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# How to Set Up a Custom Proxy for Your LinkedIn Account


Route your LinkedIn activity through a specific IP address for greater account safety, multi-account management, or consistent geo-location.

## Why use a custom proxy?
By default, Botdog runs your LinkedIn activity from our cloud servers. Adding a custom proxy means your activity will appear to originate from your proxy's IP instead. This is especially useful if you:
* Manage **multiple LinkedIn accounts** and want each tied to a distinct IP address
* Want your activity to appear from a **specific country or city**
* Have a LinkedIn account previously accessed from a fixed IP and want to keep it consistent

## Supported proxy types
Botdog supports all three major proxy protocols:
| **Protocol** | **Standard Port** | **Notes** |
| ---- |
| **HTTP** **Recommended** | `3128` | Broadest compatibility with Botdog's validation |
| **HTTPS** | `3128` | Encrypted variant of HTTP proxy |
| **SOCKS5** | `1080` | Lower-level protocol; fully supported |
**Tip:** If you're unsure which protocol to use, start with **HTTP on port 3128**. It's the most compatible with our validation system and the easiest to debug.

## How to add your proxy
1. Go to your**Account Settings**in Botdog
2. Select the**LinkedIn account**you want to configure
3. Navigate to the**Proxy**tab
4. Enter your proxy details:
    * **Protocol:**HTTP, HTTPS, or SOCKS5
    * **Host / Domain:**Your proxy's IP address or hostname (e.g.`15.235.141.132`)
    * **Port:**e.g.`3128`for HTTP/HTTPS,`1080`for SOCKS5
    * **Username & Password:**Enter your credentials if authentication is required
5. Click**Save & Test**— Botdog will run a quick validation to confirm the proxy is reachable
**Success:** Once validated, all LinkedIn activity for that account will be routed through your proxy automatically.

## Troubleshooting: "The proxy in use is not working"
If your proxy passes external tests but fails in Botdog, one of these is usually the cause:
>> Your proxy is blocking Botdog's server IPs
When Botdog validates your proxy, the connection comes from *our cloud servers* — not your local machine. Firewall rules or IP allowlisting on your proxy server may be blocking us.
**Fix:** Check your proxy server's firewall settings and ensure it accepts inbound connections from any IP, or whitelist Botdog's server IPs if you know them.

>> Special characters in your credentials
If your username or password contains characters like `@`, `:`, or `/`, they can break the authentication string and cause silent failures.
**Fix:** URL-encode special characters in your credentials. For example, `p@ssword` becomes `p%40ssword`. Alternatively, update your credentials to use only alphanumeric characters.

>> Proxy response is too slow
If your proxy takes more than a few seconds to respond, Botdog's validation request will time out and report an error — even if the proxy technically works.
**Fix:** Test your proxy response time from an external network. Aim for a response under 3 seconds for reliable operation.

>> Protocol and port mismatch
Even if your proxy server supports multiple protocols, specific ports are tied to specific protocols. Mixing them (e.g. selecting SOCKS5 but entering port `3128`) will cause the validation to fail.
**Fix:** Make sure your selected protocol matches your port. Use HTTP/HTTPS with port `3128`, or SOCKS5 with port `1080`.

## Proxy recommendations
**Avoid rotating proxies.** Botdog requires a stable, persistent IP. Proxies that rotate or change IP on every request are not compatible and will cause session issues with LinkedIn.
* Use a **dedicated proxy** (not shared) — shared IPs used by many users can trigger LinkedIn's fraud detection
* **Residential or ISP proxies** are generally safer for LinkedIn than datacenter proxies
* Your proxy should support **persistent connections** with a stable IP

## Still having issues?
If you've gone through the steps above and the proxy still won't validate, [contact our support team](mailto:support@botdog.co) with the following details:
* The proxy protocol, host, and port you're using (never share your password)
* The exact error message you're seeing
* Confirmation that the proxy works from an external network (e.g. via `curl`)
We'll investigate from our end and get back to you as quickly as possible.