> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.2extract.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# My requests are being blocked or I see CAPTCHA

> Strategies to handle blocks from target websites and improve your scraping success rate.

If you're getting blocked, seeing CAPTCHAs, or receiving error codes like `403 Forbidden` or `429 Too Many Requests`, congratulations – **our proxy is working perfectly!** The issue is not with our service, but with the anti-bot defenses of the website you are targeting.

Here are the most effective strategies to overcome these blocks.

### Strategy 1: Use Sticky Sessions

Sending every request from a new IP is highly suspicious for many websites. Mimic a real user by maintaining the same IP for a sequence of actions.

* **How:** Add the `-session-[your_id]` parameter to your proxy username.
* **When:** Essential for logging in, navigating through multiple pages, or any multi-step process.
* **Learn more:** [Session Control Guide](/proxy-products/configuration/session)

### Strategy 2: Rotate Your Geo-Location

Some websites are less strict with traffic from certain countries. Experiment with different locations.

* **How:** Use the `-country-[code]` parameter. Try targeting a country close to the target website's servers.
* **When:** Useful if you notice that blocks are specific to your default location.

### Strategy 3: Perfect Your HTTP Headers

The `User-Agent` is the most common fingerprint websites check.

* **How:** Ensure your scraper is sending a modern, realistic browser `User-Agent` (e.g., a recent Chrome or Firefox version). Do not use the default `python-requests` User-Agent.
* **Best Practice:** Create a list of 5-10 real User-Agents and rotate them randomly for each request. Also, consider mimicking other headers like `Accept-Language` and `Referer`.

### Strategy 4: Slow Down and Be Human

Bots are fast. Humans are not. A high request rate is the easiest way to get blocked.

* **How:** Add a random delay (e.g., between 2 to 5 seconds) between your requests. Never scrape as fast as you can.
* **When:** Always. This is the single most important principle of ethical and successful web scraping.

### Strategy 5: Consider Mobile Proxies (For the Toughest Targets)

For highly protected targets like social media or flight aggregators, even residential proxies can be blocked. Mobile IPs have the highest trust level.

* **How:** [Create a Mobile Proxy](/proxy-products/mobile/introduction-use-cases) and use it for these specific tasks.
* **When:** When all other strategies fail on a particularly difficult website.