The proxy address goes in the options; the username and password go in an authentication handler. Here is why, and the Java for Chrome, Edge and Firefox.
Selenium's Proxy class takes host:port for HTTP and SSL; its only username and password fields are for SOCKS v5. Chrome does not use credentials written into proxy settings either, and supports no login method for SOCKS5. So writing http://LOGIN:PASSWORD@HOST:PORT into the flag or into Proxy does not sign in, and a window nobody watches just fails.
The proxy answers with a 407 challenge instead. The WebDriver BiDi specification takes the challenge from Proxy-Authenticate for status 407, so a BiDi authentication handler can answer it. Selenium Java exposes this in its bidi.module.Network class.
| Item | Login handled? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Proxy object with setHttpProxy | No | Sets the address; the Javadoc lists no login for an HTTP proxy |
| --proxy-server=http://LOGIN:PASSWORD@HOST:PORT | No | Chrome does not use credentials embedded in proxy settings |
| BiDi Network: onAuthRequired + continueWithAuth | Yes, by design | The 407 challenge is covered by the BiDi spec; run it once on your Selenium and browser versions |
| HasAuthentication.register(...) | Not documented for proxies | The Javadoc speaks of authenticating to a website and does not mention proxies; test before relying on it |
| Local forwarder that adds the login | Yes | Chrome connects to 127.0.0.1 with no login; one more process to run |
Source: Selenium Javadoc and source, the W3C BiDi specification and Chromium's proxy notes, read on 14 November 2026.
import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.UsernameAndPassword;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.bidi.browsingcontext.BrowsingContext;
import org.openqa.selenium.bidi.browsingcontext.ReadinessState;
import org.openqa.selenium.bidi.module.Network;
import org.openqa.selenium.bidi.network.AddInterceptParameters;
import org.openqa.selenium.bidi.network.InterceptPhase;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeOptions; // for Edge use org.openqa.selenium.edge.EdgeOptions / EdgeDriver
public class ProxyLogin {
public static void main(String[] args) {
ChromeOptions options = new ChromeOptions();
options.enableBiDi(); // the login handler runs over WebDriver BiDi
options.addArguments("--proxy-server=http://HOST:2222"); // no LOGIN:PASSWORD in the address
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(options);
try (Network network = new Network(driver)) {
network.addIntercept(new AddInterceptParameters(InterceptPhase.AUTH_REQUIRED));
network.onAuthRequired(details ->
network.continueWithAuth(
details.getRequest().getRequestId(),
new UsernameAndPassword("LOGIN", "PASSWORD")));
// open the first page over BiDi, as the Selenium project's own test does
BrowsingContext context = new BrowsingContext(driver, driver.getWindowHandle());
context.navigate("https://api.ipify.org?format=json", ReadinessState.COMPLETE);
System.out.println(driver.findElement(By.tagName("body")).getText()); // the proxy's exit IP
} finally {
driver.quit();
}
}
}API names checked against the Selenium source on 14 November 2026; the code was not compiled on the writing machine. The same flow in Python was tested on 18 October 2026. Replace HOST, LOGIN and PASSWORD with the values from My assets.
import org.openqa.selenium.Proxy;
import org.openqa.selenium.firefox.FirefoxOptions;
Proxy proxy = new Proxy();
proxy.setHttpProxy("HOST:2222"); // host:port only; Proxy has no login for an HTTP proxy
proxy.setSslProxy("HOST:2222");
FirefoxOptions options = new FirefoxOptions();
options.setProxy(proxy);
options.enableBiDi();
// then create the driver and register the same auth handler as in the Chrome exampleFirefox takes the proxy through the standard proxy capability. enableBiDi() exists on FirefoxOptions; Selenium's own auth test is not limited to Chrome, but we have only run the proxy-login flow in Chrome. Not compiled here.
A proxy set in the browser options is passed on to Selenium Manager, which then uses it to download drivers and browsers, without the password. If the first run fails with 407 while downloading a driver, either use the --proxy-server flag for Chrome and Edge, as in the code above, or point Selenium Manager at a different proxy with SE_PROXY. The Proxy302 Python test on 18 October 2026 hit exactly this and avoided it with the flag.
Test the login outside Selenium: curl -x http://LOGIN:PASSWORD@HOST:2222 https://ipinfo.io/json should print the proxy's IP.
Expected result JSON with the exit IP of the proxy.
Start the driver with enableBiDi() and the host:port in the flag or in Proxy, with no login in it.
Register the handler before the first page and open that page with BrowsingContext.navigate.
Print the page body and compare the IP and country with your own.
Expected result The proxy's IP, not yours.
Check Is the first navigation a classic driver.get() while the proxy waits for a login?
Fix Register the handler first and open the first page with BrowsingContext.navigate; the Python test showed the same stall with a classic get.
Check Was enableBiDi() called, and is the handler registered before the page opens? Is the login right?
Fix Test with curl, then re-check the order of the calls.
Check Is the proxy set through Proxy or options, so Selenium Manager uses it too?
Fix Use the --proxy-server flag on Chrome and Edge, or SE_PROXY, or a driver you already have.
Check Is the address in host:port form and the protocol HTTP on port 2222?
Fix Fix the address, restart the driver and print the exit IP.
Stop when If curl through the same proxy fails too, stop changing Selenium code and check the account details.
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Put host:port in ChromeOptions (--proxy-server) or FirefoxOptions (Proxy), call enableBiDi(), and answer the login with Network.onAuthRequired and continueWithAuth.
For an HTTP proxy the Javadoc lists no login field; username and password exist only for SOCKS v5.
No. Chrome supports no authentication method for SOCKS5, so use an HTTP proxy or a local forwarder.
Its Javadoc describes authenticating to a website and does not mention proxies, so test it on your versions before relying on it.
A proxy in the options is also used by Selenium Manager to download the driver, without the password. Use the flag for Chrome and Edge or set SE_PROXY.
Chrome cannot log in to SOCKS5; use the HTTP port 2222 or a local forwarder on 127.0.0.1 with Selenium.
Three causes why a Selenium proxy is ignored or drops in headless Chrome, a login workaround and a test that prints the exit IP.
Selenium sets the proxy at start: one browser session per proxy, with a pattern for sequential or parallel runs.
Selenium proxy with username and password in Chrome: HTTP proxy in ChromeOptions plus Selenium's BiDi auth handler, no extensions. Static datacenter IPs for test runs.
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View options and pricingOfficial documentation · Confirmed on:
Read on 14 November 2026: setHttpProxy and setSslProxy take host:port; setSocksUsername and setSocksPassword exist and are supported only with SOCKS v5; the class has no login fields for an HTTP proxy.
Official documentation · Confirmed on:
Read on 14 November 2026: the Java example creates a Proxy, calls setHttpProxy("myproxy.com:8080") and sets it on the options as the "proxy" capability.
Official documentation · Confirmed on:
Read on 14 November 2026: the interface lets a driver authenticate to a website; ChromeDriver, ChromiumDriver, EdgeDriver and ElectronDriver implement it; the page does not mention proxy authentication.
Official documentation · Confirmed on:
Read on 14 November 2026 (trunk): Network has addIntercept, onAuthRequired and continueWithAuth(requestId, UsernameAndPassword); InterceptPhase has AUTH_REQUIRED; ChromiumOptions and FirefoxOptions have enableBiDi() (sets webSocketUrl); the project's own test registers an auth handler and navigates with BrowsingContext.navigate(url, COMPLETE), against a page that asks for basic authentication, with no browser excluded.
Official documentation · Confirmed on:
Read on 14 November 2026: the challenge is taken from WWW-Authenticate for status 401 and from Proxy-Authenticate for status 407, so an authRequired event can also cover a proxy login.
Official documentation · Confirmed on:
Read on 14 November 2026: Chrome does not use credentials embedded in proxy settings; HTTP proxies use the ordinary sign-in flow (Basic, Digest, Negotiate, NTLM); no authentication method is supported for SOCKS5.
Official documentation · Confirmed on:
Read on 14 November 2026: a proxy set in the browser options is passed on to Selenium Manager and is used both by the browser and for downloading drivers and browsers; SE_PROXY sets a different proxy for Selenium Manager only.
Local example · Confirmed on:
The Selenium use-case page of this site records a Python run of 18 October 2026 (Selenium 4.41.0 and 4.51.0, ChromeDriver 153) through a local password-protected proxy: with BiDi on and the proxy as a --proxy-server flag, the BiDi auth handler loaded an HTTP and an HTTPS page. The Java code on this page has not been compiled or run.
Python, not Java; a different language binding.
Product observation · Confirmed on:
Product facts file of the site (values checked on 10 November 2026): protocols and ports, prices in US$ (1 PTC = US$1), lease terms, quantity limits, no free trial.
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