The host:port:login:pass Format: How to Add a Proxy to Any App

A proxy is just four fields: the server address, the port, a login and a password — plus the protocol to talk to it in. But every program wants them in its own way: one expects host:port:login:pass, another a link like socks5://login:pass@host:port, a third separate fields. Here are the common formats, how a Netrun list is laid out, and how to convert it to the format you need in seconds.

What a proxy line is made of

The scheme goes at the start of the line and tells the program how to connect. Without it, you pick the proxy type separately in the program's settings.

Common formats

• host:port:login:pass — the most common one. Many anti-detect browsers and list tools accept it.
• socks5://login:pass@host:port — a link with a scheme. This is the standard way to write a proxy address: curl, scripting libraries and many anti-detect browsers understand it.
• login:pass@host:port — the same link without the scheme.
• login:pass:host:port and host:port@login:pass — the same fields in a different order, used by some services and programs.
• host:port — no login or password, for proxies authorised by IP address.

Fields aren't always separated by colons: you'll also see semicolons, pipes, commas and tabs.

What a Netrun list looks like

When you download proxies in your account or in the Telegram bot, you choose a protocol — SOCKS5 or HTTPS — and one of four line formats:

1. login:pass:ip:port
2. login:pass@ip:port
3. ip:port@login:pass
4. ip:port:login:pass

Every line starts with the chosen protocol's scheme. For example, format 2 in SOCKS5 looks like socks5://login:pass@ip:port, and format 4 in HTTPS like https://ip:port:login:pass. The login and password are the same for both protocols, but each protocol has its own port, so take the line from the list of the protocol you select in the program.

Which to choose:

• for curl, scripts and most programs — format 2, socks5://login:pass@ip:port, the standard link;
• for anti-detect browsers and programs that expect host:port:login:pass — format 4. If the program doesn't accept a scheme at the start of the line, strip it with the converter (see below).

You can change the protocol and format at any time: download the list again in your account ("NETRUN proxies" → the order) or in the bot ("My proxies" → "Download").

How to add a proxy to a program

Anti-detect browsers

Dolphin Anty, AdsPower, Octo Browser and others have a proxy section in each profile. You can usually paste the whole line and the program splits it into fields. If it won't take the line, choose the type (SOCKS5 or HTTPS) and fill in the fields by hand: host, port, login, password. For bulk import, host:port:login:pass or a link with a scheme usually works — check the exact format in your program's import window.

Browsers and system settings

These have separate fields: the proxy type, the address and the port. For an HTTPS proxy the browser asks for the login and password when it connects. Regular browsers, however, don't support SOCKS5 with a login and password in their own settings — for that, use an anti-detect browser or a program that supports this kind of authentication.

curl and scripts

They need a link with a scheme:

curl -x socks5h://login:pass@host:port https://api64.ipify.org
curl -x https://login:pass@host:port https://api64.ipify.org

For SOCKS5 in scripts, write socks5h:// instead of socks5://: the proxy then resolves the website's address itself, so an IPv6 proxy won't trip over a site that also has IPv4. More on that in "HTTP, HTTPS or SOCKS5".

How to convert a list to another format

Rearranging fields by hand across a hundred lines takes ages and invites mistakes. That is what our proxy converter is for:

1. Paste the list or upload a .txt file. The converter works out the format of each line by itself — with or without a scheme, with any separator.
2. Choose the output format: for example, ip:port:login:pass without a scheme or socks5://login:pass@ip:port.
3. Copy the result or download it as a file.

The converter runs right in your browser, and underneath it you immediately see which proxies on the list are alive. You can turn the check off — then the list goes nowhere.

Common mistakes

• Fields in the wrong order. The program took the login for the address or the password for the port, and you get a connection error or "wrong login or password". Compare the line format with what the program expects.
• The wrong protocol. The line comes from the SOCKS5 list but the program is set to HTTPS, or the other way round. The protocols use different ports, so the proxy won't answer.
• Extra characters. Copying from a messenger or a spreadsheet drags in spaces, quotes or stray text. The converter's "Find in text" mode pulls proxies out even of text like that.
• Special characters in the password. If the password contains @, :, / or #, they must be encoded in a link (for example, @ → %40). The converter has an "Encode login and password in links" option for that.
• An IPv6 address without brackets. If the server address is IPv6, it goes in square brackets — [2001:db8::1]:8080 — otherwise the address's colons get mixed up with the separators.

FAQ

Why does every line start with socks5:// or https://?

That is the scheme: it tells the program which protocol to connect with. Many programs read it themselves and don't ask you to pick a type. If yours doesn't understand it, strip it with the converter.

Which format should I pick if I don't know what the program expects?

Start with the link socks5://login:pass@host:port — it is the most widespread standard. If that doesn't work, try host:port:login:pass.

Can I change the format of a list I've already downloaded?

Yes: either download the list again in the format you need, or convert the file you have with the converter.

You can buy IPv6 proxies in our configurator — you choose the protocol and line format when the list is issued.