IP rotation: what is it, and how does it work?

What is an IP address rotation?

IP address rotation is the practice of periodically changing your IP address, the unique digital identifier for your device. This rotation is typically managed by your VPN (Virtual Private Network), ISP (Internet Service Provider), or a dedicated IP rotation service. 

The practice serves multiple purposes, including preventing IP blocks and bans, avoiding rate limits due to high requests, and enhancing privacy by masking your online activity and real IP address.

How does it work in real life?

Say you’re scraping data from a competitor’s website for market research and lead generation. If you use a single IP address, the website is likely to detect the high volume of requests from that IP and block it. With IP rotation, you can switch your IP address with each request, reducing the chances of being blocked.

Now, imagine you’re searching for flights to Japan. If you repeatedly check airfare using the same IP address, the airline company may notice this pattern and increase the prices. However, with IP rotation, the website sees a different IP each time you check prices, making it harder to track your behavior and implement dynamic pricing strategies. 

Similarly, when you browse an online store using the same IP address, the site may use it to monitor your shopping habits and serve targeted ads. By rotating your IPs periodically, you can minimize the site’s ability to track your browsing activity.

Why rotate IP addresses?

There are many reasons why you should consider rotating IP addresses, whether you’re a casual internet user, a brand owner, or a privacy advocate. Let’s look at some of the most significant ones. 

Enhance security by avoiding IP bans

Many websites cap the number of requests from a single IP address to prevent abuse, like spamming, brute force attacks, or scraping. Exceeding these limits means you risk being blocked or banned. Frequently rotating your IP addresses makes it harder for websites to track your requests and helps you avoid hitting rate limits, allowing uninterrupted access. 

Besides being locked out, a flagged IP might suggest suspicious activities and draw unwanted attention from attackers who might exploit associated vulnerabilities. In such cases, rotating your IP complicates malicious actors’ efforts to gather data, profile your banned IP, or track patterns or vulnerabilities.

Prevent detection when scraping data

Web scraping employs software or scripts to extract and gather information from websites. It’s used for various purposes, such as market research, data collection, and content aggregation. During scraping, requests are often sent from the same IP at speeds much faster than a human can handle, making it easy for websites to identify your IP as a bot or crawler and block it.

By rotating your IPs, you can avoid being marked and continue sending more requests to your target website. You could also potentially gain more accurate and diverse data using IP rotation as certain websites might show different results based on your IP.

Improve anonymity in online activities

Your actual IP address reveals identifying information such as your ISP (Internet Service Provider), approximate location, and device information. It can be used by third parties like government agencies, advertisers, ISPs, or some bad actors to track your online activities. An exposed IP is also more vulnerable to targeted attacks such as DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service), phishing schemes, and even stalking. 

Switching your IP address frequently masks your real IP and makes it tougher for snoopers to trace your online activity back to you. It also disrupts tracking attempts, making it harder for advertisers and malicious actors to track your online trail or build a detailed profile based on your online behavior. 

How to rotate IP addresses

There are many methods and tools available for IP rotation, each with its pros and cons. The best option for you depends on your specific needs. Let’s take a look at the different methods of rotating IP addresses. 

Proxy rotation

A rotating proxy is one of the most common ways to switch IPs. With this method, the proxy server assigns your device a new IP address each time you connect to the internet, keeping your actual IP private. The proxy also provides a static entry node — a fixed IP address that serves as the starting point, from which it assigns fresh IPs.  

You can use one of these options to rotate your IP using proxies: 

• IP rotation software: the software automates changing your IP addresses by managing a pool of proxies and periodically switching between them based on pre-configured rules. For instance, you can set it to change the IP addresses every 10 minutes or after 100 requests;
• IP rotation service: IP rotation service: this service uses backconnect proxies to select a new IP from a large, rotating pool whenever a request is made. It’s ideal for large-scale operations and those who don’t want the hassle of managing proxies. 
• DIY IP rotation: this method requires significant technical skills and a good understanding of proxy systems as you’ll need to set up your own proxy servers and manage the IP rotation process. In return, it gives you flexibility and full control over your proxy pool and rotation system. 

Why rotate proxies? 

Rotating proxies might seem complicated at first glance, but many find it worth the effort. Here are some reasons why rotating proxies can be useful:

• Enhance privacy: a rotating proxy masks your online identity and makes it harder to track your activity, reducing the risk of falling victim to cyberattacks;
• Facilitate data gathering: it allows researchers to access large amounts of data without triggering the anti-scraping mechanisms, lowering the chances of being blocked during market research or competitive analysis;
• Support SEO (Search Engine Optimizations) efforts: businesses and SEO companies use rotating proxies to monitor website and keyword rankings, analyze strategies, and simulate organic searches to ensure unbiased results and avoid being blocked; 
• Access content: proxy rotation helps you access your home content with a local IP address, making it appear as if you’re browsing from within your home country even when you’re globetrotting; 
• Improve ad distribution: rotating proxies with IPs from different locations enables marketers to test and serve ads to ensure they’re delivered as intended. 

Sticky proxies

Sticky proxies work similarly to rotating proxies, but they stick around longer and allow you to keep the same IP address for a longer period. Instead of changing with each request, the IP remains sticky for a defined duration or until a specific condition is met. 

This method is especially useful when you need to rotate IP addresses but still require a certain level of consistency. For example, it’s handy for tasks that require a stable identity, such as managing multiple online accounts, web scraping, or online shopping.

Time-based rotation

Time-based rotation is used when you want to change your IP addresses at predetermined intervals, such as every few minutes, hourly, or daily. You can customize these intervals based on your needs and you’ll automatically switch to a new IP address at each interval without manual intervention. 

It’s commonly used in large-scale web scraping projects to stay under the radar and avoid bans. Marketing professionals also use it to collect unbiased search engine rankings, perform competitive analysis, and serve email marketing campaigns such as sending bulk emails. 

Request-based rotation

If you’re looking for a higher level of anonymity, request-based rotation might be the better option. This is where your IP addresses change after each request or after a certain number of requests. It’s particularly helpful in instances where you have to make a large number of requests to websites. By distributing requests across different IPs, the risk of detection is significantly lowered. 

Request-based rotation is widely used in major web scraping operations. It’s also a popular choice for monitoring ad placements and content, making it seem like multiple users are accessing the content for more accurate analysis. Additionally, developers and testers often use request-based rotation to simulate traffic and test how systems handle it. 

Intelligent IP rotation

Considered a more sophisticated method, intelligent IP rotation uses algorithms to automate the process. It decides the best times or conditions to switch IP addresses based on parameters such as request patterns, traffic volume, and website responses. You’re also free to tweak the rules and parameters to fit your needs.  

Additionally, intelligent IP rotation monitors the behavior of the target websites. If there are signs of unusual activity or potential blocks, it switches IPs to prevent detection. Adjusting its IP rotation strategy in real time helps reduce the odds of being blocked.

This technique is mostly used in large-scale web scraping, especially for websites with advanced anti-bot measures. It’s also a common fixture in fraud prevention testing since it can mimic various attack scenarios for a more comprehensive check of the system’s ability to detect and mitigate fraud. 

VPN rotation

VPN rotation uses the VPN provider’s multiple servers to change IP addresses. When you connect to a VPN, your actual IP address is replaced by that of the VPN server. So, every time you connect to a new server, your IP addresses change. 

While you can manually switch servers to rotate your IP addresses, some VPNs provide features that automatically rotate your IP addresses for enhanced privacy. For example, Surfshark’s Nexus technology enables IP Rotator, which changes your IP addresses every five to 10 minutes.

As part of Nexus technology, Surfshark also offers Dynamic MultiHop. This feature lets you manually select the entry and exit nodes for your internet traffic. By switching the nodes, you effectively change your IP addresses, making it twice as difficult to trace your connection for enhanced anonymity. In some instances, enabling Dynamic MultiHop also boosts your connection speed. 

To sum up: IP rotation is well worth your time 

Whether you’re looking to improve privacy, gather data for research without hitting rate limits, or test marketing and SEO strategies, there are plenty of reasons to rotate your IPs. Fortunately, various IP rotation methods are available, each with its own advantages. You can pick the one that best suits your needs. 

For a multi-tasking solution that delivers enhanced security, use a VPN to rotate your IP addresses. It not only changes your IP addresses but also encrypts your internet traffic to keep your online activity private. 

FAQ

What is IP rotation in email sending?

IP rotation in email sending is the practice of using multiple IP addresses to send emails instead of relying on a single IP address. This helps to improve email deliverability by distributing the email traffic across several IPs, reducing the risk of triggering spam filters, being blacklisted by email providers, and overloading a single IP. 

What is the best method for rotating IP?

The best method for IP rotation depends on your needs and what you’re trying to get out of switching your IP addresses. One common method is rotating proxies, which are favored as they allow detailed configuration options and are highly scalable. For enhanced security and ease of use, VPN rotation is also a popular choice. 

How often do crawlers need to rotate IP?

Crawlers generally need to rotate IPs frequently to stay under the radar and avoid getting blocked. The specific frequency depends on the target website, its anti-crawling defenses, and the number of requests the crawlers make. There’s no hard and fast rule, but a good rule of thumb is to rotate IPs after every 10-20 requests or every 5-10 minutes to avoid detection. 

Which VPN has a rotating IP?

Surfshark offers rotating IP as part of its Nexus technology. Its IP Rotator changes your IP addresses every 5 to 10 minutes without disconnecting you from the VPN network.