A residential proxy is a username, a password, a host, and a port. The vendor dashboard prints them. You point an HTTP client at that endpoint. You do not get a success rate from this page. You get a working string, then you test URLs you are allowed to fetch.
What you copy from the dashboard
- Host and port. Oxylabs residential is often pr.oxylabs.io on 7777. Bright Data uses a superproxy host and a zone port. Decodo prints the same four fields on the residential product.
- Username and password for a sub-user, not your login email.
- Optional targeting in the username: country, city, session id. If you do not need it, do not paste it.
Prove the exit before you scale
Send one GET to a public IP echo you control or a documented test URL the vendor publishes. Confirm the JSON shows an address that is not your office. Then hit one page you are allowed to collect. If that page fails, change type, not volume.
Rotating versus sticky in the username
Rotating usually means a new exit per request. Sticky means you pass a session id so the same exit is held for a timer. Both still bill gigabytes. A sticky session is not a static ISP lease.
What this is not
This is not a recipe for account farming, credential stuffing, paywall bypass, or ticket bots. Legitimate jobs: public data you are allowed to collect, ad verification, SEO monitoring you are allowed to run, geo tests of properties you control.
Orange “Open” buttons can be affiliate. They do not change the editorial order. Confirm the live rate before you pay.