Free Proxies That Work With Browser Bots

“Nema ljeba bez motike.” Just as there’s no bread without hard work, there are no reliable proxies without digging deep—especially when browser bots are involved. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get into the gritty details of free proxies that won’t let your automated bots starve or, worse, end up blacklisted like a smuggler at the Austro-Hungarian border.

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Understanding Free Proxies in the Context of Browser Bots

What Makes a Proxy “Work” With Browser Bots?

A proxy that “works” must allow your browser automation tool—be it Selenium, Puppeteer, or Playwright—to route traffic reliably, change IPs, and dodge detection. The key requirements are:

• Anonymity: No leaking of your real IP.
• Stability: No constant disconnects (remember, “bolje da izgubiš selo nego običaj”—better to lose a village than your bot session).
• Speed: No timeouts.
• Compatibility: HTTP, HTTPS, or SOCKS support.

Types of Free Proxies

Proxy Type	Protocols	Browser Bot Support	Reliability	Notes
HTTP/HTTPS	HTTP, HTTPS	High	Moderate	Easy to use, but often blocked
SOCKS4/5	SOCKS4, SOCKS5	Medium-High	Moderate	Good for anonymity, less common
Web Proxies	Web	Low	Low	Not suitable for automation

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Sources of Free Proxies

Public Proxy Lists

There’s no shortage of public proxy lists, but as the old saying goes, “Ko rano rani, dvije sreće grabi”—the early bird gets two fortunes. The freshest proxies are often the least abused.

Recommended Proxy Lists

• Free Proxy List (sslproxies.org)
• Spys.one
• ProxyScrape
• Free Proxy CZ

API-Based Proxy Fetchers

Some services offer APIs for fetching live proxies, which is a godsend when automating with bots.

• Proxy-List API by Proxyscrape
• GetProxyList
• Proxy-List.download

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Practical Integration With Browser Bots

Selenium (Python) Example: Rotating Free Proxies

Sometimes, you need to rotate proxies as fast as a Sarajevan cabbie dodging potholes. Here’s how to load proxies from a list and use them with Selenium.

from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options

def get_proxies_from_file(file_path):
    with open(file_path) as f:
        return [line.strip() for line in f.readlines() if line.strip()]

proxies = get_proxies_from_file('proxies.txt')

for proxy in proxies:
    chrome_options = Options()
    chrome_options.add_argument(f'--proxy-server=http://{proxy}')
    driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=chrome_options)
    try:
        driver.get('https://httpbin.org/ip')
        print(driver.page_source)
    finally:
        driver.quit()

Tips:
– Test proxies before use (many are dead on arrival).
– Use headless mode for speed.

Puppeteer (Node.js) Example

const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');

(async () => {
    const proxy = '123.45.67.89:8080';
    const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
        args: [`--proxy-server=${proxy}`]
    });
    const page = await browser.newPage();
    await page.goto('https://httpbin.org/ip');
    console.log(await page.content());
    await browser.close();
})();

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Proxy Quality: How to Test Before Trusting

Just as one does not trust every rakija at the village fair, you shouldn’t trust every proxy from a list.

Bash Test Script

A little curl goes a long way:

while read proxy; do
  if curl --proxy http://$proxy --max-time 5 https://httpbin.org/ip; then
    echo "$proxy is working"
  fi
done < proxies.txt

Python Proxy Checker

import requests

def test_proxy(proxy):
    try:
        response = requests.get('https://httpbin.org/ip', proxies={'http': f'http://{proxy}', 'https': f'http://{proxy}'}, timeout=5)
        return response.ok
    except:
        return False

# Usage
for proxy in proxies:
    if test_proxy(proxy):
        print(f"{proxy} works")

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Anti-Detection Tactics

Public proxies are like a Bosnian checkpoint: they’re heavily monitored. Here’s how to reduce detection:

• Rotate User-Agents: Never march under the same banner twice.
• Use Headless Evasion: puppeteer-extra-plugin-stealth can help.
• Limit Requests Per Proxy: Don’t burn out your proxies like a Yugo with no oil.
• Randomize Timing: Human-like delays; no need to storm the server like it’s 1992.

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Comparing Free Proxy Sources

Source	Update Frequency	Checked/Verified	SSL Support	API Access	Notes
sslproxies.org	Hourly	Yes	Yes	No	Reliable for HTTPS
ProxyScrape	10 min	No	Yes	Yes	Large pool, needs filtering
Spys.one	15 min	No	Partial	No	Many countries, mixed quality
FreeProxy.cz	30 min	Yes	Yes	No	Web interface, export options
GetProxyList	Real-time	Yes	Yes	Yes	Customizable API

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Security and Ethics: A Note from the Bridge on the Drina

Free proxies are often honey pots or trojanski konji (“Trojan horses”). Use them only for non-sensitive, legal scraping or automation. Never transmit credentials or personal data. If you wouldn’t shout it across the Baščaršija, don’t send it through a free proxy.

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Additional Resources

• Selenium Proxy Documentation
• Puppeteer Proxy Guide
• Proxychains for system-wide proxying
• Headless Browser Detection Techniques

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“Ko se zadnji smije, najslađe se smije.” May your bots laugh last, and your proxies never turn into pumpkins before midnight.