Quick answer
Should I keep or rotate my proxy IP?
Keep or rotate your proxy IP? Keep one static IP when the task depends on a stable identity: logins to your own business accounts, IP allowlists, long sessions and repeat local checks. Rotate when you collect many public pages and no login is involved. SteadyProxy sells static IPs only, fixed for 30 days, from $2.24 as of October 2026; for rotation, use a rotating residential provider.
What are the key facts?
| Keep a static IP | Logins, allowlists, long sessions, checkout tests, rank tracking from one place |
|---|---|
| Rotate | High-volume public-data collection with no login |
| Static at SteadyProxy | One IP, fixed for 30 days, one customer per IP |
| Rotation at SteadyProxy | Not offered: to get another IP, order a new one |
| Faulty IP | If an IP does not work, write to support: we repair it or replace it with another IP in the same country when stock allows |
| Product comparison | Static vs rotating residential proxies page |
Which tasks need a static IP and which a rotating one?
| Task | Keep or rotate | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Managing your own or clients' business accounts | Keep | Login history shows one stable IP per account |
| Own marketplace seller accounts | Keep | One fixed IP per seller account, week after week |
| IP allowlisting (firewall, SaaS admin, API) | Keep | The allowlist accepts only known source IPs |
| SEO rank tracking from one city | Keep | Same place and network for comparable results |
| Local price and ad checks, a few pages per hour | Keep | Light traffic, stable location |
| QA and geolocation testing of your own site | Keep | Reproducible tests from a known IP |
| Checkout or multi-step form tests | Keep | A change of IP mid-flow can reset the session |
| Light public-data collection with long sessions | Keep a small pool | Spread requests over a few static IPs |
| Large crawl of public pages, no login | Rotate | Many IPs spread a high request volume |
What is the rule of thumb?
Ask one question: would a change of IP in the middle of the task break it or look wrong? If yes, keep a static IP. Logins, carts, allowlists and long sessions all break or raise checks when the IP jumps. If no, and the task sends a high volume of requests without any login, rotation spreads the load. Most business tasks fall in the first case, which is why SteadyProxy sells static IPs only. The product-level comparison is on static vs rotating residential proxies.
When should I replace a static IP instead of rotating?
Replace an IP only when it has a fault, and diagnose before you ask. First test the IP alone: open api.ipify.org through it and check the status code and the exit IP. A 407 error means wrong credentials or a source IP missing from your allowlist, not a bad IP. A timeout on every request points to a fault. Then send the time and the error to support. Our replacement rule: If an IP does not work, write to support: we repair it or replace it with another IP in the same country when stock allows. If one website blocks your IP, that is not a fault; review your request rate first.
Can I combine static and rotating proxies?
Yes, and many teams do. Logged-in work and allowlisted access run on static IPs, while a separate crawler uses a rotating service for public pages. Keep the two apart in your code: one proxy setting per job, never a fallback from static to rotating for a logged-in account. That keeps each account's IP history clean of sudden jumps. Count the static part with how many static IPs do I need?.
What if a task is in between?
Use a small pool of static IPs and assign work round-robin. For light public-data collection with long sessions, five or ten static IPs can share the load, each keeping its own cookies. This gives stable sessions and spreads requests, without a rotating service. Keep the rate per IP modest and follow each site's terms and our acceptable use policy. Ten ISP IPs cost $20.86 for 30 days as of October 2026.
What else do people ask about keeping or rotating IPs?
Can I rotate a SteadyProxy static IP on demand?
No. There is no rotation link or API: each IP stays fixed for its 30-day rental, which is the point of a static proxy. To work from another IP, order a new one from the pricing page. A faulty IP is a support case. Our replacement rule: If an IP does not work, write to support: we repair it or replace it with another IP in the same country when stock allows.
Is a static IP worse for privacy than a rotating one?
It is different. A static IP links your sessions to one address over time, which is what logins and allowlists need. A rotating IP spreads requests across many addresses but changes your apparent identity often. Either way, the website sees the proxy's IP, not your own. Choose by task, using the table above.
How often should I change a static IP?
Only when there is a reason: a fault, the end of a rental you choose not to renew, or a new task. Changing a working IP every month resets the history of every account tied to it. Many users renew the same IPs for months; renew before the end date, because keeping the same IP afterwards is not guaranteed.
Does a sticky session on a rotating proxy replace a static IP?
Not for long tasks. A sticky session holds one IP for a limited time, often minutes, then changes. That suits a short checkout test, not an account you log in to every day or an allowlist. If the IP must be the same tomorrow and next week, rent a static IP. Our static IP test shows the difference.
What should I do if a website blocks my static IP?
Slow down first. Check how many requests that IP sent and how fast. Pause the task, then resume at a lower rate. If the block stays and the task matters, move it to a spare IP and keep the old one for other work. A block by one site is not a replacement case, because the IP still works.
Is rotation needed for SEO rank tracking?
Usually not. Rank tracking compares results from one place over time, so one static IP per city gives consistent data. Keep the query rate low and spread checks across the day. Some tracking setups use one IP per city and per search engine; see our SEO monitoring page.