IP Address Whitelisting for Proxies: How to Secure Access and Set Up in 5 Minutes

A whitelist of IP addresses is a mechanism for protecting a proxy server that allows connections only from pre-specified IP addresses. If you are working with anti-detect browsers (Dolphin Anty, AdsPower, Multilogin), running ads on Facebook Ads, or scraping marketplaces, setting up a whitelist is critically important for the security of your proxies and preventing unauthorized access.

In this article, we will discuss what an IP whitelist is, why it is needed for business tasks, how to properly set up a whitelist for different usage scenarios, and what mistakes can lead to traffic leaks or account bans.

What is an IP whitelist and how does it work

An IP whitelist (white list) is a list of allowed IP addresses from which you can connect to your proxy servers. When you activate the whitelist, the proxy provider checks each incoming connection: if the client's IP address is on the whitelist, access is granted; if not, the request is denied.

The principle of the whitelist is simple: you specify your current IP address (or several IPs) in the proxy provider's control panel, and only from these addresses can you use the purchased proxies. It’s like a guest list at a private party — if your name is not on the list, security won’t let you in.

The whitelist operates at the proxy server level and checks the IP address BEFORE the request reaches the target site. This means that even if someone learns your proxy parameters (IP, port), without adding their IP to the whitelist, they will not be able to use them. For business tasks, this is critically important — imagine someone gaining access to your proxies and starting to spam through your IPs, which would lead to the banning of all your accounts.

Why a whitelist is needed for arbitrageurs, SMM, and e-commerce

For different business tasks, an IP whitelist solves specific security problems. Let’s consider specific scenarios where setting up a whitelist becomes a mandatory rather than a recommended measure.

Arbitrageurs and working with advertising accounts

If you are running ads on Facebook Ads, TikTok Ads, or Google Ads through residential proxies, leaking access to the proxies can lead to disaster. Imagine a scenario: someone obtained your proxy parameters and began farming accounts or driving traffic through the same IP addresses. Facebook sees suspicious activity from one IP and bans all accounts, including your legitimate advertising accounts with budgets.

An IP whitelist protects against this: even if the proxy parameters fall into the wrong hands (for example, through a computer hack or a leak from an anti-detect browser), the attacker will not be able to use the proxy without access to your physical IP address. This is especially important when working with expensive proxies — mobile or premium residential proxies, where the cost can reach $100-300 per month.

SMM specialists and multi-accounting

When managing 20-50 Instagram or TikTok accounts for clients, you use anti-detect browsers (Dolphin Anty, AdsPower, Octo Browser) with individual proxies for each profile. If someone gains access to your proxies, they can "piggyback" on the same IP addresses and create a fingerprint conflict — Instagram will see two different devices from one IP and block both accounts.

A whitelist ensures that each proxy is used only from your computer or office IP. This is critically important for agencies where multiple employees work with client accounts — you can add the IP addresses of all workplaces to the whitelist and be confident that no one from outside will gain access to the proxies.

E-commerce and scraping marketplaces

When scraping competitor prices on Wildberries, Ozon, or Yandex.Market, you use data center proxies to bypass rate limits. If someone gains access to your proxies and starts mass scraping data, the marketplace may block the proxy IP addresses for exceeding request limits. As a result, you will lose access to scraping, and your price monitoring tools will stop working.

A whitelist prevents situations where multiple users "share" one proxy and create overload. You pay for a dedicated channel, and only you should use it — the whitelist technically ensures this exclusivity.

Whitelist IP vs login/password: which is safer

Most proxy providers offer two authentication methods: IP whitelisting or username/password authentication. Let’s examine the advantages and disadvantages of each method for business tasks.

Recommendation for different scenarios:

• Use IP whitelist if: you work from an office or home with a static IP, run ads on Facebook Ads, or manage client accounts where security is critical
• Use login/password if: you work from different locations (coworking spaces, cafes), you have a dynamic IP from your provider, or need to quickly switch between devices
• Combine both methods if: you work in a team — whitelist for office IPs, login/password for remote employees

For arbitrageurs and SMM agencies working with expensive accounts, an IP whitelist is a mandatory security measure. Even if the setup takes more time, protection against unauthorized access pays off by preserving accounts and advertising budgets.

How to set up an IP whitelist: step-by-step guide

Setting up an IP whitelist takes 3-5 minutes and is done in the personal account of the proxy provider. Let’s look at a universal instruction that works for most services, including popular business solutions.

Step 1: Find out your current IP address

Before adding an IP to the whitelist, you need to find out your current address. There are several ways:

1. Through online services: Open whatismyip.com, 2ip.ru, or myip.com — your IP address will be displayed at the top of the page. Copy it completely (for example: 185.123.45.67)
2. In the proxy provider's panel: Many providers automatically detect your IP when you log in and show a button "Add current IP to whitelist" — this is the easiest way
3. Through the command line: On Windows, open cmd and enter curl ifconfig.me — your external IP will be displayed in the console

Step 2: Log into the proxy control panel

Open the personal account of your proxy provider. Usually, the whitelist management section is located in one of these places:

• "Proxy Settings" section
• "Authentication" subsection
• "IP Whitelist" or "Allowed IPs" tab
• Specific proxy package page (if you purchased several)

Step 3: Add the IP address to the whitelist

In the "Add IP address" or "Add IP to whitelist" field, paste the copied IP address. Pay attention to the format:

• One IP: 185.123.45.67
• IP range: 185.123.45.0/24 (if you need to add the entire subnet of the office)
• Multiple IPs: Add one at a time using the "Add another" button or separate them with commas (depends on the provider)

Click the "Save" or "Apply changes" button. Usually, the whitelist is activated instantly, but some providers warn of a delay of 1-2 minutes for server configuration updates.

Step 4: Check the connection to the proxy

After adding the IP to the whitelist, check that the proxies are working:

1. Open an anti-detect browser (Dolphin Anty, AdsPower) or set up the proxy in a regular browser
2. Enter the proxy parameters without login and password (only IP:port)
3. Open whatismyip.com — the proxy IP address should be displayed, not your real one
4. If you see your real IP — check the correctness of the entered address in the whitelist or wait 2-3 minutes

Setting up a whitelist for anti-detect browsers

Anti-detect browsers (Dolphin Anty, AdsPower, Multilogin, GoLogin, Octo Browser) are the main tools for arbitrageurs and SMM specialists for multi-accounting. An IP whitelist is especially important when working with these browsers, as each profile uses a separate proxy, and leaking access will lead to chain bans.

Setup in Dolphin Anty

Dolphin Anty is a popular anti-detect browser among Facebook Ads and TikTok Ads arbitrageurs. To work with an IP whitelist, follow these steps:

1. Add your IP to the whitelist with the proxy provider — this is the first step; without it, Dolphin will not be able to connect
2. Open Dolphin Anty → create a new profile or edit an existing one
3. In the "Proxy" section, select the type: HTTP, HTTPS, or SOCKS5 (depending on what the provider offers)
4. Enter the proxy parameters in the format: IP:port (for example: 185.123.45.67:8000)
5. Do not fill in the login/password fields — they are not needed when using a whitelist
6. Click "Check Proxy" — Dolphin should show a green checkmark and the proxy geolocation
7. Save the profile and launch the browser — check the IP through whoer.net

If Dolphin shows the error "Proxy connection failed" or "Authentication required," check:

• Whether your IP is correctly added to the whitelist (without typos)
• Whether your IP address has changed (if your provider has a dynamic IP)
• Whether the whitelist is activated with the provider (sometimes you need to switch from login/password to IP)

Setup in AdsPower

AdsPower works similarly to Dolphin but has more detailed proxy settings:

1. Open AdsPower → Profile Management → Create New Profile
2. In the "Proxy Settings" section, select "Custom Proxy"
3. Proxy type: choose HTTP/HTTPS or SOCKS5
4. Enter Host (proxy IP) and Port in separate fields
5. Leave the Username and Password fields empty (not needed with a whitelist)
6. Click "Check Proxy" — AdsPower will show the country, city, and provider of the proxy

AdsPower also supports importing proxies as a list — if you have 20-50 profiles, you can create a CSV file with proxy parameters and import all profiles at once. When using a whitelist, the CSV format is: profile_name,proxy_type,proxy_host,proxy_port (without login/password fields).

Setup in Multilogin and GoLogin

Multilogin and GoLogin are more expensive anti-detect browsers with advanced capabilities. The whitelist setup in them is almost identical:

• When creating a profile, select "Connection" → "Proxy"
• Input format: protocol://host:port (for example: http://185.123.45.67:8000)
• Do not add login:password in the URL when using a whitelist
• Check the connection using the built-in checker

An important feature of Multilogin: it caches proxy settings at the profile level. If you change the IP in the whitelist, you need to recreate the profile or clear the proxy cache in the browser settings; otherwise, Multilogin will continue to use the old parameters.

What to do if you have a dynamic IP address

A dynamic IP address is an IP that changes every time you reconnect to the internet or according to the provider's schedule (usually once every 24 hours). This creates a problem for the whitelist: you added an IP to the whitelist, and a day later it changed, causing the proxies to stop working.

You can check if you have a dynamic IP like this: find out your IP through whatismyip.com, restart your router, and check the IP again. If the address has changed — you have a dynamic IP.

Solution 1: Order a static IP from your provider

Most internet providers offer the service of "static IP address" for an additional fee (usually 200-500 rubles per month in Russia, $5-10 in other countries). This is the most reliable solution for business:

• Call your provider and order a "dedicated static IP address"
• After activation (usually 1-2 days), your IP will stop changing
• Add the new static IP to the whitelist once — no need to update it again

For arbitrageurs and SMM agencies, a static IP is a necessary investment. The cost of 300-500 rubles per month is negligible compared to the risks of losing accounts due to constant access issues with proxies.

Solution 2: Use DDNS (Dynamic DNS)

Some proxy providers support adding a domain name to the whitelist instead of an IP address through DDNS. The principle of operation:

1. Register with a free DDNS service (No-IP, DynDNS, Duck DNS)
2. Create a domain name (for example: myoffice.ddns.net)
3. Install a DDNS client on your computer or router — it will automatically update the domain when the IP changes
4. Add the domain name to the whitelist instead of the IP address (if the provider supports it)

The downside of this solution: not all proxy providers support DDNS in the whitelist. Check with support before setting it up.

Solution 3: Switch to login/password authentication

If a static IP is not available and DDNS is not supported, use login and password authentication. Yes, it is less secure, but for a dynamic IP, this is the only practical option:

• Disable the whitelist in the proxy provider's panel
• Enable authentication using username:password
• Use a strong password (at least 16 characters, password generator)
• Store credentials in a password manager (1Password, Bitwarden)
• Regularly change the password (every 1-2 months)

Solution 4: Automatic whitelist updates via API

Some proxy providers offer APIs for managing the whitelist. If you have basic programming skills, you can set up automatic IP updates:

# Python script for automatic whitelist updates
import requests

# Get the current IP
current_ip = requests.get('https://api.ipify.org').text

# Update the whitelist via the provider's API
api_url = 'https://provider.com/api/whitelist/update'
api_key = 'your_api_key'

response = requests.post(api_url, json={
    'api_key': api_key,
    'ip_address': current_ip
})

print(f'Whitelist updated: {current_ip}')

Run this script via cron (Linux/Mac) or Task Scheduler (Windows) every hour — the IP in the whitelist will be updated automatically when the address changes.

Whitelist for working from multiple devices and offices

If you work in a team or use multiple devices (work computer, laptop, home PC), you need to add all the IP addresses from which you plan to connect to the proxies to the whitelist. Let’s consider typical scenarios for business.

Office with multiple employees

In an office, usually all computers are connected to the internet through one router, which means — all devices have one external IP address. This simplifies the whitelist setup:

1. From any computer in the office, open whatismyip.com — all will show the same IP
2. Add this IP to the whitelist once
3. All employees will be able to use the proxies from their workplaces
4. When changing offices or internet providers — update the IP in the whitelist

An important point: if a VPN is used in the office to access the internet, the IP address will change depending on the VPN server. In this case, either disable the VPN when working with proxies or add all possible IP addresses of VPN servers to the whitelist.

Remote team (office + home computers)

If part of the team works from the office and part remotely, you need to add several IP addresses to the whitelist:

• Office IP address
• Home internet connection IP addresses of each employee
• Mobile hotspot IP addresses (if employees work via 4G/5G)

Most proxy providers allow adding 5-20 IP addresses to the whitelist for one account. Check the limits in the provider's documentation. If the team is large (20+ people), consider using login/password authentication for remote employees, while keeping the whitelist only for the office IP.

Working from coworking spaces and public places

If you often work from coworking spaces, cafes, or other places with public Wi-Fi, an IP whitelist becomes inconvenient:

• Each time you change location, the IP address changes
• You need to log into the provider's panel and update the whitelist
• This takes 2-3 minutes and is inconvenient with frequent moves

For such scenarios, we recommend a combined approach:

1. Purchase two types of proxies: with a whitelist for critical tasks (Facebook Ads accounts) and with login/password for less important tasks (scraping, testing)
2. Use mobile proxies with login/password authentication for working from any location
3. Set up a VPN with a static IP — connect to the VPN from anywhere in the world, and the IP will be the same

Mobile devices (phone, tablet)

When working with proxies from mobile devices (for example, managing Instagram accounts through the app), the whitelist complicates things:

• Mobile internet (4G/5G) has a dynamic IP that changes constantly
• Switching from Wi-Fi to mobile network changes the IP
• Updating the whitelist each time is impractical

Solution: for mobile devices, use only login/password authentication. Set up the proxy in the system settings of iOS/Android specifying the username and password — this will allow you to work from any IP address.

Common mistakes when setting up a whitelist and how to avoid them

Over the years of working with proxies, users make the same mistakes when setting up a whitelist. Let’s discuss the most common problems and how to solve them.

Mistake 1: Added local IP instead of external

Many beginners confuse the local IP address (which the computer receives from the router) with the external IP (which the internet sees). Local IPs usually start with:

• 192.168.x.x
• 10.0.x.x
• 172.16.x.x - 172.31.x.x

If you add such an IP to the whitelist, the proxies will not work because the provider sees your external IP, not the local one. Solution: always use the external IP from the site whatismyip.com.

Mistake 2: Forgot to update the whitelist after changing IP

If you have a dynamic IP, it may change after restarting the router, changing providers, or moving. Symptoms:

• Proxies stopped working without an obvious reason
• The anti-detect browser shows the error "Proxy connection failed"
• Everything worked yesterday, but today it doesn’t

Solution: check your current IP through whatismyip.com, compare it with the IP in the whitelist. If it differs — update the whitelist. To prevent the problem, order a static IP from your provider.

Mistake 3: Enabled both whitelist and login/password simultaneously

Some proxy providers require you to choose ONE authentication method: either IP whitelist or login/password. If both are enabled, a conflict arises:

• Proxies require authentication even though the IP is in the whitelist
• Connection works intermittently
• The anti-detect browser prompts for login/password

Solution: in the provider's panel, select ONE method. If you use the whitelist — disable login/password authentication. If flexibility is needed — use only login/password and disable the whitelist.

Mistake 4: Added IPv6 instead of IPv4

Modern providers may issue IPv6 addresses (long addresses with colons, for example: 2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334). Most proxy providers only support IPv4 (short addresses, for example: 185.123.45.67).

If you add IPv6 to the whitelist, the proxies will not work. Solution: ensure you are using an IPv4 address. The site whatismyip.com usually shows IPv4, but if you see a long address with colons — use a special service to determine IPv4: ipv4.icanhazip.com.

Mistake 5: Did not consider NAT and corporate firewall

In corporate networks, NAT (Network Address Translation) and firewalls are often used, which can block outgoing connections to proxies. Symptoms:

• Proxies work at home but do not work in the office
• Error "Connection timeout" or "Network unreachable"
• The IT department blocks unknown connections

Solution: contact the system administrator to allow outgoing connections to the IPs and ports of your proxies. Provide a list of IP addresses and ports — the admin will add them to the firewall whitelist. Alternative: use proxies on standard ports (80, 443, 8080), which are usually not blocked.

Mistake 6: Exceeded the limit of IP addresses in the whitelist

Most providers have a limit on the number of IPs in the whitelist (usually 5-20 addresses). If you try to add more, an error occurs or old IPs are automatically deleted.

Solution: periodically clean the whitelist of unused IPs (for example, an old home address after moving). If you need more IPs — check with the provider about the possibility of increasing the limit or use subnets (CIDR notation) to add a range of addresses in one entry.

Conclusion

An IP whitelist is a simple and effective way to protect your proxies from unauthorized access. For arbitrageurs working with Facebook Ads and TikTok Ads, SMM specialists managing dozens of accounts, and e-commerce businesses, setting up a whitelist is essential for maintaining security and ensuring uninterrupted operations.