Rotating proxies explained — rotation types and how to change a proxy IP with a link
In this article
A rotating proxy is a proxy that can move to a different IP address without you touching its settings: the host, port, username and password stay the same, and only the IP that websites see changes. This guide covers the three common ways proxies rotate, how a 4G proxy gets a new IP, when to rotate and when not to, and the exact steps to rotate with a link.
What is a rotating proxy?
With a static proxy, every connection leaves through the same IP, sometimes for months. With a rotating proxy, the exit IP changes — by a rule the provider sets, or when you ask for it.
People rotate for three main reasons:
- Avoiding rate limits. Many sites cap the number of requests per IP; a new IP lets the work continue.
- Separating sessions. Each account or each scraping run uses a different IP.
- Escaping a "bad" IP. If the current IP keeps hitting captchas, switching usually fixes it at once.
The three common types of rotation
Providers rotate IPs in three different ways, and each suits a different kind of work.
Rotation on every request
Every new connection leaves through a different IP from a very large pool (common with residential proxies). Good for collecting data across many pages, bad for anything that needs a login: the IP changes mid-session.
Timed rotation (sticky sessions)
The IP is kept for a set time (a few minutes, or tens of minutes) and then changes on its own. More stable than per-request rotation, but the IP can change right in the middle of a task.
Rotation on demand (link or API)
The IP only changes when you call a rotation link or API. This is how 4G proxies usually work: you keep one IP for a whole session and switch when you move on to something else.
| Rotation type | When the IP changes | Good for | Not good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per request | Every new connection | Scraping many pages | Logged-in accounts |
| Timed | When the set time runs out | Short sessions | Long tasks that need a stable IP |
| On demand | When you call the link or API | Account management, ads, testing | A new IP for every request |
How does a 4G proxy rotate its IP?
Behind a 4G proxy is a device with a real SIM. When you call the rotation link:
- The device drops off the mobile network and reconnects — like toggling airplane mode.
- The carrier assigns the device an IP from its address pool.
- The proxy carries on with the new IP; the host, port, username and password don't change, so your tool needs no reconfiguring.
A few things to know about this mechanism:
- It takes a few seconds. How long depends on the device and the carrier. Connections that are open at the time may drop and need a retry.
- The new IP is in the same country, on the same kind of network. With a Singapore 4G proxy, the new IP is still a Singapore mobile IP.
- IPs can repeat. A carrier's pool is finite, so now and then you'll get an IP you've had before. Check the IP after rotating if your work needs a different one.
For why mobile IPs earn trust in the first place, see what is a 4G proxy.
When to rotate, and when not to
Rotate when:
- You move from one account (or browser profile) to the next, if they share one proxy and run one after another.
- A site starts returning captchas, 429 errors or blocks the current IP.
- You start a new scraping run.
Don't rotate when:
- You're in the middle of something sensitive: logging in, paying, changing a password, verifying an account.
- An upload or download is in progress: the connection will drop.
- There's no reason to: rotating constantly adds nothing but interruptions.
One important detail: every connection through the same proxy shares the same IP. If several browser profiles are open on one proxy, rotating changes the IP for all of them at once.
How to rotate with 65Proxy
Every 65Proxy proxy has its own rotation link, shown under My proxies in the dashboard as soon as the plan is active.
Step 1 — Check the current IP. Open a terminal (on Windows, Command Prompt or PowerShell — type curl.exe rather than curl) and run this with your proxy details:
curl -x "http://USER:PASS@HOST:PORT" https://api.ipify.orgStep 2 — Call the rotation link. The simplest way is to open it in your browser. Or call it with curl:
curl "YOUR_ROTATION_LINK"Step 3 — Wait a few seconds and check again. Run the command from step 1 again: the IP it prints should differ from the one before. If it hasn't changed yet, wait a little longer and retry.
To automate this — rotate, then wait until the new IP is ready — see rotating a proxy IP from curl, Python and Node.js.
Treat the rotation link like a password. Anyone with the link can rotate your proxy. Don't paste it into shared chats or commit it to public code; in scripts, read it from an environment variable.
Does rotating log you out?
Rotating doesn't clear cookies or browser data, so technically you stay logged in. Real phones change IP all the time as they move between cell towers, and a new IP from the same carrier in the same country is nothing unusual to a platform.
Even so, the safest pattern is one IP per session: open the profile, do the work, close the profile, and only then rotate before opening the next one. How to do that in GoLogin, AdsPower and other antidetect browsers is covered in setting up proxies in antidetect browsers.
Frequently asked questions
Does rotating drop my connections?
Yes, for a few seconds. Requests running while the device reconnects may fail or time out; just retry once the new IP is up.
Does rotating move me to another country?
No. A 4G proxy gets its IP from the carrier the device is on, so the new IP is in the same country — Singapore, with 65Proxy.
How often should I rotate?
There's no universal number. For account work, rotating between sessions is enough. For scraping, rotate when a site starts limiting you. Let the job decide, not habit.
I rotated, but the check still shows the old IP?
Usually the check ran too soon, or the command didn't go through the proxy. The causes and fixes are in common proxy errors.