS5", "SOCKS4"]:
        try:
            # Basic TCP connection test
            sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
            sock.settimeout(5)
            result = sock.connect_ex((host, int(port)))
            sock.close()

            if result == 0:
                return proxy_type  # Port is open, try this type
        except Exception:
            continue

    return None

Troubleshooting

FAQ

Does CaptchaAI connect through my proxy?

Yes. When you provide proxy parameters, CaptchaAI's solver loads the target page through your proxy. This ensures the token matches your browsing context.

Which proxy type should I use?

Use HTTP/HTTPS for most sites. Use SOCKS5 when the target requires it or for better anonymity. SOCKS4 is rarely needed.

Do I always need a proxy?

No. Proxies are optional. Many CAPTCHAs solve fine without a proxy. Use proxies when the target site checks if the solver's IP matches the token submission IP.

Related Guides

• BAD_PARAMETERS Validation
• Error Handling Decision Tree

Fix proxy issues — solve with CaptchaAI.