How to route any app through a proxy with Proxifier
In Proxifier, open Profile > Proxy Servers > Add, enter the gateway IP and port, choose protocol HTTPS and click Check. Then open Profile > Proxification Rules, add a rule with the program’s .exe name and set its action to that proxy. The app’s TCP connections now go through the gateway, even if it has no proxy option.
Proxifier is a desktop program for Windows and macOS that catches the network connections of other programs and redirects them through a proxy server. It exists for the apps that leave you no choice: tools with no proxy field, launchers that ignore the system proxy, command-line programs that don’t read HTTP_PROXY, or software where you want one app on the proxy and the rest of the computer direct.
Where it goes wrong is mostly configuration. Choosing HTTP instead of HTTPS as the protocol, leaving the Default rule pointed at the proxy so the whole PC eats your threads, setting a proxy inside the app and in Proxifier, and turning on DNS through the proxy without knowing what it changes.
This guide shows the exact setup for a Storm gateway, per-application rules, the Proxy Checker, DNS options, load balancing across several ports, and the errors you’ll meet in Proxifier’s log.
Which Storm plan fits
For desktop tools forced through Proxifier, a rotating plan is the usual pick: Main gateway for tools that fetch many pages, 15-minute gateway for apps that log in. Size the threads for every app you proxify together; 10 threads is for testing. If an app represents one account that must keep its IP for weeks, give that app’s rule a private dedicated proxy instead.
Rotating proxies (from $14/mo): 700,000+ IPs behind fixed gateway IP:PORTs. New IP on every request, or every 3 or 15 minutes. USA, EU, USA+EU or Worldwide. Unlimited bandwidth on every plan.
Get 40 threads for $39/mo See all rotating proxies plansBefore you start
- Log in to the member area and copy your gateway
IP:PORTs. They never change; the rotation happens on our side. - Add the public IP of the computer or server that will run your tool under Authorized IPs, click Save, and allow up to 15 minutes before testing. Rotating and residential proxies use IP authentication, so there is no username or password.
- Dedicated proxies work with either IP authentication or a username and password. Use user:pass if your IP changes or the tool runs on several machines.
- Count your threads: the tool’s total open connections must stay within your plan (for example 40 threads on the 40-thread plan).
Set up Proxifier with an HTTPS proxy, step by step
- Authorize the computer’s IP
Proxifier runs on your computer, so the gateway sees your computer’s public IP. Add it under Authorized IPs in the member area, click Save and allow up to 15 minutes. Rotating and residential gateways have no username or password.
- Remove proxy settings inside the app
Proxifier’s own documentation warns about this: if the app already uses a proxy, set it back to a direct connection. Otherwise the traffic goes through the proxy twice, once from the app and once from Proxifier, and usually fails.
- Add the gateway as an HTTPS proxy
Open Profile > Proxy Servers and click Add. Enter the gateway IP in Address, its number in Port, and choose HTTPS as the protocol. Leave authentication off for rotating and residential. For a dedicated proxy with user:pass, tick authentication and enter them.
- Click Check
The Check button runs Proxifier’s Proxy Checker against the gateway: it connects, opens a tunnel to a test host and loads a page. A green result means the gateway accepts you. If the check connects but the gateway then closes the connection, your IP isn’t authorized yet. If it can’t connect at all, check the address and port.
- Answer the default-proxy question carefully
After you click OK, Proxifier asks whether to use this proxy by default. Yes sends every program on the computer through the gateway. No keeps the Default rule direct, so only apps you add rules for are proxied. For most work, choose No.
- Add a rule for each app
Open Profile > Proxification Rules, click Add, give the rule a name, and list the program in Applications (for example
tool.exe, several separated by semicolons). Set Action to your Storm proxy. Leave the Localhost rule at the top enabled. - Leave Name Resolution on automatic
Under Profile > Name Resolution, the default Detect DNS settings automatically resolves names locally while your DNS works. Switch to Resolve hostnames through proxy only if the app must not use local DNS; see the DNS section below for the trade-off.
- Start the app and watch the log
Restart the app. Proxifier’s main window lists every connection with the rule it matched and the proxy used. Look for lines saying the app’s connections open “through” your proxy. Check the exit IP from the app if it shows one, or with the curl test below.
Example rules and a quick test
Proxifier reads rules top to bottom and uses the first match, so order matters. These examples use the rule fields from the Proxification Rules dialog. Replace GATEWAY_IP:PORT with your gateway.
# Name Applications Target hosts Action
1 Localhost Any localhost;127.0.0.1 Direct
2 Scraper tool tool.exe; helper.exe Any Proxy HTTPS GATEWAY_IP:PORT
3 Desktop client "My Client.exe" Any Proxy HTTPS GATEWAY_IP:PORT
- Default Any Any Direct# Name Applications Target hosts Action
1 Shop API tool.exe *.example-shop.com Proxy HTTPS GATEWAY_IP:PORT
2 Telemetry tool.exe telemetry.example.com Block
- Default Any Any DirectREM curl ignores the Windows proxy, so this proves Proxifier is doing the work.
REM Add curl.exe to a rule first, then run:
curl.exe https://api.ipify.org
REM Expected: a proxy IP. Proxifier's log shows curl.exe "open through proxy".Profile > Proxy Servers:
Add GATEWAY_IP:PORT1 HTTPS
Add GATEWAY_IP:PORT2 HTTPS
Add GATEWAY_IP:PORT3 HTTPS
Create chain "Res pool" type: Load Balancing
[x] Use the same proxy for the same process PID
Profile > Proxification Rules:
Rule "Workers" Applications: worker.exe Action: Res poolHTTPS, not HTTP: the protocol setting that trips everyone
Proxifier’s protocol list says HTTPS and HTTP, and the names mislead. In Proxifier’s terms, HTTPS means an HTTP proxy that supports tunnelling (the CONNECT method) to any port. That kind of proxy can carry any TCP connection, exactly what Proxifier needs to redirect arbitrary programs. HTTP means a proxy that only handles plain web requests on port 80, which Proxifier hides by default under Profile > Advanced > HTTP Proxy Servers.
Storm gateways support CONNECT tunnels, so pick HTTPS. You’re not choosing whether the traffic is encrypted; the app’s own TLS still runs end to end inside the tunnel. SOCKS v4 and v5 are listed too, but Storm gateways don’t support them.
DNS through the proxy: when to turn it on
By default Proxifier resolves hostnames on your computer and sends only the IP to the proxy. With Resolve hostnames through proxy, it sends the hostname instead and the proxy side does the lookup. That keeps the names out of your local DNS, and it helps when local DNS is blocked or returns region-specific answers.
The cost, per Proxifier’s documentation: the app receives a placeholder IP (in the 127.8.*.* range) instead of a real one, and rules based on target IP addresses stop matching. Apps that check or display the server IP may behave oddly. Turn it on when you need it, and use the Resolve ONLY the following list to limit it to the domains that matter. Keep %SimpleHostnames% local so your network devices still resolve.
Threads, apps and which gateway to point at
Each connection a proxified app opens counts as one thread on your plan while it’s open. A scraper set to 20 workers uses about 20; a browser routed through Proxifier uses around 10 per tab; a desktop client with a few background connections uses a handful. Add them up across every rule pointing at the same plan. Pointing the Default rule at the proxy adds Windows, updaters and sync clients on top, which is the quickest way to run out of threads.
- Main gateway: new IP per connection. Right for tools that fetch lots of independent pages. For Google and other search engines, cap those tools at a quarter of your threads.
- 3-minute gateway: USA only, one IP for 3 minutes. For apps that register or post on social sites; not for search-engine scraping.
- 15-minute gateway: for clients that log in and keep a session.
- Residential ports: one IP per port for 5 minutes, up to 50 threads per port. A Load Balancing chain over several ports spreads work across several IPs at once.
- Dedicated proxies: one static IP per app or account, for weeks if you want.
What Proxifier can’t push through an HTTPS proxy
An HTTP(S) proxy carries TCP connections. UDP traffic, such as voice and video calls, many online games and QUIC, can’t go through it, so those parts of an app either fall back to TCP or don’t work while the rule is active. If an app breaks only on calls or matchmaking, add a Direct rule for it.
Two more limits worth knowing. On Windows, programs running as services or under another user are caught only when Proxifier runs in Windows Service mode, which the Standard Edition offers. And if you run a VPN client or another local proxy, exclude it with a Direct rule, or Proxifier may catch its traffic too and trigger the infinite loop warning.
For the apps that do read proxy settings, setting the proxy in the app or the OS is simpler; see the Windows and macOS guides. Proxifier is for the rest.
Common errors and fixes
FAQ
Should I choose HTTP or HTTPS in Proxifier for my proxy?
HTTPS, for any proxy that supports CONNECT tunnels, which includes Storm gateways. Proxifier’s HTTP type only handles plain web requests on port 80 and won’t carry most app traffic.
Can Proxifier proxy only one program?
Yes. Keep the Default rule on Direct and add a rule for that program’s executable with your proxy as the action. Everything else stays on the normal connection.
Does Proxifier work with Storm rotating proxies without a password?
Yes. Add the gateway with authentication off and authorize your computer’s public IP in the member area. Rotating and residential plans use IP authorization only; dedicated proxies also support user:pass, which Proxifier can store.
Can I use Storm SOCKS5 in Proxifier for UDP?
No. Storm gateways are HTTP(S) proxies only, with no SOCKS option, so UDP traffic can’t be proxied through them. Use a Direct rule for the UDP parts of an app.
Can Proxifier spread an app across several IPs?
Yes. Add several gateways or residential ports, create a Load Balancing chain, and point the rule at the chain. With Use the same proxy for the same process PID, each running copy of the app keeps one proxy.
Is Proxifier free?
Proxifier is paid software with a trial period, and the bundled Proxy Checker is free for personal and non-commercial use. Check the Proxifier site for current editions.
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Related guides
Tool facts checked against the official documentation (October 2026): Proxifier docs: Proxy Server Settings · Proxifier docs: Proxification Rules · Proxifier docs: Name Resolution · Proxifier docs: HTTP Proxy Support · Proxifier docs: Proxy Redundancy and Load Balancing · Proxifier docs: Connection Loop Problem. Storm Proxies facts: our plans page and refund policy.
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