What’s Behind IP Bans?
No one likes getting blocked, but websites use IP bans to protect their services from abuse. Understanding the reasons behind these bans is the first step to preventing them. Here are the main causes:
Too many requests: Flooding a server with requests from a single IP address will almost certainly lead to a ban. For example, scraping websites without delays often triggers IP blocking.
Violation of terms of service: Ignoring a website’s rules, such as collecting protected content, can result in a ban.
Suspicious activity: Repeated failed login attempts or using restricted data center IPs can make your IP look suspicious.
Blacklisted IPs: Some IP addresses are already blacklisted due to spam or bot activity, leading to instant bans. A quick IP check can reveal whether your address is on such a list.
Overactive bots: Uncontrolled scraping tools often cause bans. If you see errors like 403 (Forbidden), 429 (Too Many Requests), or 503 (Service Unavailable), it’s likely a sign of an IP ban.
Want to know if your IP is blocked? Try checking your IP using a dedicated service or switch to a mobile network. Connecting through your phone’s mobile internet can help determine whether the issue is related to your IP address.
How to Avoid IP Bans
To avoid IP bans and prevent getting blocked again, you need to behave like a real user and distribute your traffic wisely. Here are recommendations to maintain access to web content and prevent future IP bans:
Control your request rate
A large number of requests in a short period immediately reveals a bot. To avoid IP bans:
Add random delays from 1 to 5 seconds to mimic real user behavior.
Avoid sudden spikes of requests from a single IP address.
Monitor 429 errors using tools like Datadog — they help you identify when you're sending too many requests.
Maintaining a proper request pace helps avoid triggering IP bans and reduces the risk of being blocked.
Rotate IPs using proxies
Using a single IP address for everything is like waving a red flag. Rotating IPs through proxy servers helps distribute traffic. The best option is residential proxies, as they appear like real user IPs. Choose proxies only from trusted providers to avoid ban issues. For example, try ZennoProxy.
Vary your User-Agent
Websites track your browser fingerprint. To bypass IP bans, rotate User-Agent strings to mimic different devices — for example, Chrome on a laptop or Safari on a phone.
Recommendations:
Randomize headers like Accept-Language or Referrer for greater authenticity.
Use plugins such as puppeteer-extra-plugin-stealth to hide bot signals.
Match headers to the proxy’s geolocation to avoid detection.
This approach helps you blend in with real users.
Use stealth browser modes
Headless browsers like Puppeteer, Playwright, or Selenium are great for scraping, but websites can detect them. To avoid triggering bans:
Use stealth plugins such as Playwright Stealth or puppeteer-extra-plugin-stealth.
Vary actions — scroll pages, click, and move the cursor like a real user.
Periodically change the device MAC address — this can help avoid bans on stricter websites.
These tools allow you to collect web data while minimizing the risk of bans.
Keep behavior unpredictable
Repetitive actions make you easy to detect. To avoid IP bans:
Vary navigation — randomly move between pages and sections.
Handle cookies and sessions differently each time.
Use different IP addresses for each session.
Combining proxies, random delays, and User-Agent rotation reduces the likelihood of being blocked.
Monitor your activity
Tracking your traffic is key to preventing bans. Log:
HTTP status codes, such as 403 or 429.
The appearance of CAPTCHAs or redirects.
Slowdowns that may indicate throttling.
Tools like Loggly or custom scripts help detect issues early. When problems arise, pause your activity or switch to another IP address.
Follow the rules
Frequent bans are often caused by violating a website’s terms of service. To avoid issues:
Review the rules before scraping or accessing restricted content.
Do not collect copyrighted material — it’s a fast way to get your IP banned.
Use services responsibly to maintain long-term access.
Overly aggressive actions quickly lead to IP bans. Follow the rules to stay unblocked.
Tools to Restore Access
To avoid IP bans, use the right tools for proxy management, scraping, and monitoring:
Proxy services
Scraping tools
Playwright: A reliable scraping tool with stealth capabilities.
Puppeteer: Great for dynamic websites, requires stealth plugins.
Selenium: A flexible tool for web automation.
Monitoring tools
Checking your IP helps ensure it is clean and avoids potential blocking issues.
How to Use Mobile Networks for Data Scraping
Mobile networks are an effective tool because they provide frequently changing IP addresses, making them harder to blacklist. Connecting through mobile internet (tethering) helps avoid IP bans, especially during web scraping.
However, keep in mind:
For example, rotating IP addresses through mobile networks reduces the risk of bans, although the likelihood of encountering CAPTCHAs increases.
Advanced methods to avoid IP bans
Want to improve efficiency? These advanced strategies will help you avoid future bans and maintain stable access:
Smart use of VPNs
A VPN hides your IP address. However, websites may detect VPN usage due to shared IPs. To avoid bans:
Choose premium VPN services, such as NordVPN, with dedicated IP addresses.
Use VPNs together with proxies for additional masking.
Check your VPN using dedicated services to ensure the IP is not blacklisted.
MAC address spoofing
A MAC address identifies a device on the network. Changing it can help avoid bans, especially on local networks. Recommended approaches:
On Windows: change the MAC address via Device Manager or tools like Technitium MAC Address Changer.
On Linux: use macchanger to spoof the MAC address.
On macOS: modify network settings to generate a new MAC address.
Combined with proxies, this reduces the risk of bans.
Request rate control
Advanced tools like Scrapy allow you to regulate request frequency to prevent bans. Configure:
Maximum number of concurrent requests from a single IP (for example, 5–10).
Random delays between requests (2–5 seconds).
Automatic rate adjustment in response to server errors, such as 429.
This approach makes traffic appear more natural and reduces the likelihood of bans.
Handling CAPTCHAs
CAPTCHAs appear when a website suspects bot activity. To avoid bans and continue scraping:
Use CAPTCHA-solving services such as CapMonster Cloud.
Pause requests when a CAPTCHA appears to avoid drawing additional attention.
Rotating IP addresses reduces the frequency of CAPTCHAs.
Proper CAPTCHA handling helps prevent future bans.
Adapting to specific platforms
Each website uses its own bot detection methods. For example:
E-commerce websites: limit the number of requests from a single IP. Use proxy rotation and request rate control.
News websites: block IPs for intensive scraping. Combine VPNs and random User-Agents for full data access.
Aligning your strategy with website rules helps avoid bans.
Real-world examples: how to handle IP bans
Let’s look at how others have successfully dealt with IP bans:
Example 1: E-commerce price tracking
A retailer tried to collect pricing data from a competitor’s website but constantly faced IP bans. To solve the problem, they used:
Residential proxies for IP rotation.
User-Agent rotation using Puppeteer.
Delays of 2–4 seconds to mimic real user behavior.
This allowed them to avoid bans, consistently collect data, and comply with the website’s terms of service.
Example 2: News aggregation
A startup aggregating content from news websites encountered IP bans due to a high volume of requests. They resolved this by using:
Proxy servers to rotate IP addresses.
Scrapy with automatic request rate adjustment.
Loggly to monitor traffic and detect 429 errors.
This helped them maintain access to resources and avoid bans during intensive scraping.
Example 3: Marketing research
A company conducting competitor website analysis faced issues with IP bans during web scraping. They succeeded by using:
A combination of proxies and VPNs for layered anonymity.
Selenium with randomized clicks and scrolling.
IP checking services to avoid blacklisted addresses.
This approach allowed them to avoid bans and collect the required data without issues.
Best practices to prevent IP bans
To avoid future bans and maintain access to web content:
Rotate IP addresses and proxies to avoid bans.
Use proxy servers from trusted providers.
Monitor traffic using Datadog or Loggly to detect ban risks in time.
Follow website terms of service to avoid постоянных блокировок.
Update your MAC address to mask your device.
Check that your IP address is not blacklisted using dedicated services.
Test tools and services before launching large-scale scraping projects.
By behaving like a real user and using proxy servers, you can avoid bans without difficulty.
Avoiding bans is not about tricking websites, but about working smart. Using proxies, rotating IP addresses, and following website rules allow you to prevent bans and maintain access to content. Whether you are collecting data or accessing restricted resources, these strategies will help you avoid bans and stay online. Start today to achieve reliable, uninterrupted access.
NB: Please note that the product is intended for automating testing only on your own websites and resources to which you have legal access.
