Forward Proxy
A forward proxy is an intermediary server that sits between client devices (like computers or smartphones) and the internet, forwarding client requests to external servers and returning responses. It acts on behalf of clients to provide anonymity, content filtering, caching, and access control by masking the client's IP address and inspecting traffic. Common implementations include software like Squid or hardware appliances in corporate or institutional networks.
Developers should learn and use forward proxies when building or managing systems that require enhanced security, privacy, or network efficiency, such as in corporate environments to restrict employee web access or monitor traffic. It's also useful for web scraping to avoid IP bans, testing geo-restricted content, or implementing caching to reduce bandwidth usage and improve performance for repeated requests.