Can it catch elite/high-anonymity proxies?

Yes. Because elite proxies strip forwarding headers, we also rely on pool intelligence, reputation and ASN context rather than headers alone.

Yes — GET /v1/proxy/{ip} returns the proxy verdict, type and score for automation.

Yes, the web checker is free; the API starts at 100 free lookups per month.

IPScanner

Anonymous Proxy Checker

Check whether an IP is an anonymous proxy concealing its user’s real address. See the proxy type and a confidence score in seconds.

Overview

What is an anonymous proxy?

An anonymous proxy hides the real IP address of the person behind it, so the destination server only sees the proxy. “Elite” or high-anonymity proxies go further and strip the headers that would reveal a proxy is in use at all. An anonymous proxy checker tests an IP for these behaviours and tells you whether the address is concealing its true origin, so you can decide how much to trust the request.

Signals

How the anonymous proxy check works

Anonymity levels differ, so we look for both obvious and hidden proxies.

Header inspection

Missing or forged forwarding headers that signal high-anonymity proxies.

Open proxy tests

Detection of reachable anonymous proxy endpoints.

Pool & reputation

Membership in proxy pools and prior anonymising behaviour.

Tor & relays

Correlation with Tor exit nodes and known relays.

ASN context

Hosting vs. residential ownership of the IP.

Confidence score

A 0–100 score reflecting how certain the proxy verdict is.

Use cases

Where teams use it

Fraud screening

Treat anonymised orders and signups with extra caution.

Forum & marketplace trust

Reduce abuse from users hiding behind proxies.

Access control

Restrict sensitive actions from anonymising IPs.

Investigations

Confirm whether a suspicious IP is concealing its origin.

More tools

Explore related detection tools

VPN Detection APIReal-time VPN detection API. Send any IP and get back whether it belongs to a commercial VPN, with a confidence score. Free tier, simple REST, fast global lookups.Proxy Detection APIDetect HTTP, SOCKS, residential and datacenter proxies plus Tor exit nodes from any IP with one REST call. Real-time proxy detection API with a free tier.Residential Proxy DetectionDetect residential proxies that disguise traffic as ordinary home connections. Real-time residential proxy detection by IP with confidence scoring and a free tier.Datacenter Proxy DetectionDetect datacenter and cloud-hosted proxies by IP in real time. Identify hosting ASNs used for proxying and scraping with confidence scoring and a free API tier.

Explore the Suite

Try Our Other Tools

VPN DetectionIdentify IPs that route through encrypted VPN tunnels to mask their real location.Proxy DetectionFlag HTTP, SOCKS, residential and data-center proxies plus Tor exit nodes.IP GeolocationMap any IP to country, region and city with ISP and timezone data.ASN DataLook up the Autonomous System Number and organization that owns an IP range.WHOIS InfoRetrieve registration and ownership records for domains and IP ranges.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

It means the IP is relaying traffic in a way that hides the user’s real address — either by acting as a proxy or by stripping headers that would reveal one. Our checker labels the type and gives a confidence score.

Why Choose IPScanner

Trusted by thousands of businesses worldwide to provide reliable IP intelligence

Industry-Leading Accuracy

Our AI-powered detection achieves 99.8% accuracy, significantly outperforming traditional methods.

Enterprise-Grade Performance

Built for scale with high reliability and 99.99% uptime SLA for business-critical applications.

Comprehensive Coverage

We maintain the largest database of VPN services, proxies, and anonymizers with daily updates.

Simple Integration

Easy-to-use REST API for all major programming languages and frameworks.

Transparent Communication

Clear documentation and regular updates on our detection capabilities and improvements.

Expert Support

Dedicated technical support team with deep expertise in IP intelligence and cybersecurity.

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