**Charles Proxy** is a web debugging tool that acts as an HTTP proxy, enabling users to monitor, inspect, and modify traffic between their device and the internet. It's especially useful for testing APIs, identifying issues in web apps, and capturing proxy traffic on desktop and mobile devices.
## **Gather your Squid Proxies info** Before starting, have the following ready: - Proxy IP address (e.g., `123.456.78.90`) - Port number (commonly `8800`) - Username and password (_for user/pass authentication_) **OR** Make sure your IP is whitelisted (_for IP authentication_)
## **Install Charles Proxy** 1. Visit [https://www.charlesproxy.com](https://www.charlesproxy.com) 2. Download and install the version for your operating system (macOS or Windows) 3. Launch the application ✅ You’ll see real-time traffic logs appear once it starts capturing data.
## **Configure Squid Proxies in Charles Proxy** 1. In Charles, go to the **Proxy** menu and select **Proxy Settings**. 2. Under the **HTTP Proxy** tab, enable **Use a proxy server**. 3. Enter your Squid Proxy details: ``` Address: 123.456.78.90 Port: 8800 ``` 4. If your proxy requires authentication: - Go to **Proxy > External Proxy Settings** - Check **Use authentication** - Enter your Squid Proxies username and password ✅ Now Charles will route all its monitored traffic through your Squid Proxy.
## **Capture traffic from browser or mobile device in Charles Proxy** You can use Charles to debug traffic from: - Browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) - Desktop applications - iOS or Android devices (via proxy setup on the device) ### **For browsers:** 1. Open your browser and visit any site. 2. Charles will log and show all requests passing through the Squid Proxy. ### **For mobile apps:** 1. Connect your phone to the same network as your computer. 2. On the mobile device, set the Wi-Fi proxy manually to: ``` IP: [Your computer’s IP] (found in Charles > Help > Local IP) Port: 8888 (Charles’ default) ``` 3. Accept Charles’ SSL certificate on your device if you're debugging HTTPS traffic.
## **Test your proxy configuration in Charles Proxy** To verify Squid Proxies is working inside Charles: 1. Open https://whatismyipaddress.com/ in your browser (or mobile webview) 2. Look at the request inside Charles 3. Check the IP address in the response — it should reflect your Squid Proxy IP
## **Common use cases with Squid Proxies in Charles Proxy** | Use Case | How Charles + Squid Proxies Help | |-----------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | API Testing | Simulate traffic from different locations using residential proxies | | Geo-targeted Debugging| Load content from a specific country or region using a matching proxy | | Proxy Rotation Testing| Confirm if your rotating residential proxy is changing IPs as expected | | Scraping Debugging | Analyze which requests are triggering blocks, CAPTCHAs, or rate limits |
## **Rotate residential proxies in Charles Proxy** If you're using Squid Proxies' rotating residential endpoints: - Use the rotating gateway (e.g., `res.squidproxies.com:PORT`) - Set it as your **external proxy** in Charles Each new request/session may route through a different residential IP, helping simulate distributed traffic for testing. 📌 For sticky sessions, request dedicated ports from support.
## **Troubleshooting proxy issues in Charles Proxy** - **No traffic showing in Charles?** - Ensure Charles is set as the system proxy, and SSL Proxying is enabled for HTTPS inspection.
- **Authentication popups?** - Verify your credentials in External Proxy Settings.
- **Wrong IP detected?** - Make sure your Squid Proxy is active and correctly routed through Charles.
- **Device traffic not showing?** - Double-check the mobile proxy settings (IP and port 8888).
## **Best practices for Charles Proxy setup** - Always test new proxy configurations using `ipinfo.io` or `httpbin.org/ip` - Use **residential proxies** for mobile app debugging, ad testing, and geo-targeted API testing - Pair Charles with browser automation or scraping bots to debug traffic behavior in real time - Log and review request headers, response codes, and error messages to fine-tune proxy setups
With this setup, you can confidently use Charles Proxy and Squid Proxies for advanced debugging, location-based content analysis, and stealth scraping operations.
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**More Guides:** - [Test Your Proxies Before Integrating](https://www.squidproxies.com/developer-docs/dev-getting-started/test-your-proxies-before-integrating) - [Rate Limiting and Retry Logic](https://www.squidproxies.com/developer-docs/dev-advanced-guides/rate-limiting-and-retry-logic)