Free HTTP Proxy Auto Switch Browser Plugin Development Guide

Why do I need the AutoSwitch Proxy plugin?

In daily network operations, frequent manual switching of proxy IPs is not only inefficient, but also prone to interruptions. For example, in scenarios requiring multi-region IP verification, manual switching may result in inconsistent verification logic. Automatic switching of proxy IPs through the browser plug-in can not only maintain business continuity, but also avoid access restrictions due to repeated use of IPs.

Plug-in core functionality design points

Three-tier design recommended for infrastructureUser Interaction Layer (browser icon menu), Rule Engine Layer (switching policy management), Proxy Scheduling Layer (interfacing with IP service provider API). When focusing on the development of the proxy scheduling module, it is recommended to directly interface with professional service provider interfaces. For example, the API provided by ipipgo supports on-demand access to residential proxy IPs, and its global resource pool of more than 240 countries and regions can meet diversified needs.

Suggested Function Module Inclusion:

How to interface with ipipgo's API interface

In plugin development, it is recommended to get the proxy IP through ipipgo's RESTful API. their interface is designed to fit the developer's habits and the response format contains the following key fields:

- proxy_host: Dynamic Residential Proxy Server Address
- port: Corresponding service port number
- username/password: Dynamic authentication information (note that encrypted storage is required)

Sample code structure suggestions:

async function getNewProxy() {
  const response = await fetch('https://api.ipipgo.com/v1/proxy', {
    headers: {'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY'}
  });
  const {proxy_host, port, username, password} = await response.json();
  applyProxySettings(proxy_host, port, username, password); }
}

Three options for handling proxy certification

The following implementation is recommended for proxy services that require username and password authentication:

Option 1: Local encrypted storage
Use the browser extension's storage.sync API to store encrypted credentials, which is recommended to be combined with an AES encryption algorithm to protect sensitive information.

Option 2: Dynamic authentication mechanisms
For services that support dynamic authorization (e.g., ipipgo's Residential Proxy), time-sensitive authentication information can be obtained through the API on each request, avoiding the risk of local storage.

Option 3: White Box Certification Model
Writing authentication information directly to the proxy configuration parameters is suitable for short-term usage scenarios. However, be careful to clear the sensitive data in memory in a timely manner.

Frequently Asked Questions QA

Q: Why do free proxies fail so often?
A: There is a risk of abuse of the public proxy pool. Professional service providers such as ipipgo can maintain an availability rate of more than 99% through the residential IP rotation mechanism and with the quality monitoring system.

Q: How do you ensure the anonymity of proxies?
A: Choose the high stash proxy type. ipipgo's residential proxy uses triple anonymization technology by default, and does not carry identification fields such as X-Forwarded-For in the request header.

Q: What proxy protocols does the plugin need to support?
A: It is recommended to support at least HTTP/Socks5 protocols. ipipgo's all-protocol proxy service can satisfy both browser and application layer proxy needs.

Q: Does the automatic switching affect the browsing experience?
A: Through intelligent switching strategies (e.g. failure retry + timed refresh), together with ipipgo's low-latency IP resources (average response <800ms), users are basically unaware of the switching process.