Best for Firefox
Residential proxies
from $0.27/GB
Their HTTP port works with Firefox's sign-in prompt, and sticky sessions last up to 24 hours on one IP.
Browsers & operating systems
Firefox Proxy Set Up HTTP or SOCKS5 in Firefox Settings
Firefox works on
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
- Android
- iOS
Key facts
A proxy for Firefox alone
Firefox starts on Use system proxy settings (network.proxy.type 5). Manual proxy configuration covers Firefox and no other app.
DNS goes through SOCKS5
Since Firefox 128, Proxy DNS when using SOCKS v5 is on by default. The SOCKS5 server looks up site addresses, so your DNS provider, DNS over HTTPS included, never sees the sites you open through it.
Moved in Firefox 152
Proxy settings sit under Privacy and security > Connection and software security > Advanced settings, not General. Typing proxy into Find in Settings also gets you there.
Proxy types Firefox accepts
Connection Settings takes HTTP and SOCKS proxies or a PAC script address.
| Name | Works In | Auth | Blocking Resistance | Best For | Where To Get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HTTP Proxy (with Also use this proxy for HTTPS) | Firefox desktop, or Android through its Wi-Fi proxy setting | A sign-in prompt that can save the login under Passwords | Depends on the IP behind it | Paid proxies with a username and password | Geonode residential proxies over HTTP, or HTTP and HTTPS entries on the Geonode free list |
| SOCKS v5 | Firefox desktop (SOCKS Host, with HTTP Proxy left empty), or Android through an extension | None in Connection Settings. Extensions can send a login through Firefox's proxy API | Depends on the IP behind it | IP-whitelisted proxies, or logins added through an extension | Geonode residential proxies over SOCKS5, or SOCKS5 entries on the Geonode free list |
| PAC script (Automatic proxy configuration URL) | Firefox desktop, with an http(s)://, file:// or data: address | The sign-in prompt for HTTP entries, none for SOCKS entries | Same as the proxies the script names | Sending only chosen domains through a proxy | Your IT team, or a one-line script you write |
Which proxy type to use with Firefox
Connection Settings sets one proxy for every tab in your Firefox profile, so pick the type your strictest site accepts.
Best for one account
ISP proxies
from $1.25/IP
Pin one assigned IP to the profile you sign in with, and that account keeps one address.
Public pages
Datacenter proxies
from $0.14/GB
Works for reading public pages from another country. For sign-ins, give each account its own Firefox profile with a residential or ISP proxy.
Testing only
Free public proxies
Free
Enough to test Connection Settings, but never sign in through a public proxy.
How to set up a proxy in Firefox
Desktop steps match Firefox 152 and later. Firefox 149 to 151 show Configure proxy under General; ESR 140 uses General > Network Settings > Settings.
Click the menu button (three lines) and choose Settings, or use Firefox > Settings on a Mac.
Click Privacy and security, then Advanced settings under Connection and software security.
Under Proxy settings, click Configure proxy.
Select Manual proxy configuration.
For HTTP, enter the host in HTTP Proxy and the port in Port, then tick Also use this proxy for HTTPS.
For SOCKS5, leave HTTP Proxy empty, fill in SOCKS Host and Port, pick SOCKS v5 and keep Proxy DNS when using SOCKS v5 ticked.
Put sites that should skip the proxy in No proxy for, separated by commas, and click OK.
Open a page. If the proxy needs a login, Firefox asks for it in a prompt naming moz-proxy://HOST:PORT.
Check detailed instructions on our blog:
Read the blog postHow to check that Firefox uses the proxy
Open geonode.com/what-is-my-ip in Firefox and look for the proxy's IP and country. On desktop, another browser still shows yours.
If nothing changed, reopen Connection Settings: a note that an extension controls how Firefox connects to the internet means that extension overrides your settings. With Firefox's built-in VPN on, only sites on its exceptions list use your proxy.
How to turn the proxy off in Firefox
In Connection Settings, choose No proxy, or Use system proxy settings to follow the operating system again.
If an extension is named there, click Disable Extension.
To delete a saved proxy login, open Passwords from the menu and search for moz-proxy.
Common Firefox proxy problems and fixes
Page says "The proxy server is refusing connections"
- Nothing accepts connections at that host and port (wrong port, or the proxy service is down), or an HTTP proxy answered 403 or rejected the login with 407.
- Check the host and port in your dashboard and test them in the Geonode proxy checker.
CauseFixSOCKS5 with a username and password never connects
- Connection Settings has no SOCKS login fields (bug 122752, open since 2002). Firefox offers only the no-login method, so a server that requires a login ends the handshake and Firefox shows "Unable to connect".
- Use an extension that sends SOCKS5 credentials, your plan's HTTP port or IP whitelisting in the Geonode dashboard. Firefox ignores a network.proxy.socks_username entry in about:config because no such setting exists.
CauseFixPage says "Unable to find the proxy server"
- The proxy's host name did not resolve: a typo in HTTP Proxy, a PAC PROXY line with a missing host, or no network connection. A mistyped SOCKS Host shows a server-not-found page for the site instead.
- Copy the host again from your dashboard, then try No proxy to check the network itself.
CauseFixFirefox keeps asking for a moz-proxy password
- A wrong or expired login gets another 407 and another prompt. Even with a saved login, Firefox asks again after each restart by default, and always does with Always use private browsing mode on.
- Enter your Geonode proxy username and password, save them, then tick Do not prompt for authentication if password is saved, below No proxy for in Connection Settings.
CauseFix
More for Firefox users
Firefox proxy FAQ
The moz-proxy:// label means the proxy wants a login. To drop the proxy, choose No proxy in Connection Settings and disable any extension listed there. To keep it, save the login and tick Do not prompt for authentication if password is saved.
In Firefox 152 and later, open Settings > Privacy and security > Connection and software security > Advanced settings > Proxy settings > Configure proxy.
Connection Settings can't: its SOCKS v5 option has no login fields. Use an extension that passes SOCKS5 credentials, such as FoxyProxy Standard, or have your IP whitelisted.
Not for a single HTTP proxy. An extension is needed for a SOCKS5 login and makes switching proxies or proxying only some sites easier.
Firefox for Android has no proxy setting and follows the Wi-Fi proxy from Android Settings. A proxy extension from the Extensions menu also handles SOCKS5 and mobile data.
Yes. A PAC script in Automatic proxy configuration URL can return your proxy for chosen domains and DIRECT for the rest. Extensions with URL patterns do the same.
Geonode's free proxy list has SOCKS4 entries besides HTTP, HTTPS and SOCKS5, and Connection Settings takes all four (SOCKS v4 for SOCKS4). They are public, so test with them and never sign in.
