Proxy Setup Best Practices for CaptchaAI

Proxies are required for Cloudflare Challenge solving and recommended for high-volume CAPTCHA operations. This guide covers configuration, proxy types, and best practices.

When You Need Proxies

Proxy Parameters

CaptchaAI accepts proxies via proxy and proxytype parameters:

proxy=username:password@host:port
proxytype=HTTP

Supported Proxy Types

Configuration Examples

Cloudflare Challenge (Proxy Required)

import requests

API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY"

resp = requests.get("https://ocr.captchaai.com/in.php", params={
    "key": API_KEY,
    "method": "cloudflare_challenge",
    "pageurl": "https://example.com",
    "proxy": "user:pass@proxy.example.com:8080",
    "proxytype": "HTTP",
})
task_id = resp.text.split("|")[1]

# Poll for result
import time
while True:
    time.sleep(5)
    result = requests.get("https://ocr.captchaai.com/res.php", params={
        "key": API_KEY, "action": "get", "id": task_id,
    })
    if result.text.startswith("OK|"):
        # Returns cf_clearance cookie + user_agent
        data = result.text.split("|", 1)[1]
        print(data)
        break

# Use the cf_clearance cookie with the SAME proxy
# The cookie is bound to the proxy IP

reCAPTCHA with Proxy

resp = requests.get("https://ocr.captchaai.com/in.php", params={
    "key": API_KEY,
    "method": "userrecaptcha",
    "googlekey": "6Le-wvkS...",
    "pageurl": "https://example.com",
    "proxy": "user:pass@proxy.example.com:8080",
    "proxytype": "HTTP",
})

Node.js

const resp = await axios.get("https://ocr.captchaai.com/in.php", {
  params: {
    key: API_KEY,
    method: "cloudflare_challenge",
    pageurl: "https://example.com",
    proxy: "user:pass@proxy.example.com:8080",
    proxytype: "HTTP",
  },
});

Proxy Rotation

For high-volume scraping, rotate proxies to avoid IP-based blocking:

import random

PROXIES = [
    "user:pass@us1.proxy.com:8080",
    "user:pass@us2.proxy.com:8080",
    "user:pass@eu1.proxy.com:8080",
    "user:pass@eu2.proxy.com:8080",
]

def solve_with_rotation(site_key, page_url):
    proxy = random.choice(PROXIES)

    resp = requests.get("https://ocr.captchaai.com/in.php", params={
        "key": API_KEY,
        "method": "userrecaptcha",
        "googlekey": site_key,
        "pageurl": page_url,
        "proxy": proxy,
        "proxytype": "HTTP",
    })
    return resp.text

Sticky Sessions for Cloudflare

Cloudflare cookies are IP-bound. Use the same proxy for solving and subsequent requests:

def solve_cloudflare_and_scrape(target_url, proxy_str):
    """Solve Cloudflare challenge and use the same proxy for scraping."""

    # Solve with proxy
    resp = requests.get("https://ocr.captchaai.com/in.php", params={
        "key": API_KEY,
        "method": "cloudflare_challenge",
        "pageurl": target_url,
        "proxy": proxy_str,
        "proxytype": "HTTP",
    })
    task_id = resp.text.split("|")[1]

    # Poll for result
    import time
    while True:
        time.sleep(5)
        result = requests.get("https://ocr.captchaai.com/res.php", params={
            "key": API_KEY, "action": "get", "id": task_id,
        })
        if result.text.startswith("OK|"):
            data = result.text.split("|", 1)[1]
            break

    # Parse cf_clearance and user_agent
    parts = dict(item.split("=", 1) for item in data.split(";"))
    cf_clearance = parts.get("cf_clearance", "")
    user_agent = parts.get("user_agent", "")

    # Use SAME proxy with the cookie
    proxy_url = f"http://{proxy_str}"
    session = requests.Session()
    session.proxies = {"http": proxy_url, "https": proxy_url}
    session.cookies.set("cf_clearance", cf_clearance)
    session.headers["User-Agent"] = user_agent

    return session.get(target_url)

Proxy Quality Checklist

Best Practices

1. Match proxy location to target site — A US proxy for US sites reduces suspicion
2. Use residential proxies for Cloudflare — Datacenter IPs are flagged more often
3. Keep proxy consistent per session — Don't switch proxies mid-session for the same site
4. Test proxy before submitting — Verify the proxy works before sending to CaptchaAI
5. Monitor proxy health — Replace dead or slow proxies automatically

Troubleshooting

FAQ

Do I need proxies for reCAPTCHA?

Not required, but recommended for high-volume use. Proxies prevent your IP from being flagged by Google's risk analysis.

Can I use free proxies?

Free proxies are unreliable and often blacklisted. Use a paid proxy service for consistent results.

What's the best proxy type?

Residential proxies offer the best success rates. ISP proxies are a good balance of speed and reliability.

Related Guides

• Proxy Rotation for CAPTCHA Scraping
• Cloudflare Turnstile Solving
• Scraping Without Getting Blocked