A sticky session is a proxy configuration that maintains the same IP address for a defined period, typically 1-30 minutes. It ensures multiple related requests use the same exit IP, simulating a consistent user session.
When you create a sticky session, the proxy network assigns you an IP from its pool and reserves it for a set duration. All requests tagged with the same session identifier route through that IP. After the session expires, the next request gets a new IP. Providers typically implement sticky sessions through special username parameters (e.g., user-session-abc123) or API settings.
This is largely a plan and configuration choice, not a technical limitation.
USER-sticky-session-task01Everything lives in the username -- add "sticky" to any proxy credential to apply sticky session to a single task. Swap "task01" for a new label to spin up an independent, isolated identity.
KnoxProxy sticky sessions persist up to 30 minutes on residential (60 on mobile), and the window refreshes with activity.
Each session or connection label gets its own exit, so parallel identities never collide.
This costs nothing beyond bandwidth -- successful responses are billed, not the session or connection itself.
Run as many parallel sessions or connections as the job needs -- concurrency is not capped on any plan.
A price monitoring tool creates a 5-minute sticky session for each target website so the site sees consistent browsing behavior: homepage, category page, product page, all from the same IP.
Sticky sessions let you maintain the same IP across multi-step workflows while still using a rotating proxy service. They bridge the gap between full rotation and fully static proxies.
Sticky Session is a plan-level or configuration-level concept that determines how proxy resources get allocated across your jobs. It is a billing and management concern, not a protocol detail.
Most providers offer sticky sessions ranging from 1 minute up to 30 minutes. Some support up to 60 minutes for longer workflows. Longer durations are not always guaranteed, since the underlying exit node can go offline mid-session. For extended IP persistence beyond an hour, use static proxies instead.
The proxy network releases the IP back into the shared pool once the session timer runs out. Your next request then gets a new, unrelated IP from that pool. To continue browsing with a consistent identity, create a fresh sticky session, though it may assign a different IP.
Some providers automatically extend a sticky session while requests keep coming in, resetting the timer with each new call so an active workflow never gets cut off mid-task. Others enforce a hard timeout regardless of activity. Check your provider's documentation for the exact session renewal policy before relying on it.
Ready to put this into practice? Sticky Session Configuration
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