Best for 4chan
Residential proxies
from $0.27/GB
The IPs come from home ISPs in the country you pick, and a sticky session keeps one IP for up to 24 hours so a thread and its images load from one address.
Messengers & social apps
4chan Proxy Access Guide and Which Type to Use
4chan works on
- Web
Key facts
Proxy and VPN rule
4chan's global rules say users may not post from proxies, VPNs or Tor exit nodes, and the FAQ says Tor exit nodes and open proxies are blocked when possible. The rule covers posting; reading the boards is not restricted by it.
Built-in proxy setting
None. 4chan is a website with no official app, so the proxy goes into the operating system, the browser or a proxy client app.
Ban or block
An individual ban redirects you to 4chan.org/banned when you try to post. ISP, IP range and country blocks stop posting with an error instead of the banned page, and evading a ban turns it into a permanent one under the global rules.
Ways to route 4chan through a proxy
Pick the method by the device you read 4chan on; the proxy protocol matters less than where you set it.
| Name | Works In | Auth | Blocking Resistance | Best For | Where To Get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System proxy (Windows, macOS, iPhone Wi-Fi) | 4chan in Chrome, Edge and Safari, which follow the system proxy | Username and password (browser prompt on Windows, password toggle on macOS and iPhone) | Same as the IP behind it | Reading 4chan on a school, office or ISP network that blocks it | Geonode residential or ISP proxies |
| Browser extension (for example Proxy SwitchyOmega) | Only the browser it is installed in | HTTP or SOCKS5; username and password support depends on the extension | Same as the IP behind it | Sending only 4chan through the proxy while other sites go direct | Geonode residential proxies |
| Proxy client app (Android) | Chrome and third-party 4chan apps on Android; the client routes apps through a local VPN | SOCKS5 or HTTP with username and password | Same as the IP behind it | Phones on mobile data or Wi-Fi where 4chan does not load | Geonode residential proxies |
| Proxy in code (4chan read-only JSON API) | Scripts that read a.4cdn.org, 4chan's official read-only API | http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@host:port in the proxy URL | Not a factor within the API rules (see troubleshooting) | Research and monitoring of threads and catalogs. Use only the read-only API; the global rules ban scrapers and automated downloading scripts on the boards themselves. | Geonode residential or rotating datacenter proxies |
Which proxy type to use with 4chan
ISP, range and country blocks only stop posting, so for reading the things that matter are Cloudflare checks on page loads (4chan's pages are served through Cloudflare), the country the IP is in, and keeping one IP while a thread and its images load.
Stable IP for reading
ISP proxies
from $1.25/IP
One fixed IP that never changes, which suits long reading sessions or an office network where every visit should come from the same address.
API scripts only
Datacenter proxies
from $0.14/GB
Fine for the JSON API. For page loads, hosting IPs are more likely to get a Cloudflare challenge than home IPs, so check a board before relying on one.
Testing only
Free public proxies
Free
Open proxies; see the proxy rule above.
How to set up a proxy for 4chan
Copy the proxy host (hostname or IP), port, username and password from your Geonode dashboard, then add them to the device or browser you open 4chan in.
Open Settings > Network & internet > Proxy.
Under Manual proxy setup, click Set up next to Use a proxy server.
Turn on Use a proxy server.
Enter the host in Proxy IP address and the number in Port.
Click Save.
Open 4chan.org in Chrome or Edge and enter the proxy username and password when the browser asks.
If thumbnails or the post form break in Chrome, add 4chan.org under Settings > Privacy and security > Third-party cookies > Allowed to use third-party cookies. The 4chan FAQ asks for first and third party cookies.
Check detailed instructions on our blog:
Read the blog postHow to check that the proxy works
Open Geonode's What is my IP page in the same browser or on the same phone; it should show the proxy IP, not your own.
Open a board catalog on 4chan.org. If thumbnails load, images from the 4chan CDN are also coming through the proxy.
If you see a black and white '4chan.org' image in place of thumbnails, the proxy or an extension is stripping HTTP referers.
How to turn the proxy off
Windows: in Settings > Network & internet > Proxy, click Edit next to Use a proxy server and switch it off. macOS: switch off the proxy under Details > Proxies. iPhone: set Configure Proxy back to Off.
Android: tap Disconnect in the proxy client app. Browser extension: switch it to direct connection or disable it.
Common 4chan proxy problems and fixes
Posting is rejected with an error message
- The proxy IP sits in an ISP, IP range or country block, or 4chan detected it as a proxy
- Turn the proxy off and post from your own connection. If your own ISP is range-blocked, a 4chan Pass lifts that block.
CauseFix'Temporarily blocked from posting'
- A janitor has submitted a ban request on your IP, and it is waiting for a moderator
- Wait. The block lasts 15 minutes and is lifted early if the request is denied; if a moderator approves it, it becomes a regular ban.
CauseFix403 or 404 errors on board pages
- The FAQ says 403 or 404 errors don't necessarily mean a ban. Blocked cookies, JavaScript or referers are the usual fixes it lists for pages that do not work.
- Allow cookies and JavaScript for 4chan.org and its subdomains, and check that your extension is not blocking referers.
CauseFixThe browser keeps asking for the proxy password (error 407)
- Wrong username or password, or you entered your Geonode account login
- Re-enter the proxy credentials from the Geonode dashboard. In a script, URL-encode characters like @ and : in the password.
CauseFixAPI script gets throttled or empty responses
- More than one request per second, or no If-Modified-Since header
- Slow the script to one request per second, poll threads every 10 seconds or less often, and send If-Modified-Since. Rotating the IP does not replace this.
CauseFix
More for 4chan users
4chan proxy FAQ
Not for posting. The global rules forbid posting from proxies, VPNs and Tor exit nodes, and 4chan blocks Tor exit nodes and open proxies when it can. Reading the boards through a proxy or VPN is not covered by that rule.
If you are banned, 4chan redirects you to 4chan.org/banned when you try to post, and that page shows the reason, the length and an appeal tool. 'Temporarily blocked from posting' means a janitor's ban request on your IP is pending: it lasts 15 minutes and becomes a ban only if a moderator approves it. A plain error when posting, with no banned page, usually means an ISP, range or country block, not a ban on you.
4chan's rules say evading a ban results in a permanent one, and posting from a proxy is against the rules on its own. The route 4chan offers is to wait out the ban or appeal it on the banned page.
If a school, office or ISP network blocks 4chan.org, a proxy set in the browser or system lets you read it, as long as the network allows the connection to the proxy's port. School and work networks belong to their owner, so check their rules first.
A web proxy site loads 4chan on its own server and passes the page to you, so its operator sees every page you open and anything you type. 4chan also blocks posting from them.
4chan.org/bans shows a sample of recent bans with the board, length and rule broken, updated once an hour. It is not a full list, and it does not show IP addresses.
A 4chan Pass bypasses ISP, IP range and country blocks, but not an individual IP ban. It costs $30 a year or $60 for three years and works from one IP address at a time.
