Proxy types
HTTP, HTTPS or SOCKS5: which proxy type should you use in Chrome?
Use the protocol stated by your proxy provider. The setting describes how Chrome connects to the proxy server; changing it does not convert the server to another protocol.
Quick answer: start with the exact type, host and port shown by your provider. If it says HTTP, select HTTP—even when the website you want to open uses HTTPS.
HTTP proxy
An HTTP proxy is the most common choice for browser traffic and can carry HTTP, HTTPS and WebSocket requests. When Chrome opens an HTTPS website through an HTTP proxy, it creates a tunnel with the CONNECT method. The website connection remains protected by HTTPS, but the connection from your browser to the proxy itself is not protected by TLS.
Chrome supports username and password authentication for HTTP proxies. This is usually the right option when a provider gives you an HTTP endpoint with credentials.
HTTPS proxy
An HTTPS proxy behaves like an HTTP proxy, but the connection between Chrome and the proxy server is also protected by TLS. Select it only when the provider explicitly offers an HTTPS proxy endpoint. An HTTP server on the same host and port will not start supporting HTTPS just because the setting was changed.
Chrome can authenticate to HTTPS proxies with a username and password. A valid server certificate is also required.
SOCKS5 proxy
SOCKS5 works at the connection level rather than as a web proxy. Chrome sends hostname resolution through the SOCKS5 proxy and uses it for TCP-based browser requests.
Chromium does not support username and password authentication for SOCKS proxies. In ProxRule, SOCKS4 and SOCKS5 therefore require access without credentials, such as a provider allowlisting your IP address.
SOCKS4 proxy
SOCKS4 is the older option. In Chrome it supports IPv4 targets, resolves hostnames on the user's device and has no proxy authentication. Choose it only when the provider specifically requires SOCKS4; otherwise SOCKS5 is generally the more capable SOCKS mode.
Why HTTPS may fail when HTTP works
The usual cause is a protocol mismatch: the purchased endpoint is an HTTP proxy, but it was entered as an HTTPS proxy. The TLS handshake then reaches a server that expects plain HTTP and the connection fails. The correct fix is to use the provider's declared protocol, not to keep switching modes at random.
ProxRule can suggest retrying a possible mismatch as HTTP, but it never downgrades the connection automatically. You see and confirm the change first.
Which option should you choose?
- Choose HTTP when your provider labels the endpoint HTTP or gives a standard authenticated browser proxy.
- Choose HTTPS only for an endpoint explicitly documented as an HTTPS proxy.
- Choose SOCKS5 for a SOCKS5 endpoint that does not need username and password authentication in Chrome.
- Choose SOCKS4 only for a legacy SOCKS4 endpoint.
What ProxRule changes
ProxRule applies the selected proxy type only to the domains in your rules. Other websites stay on Chrome's direct connection. It does not operate the proxy server, change its protocol or prove anonymity, location or connection speed.