Glossary · Proxies
Sticky session
A sticky session is a setting on a rotating proxy that keeps the same exit IP address for a chosen period, usually by attaching a session identifier to the connection, so a multi-step task appears to come from one address from start to finish.
Reviewed 30 Oct 2026
# Same session handle, so both requests should leave from the same IP.curl -x "http://USERNAME_pool-arcfast_country-de_session-k3f9a1x2_sesstime-10:PASSWORD@proxy.arcproxies.io:8000" https://example.com/searchcurl -x "http://USERNAME_pool-arcfast_country-de_session-k3f9a1x2_sesstime-10:PASSWORD@proxy.arcproxies.io:8000" https://example.com/resultsWhy multi-step flows need one address
HTTP is stateless; sites keep state in cookies (RFC 6265) and often in tokens passed from one page to the next. Some also note the address a session started from. A flow such as search, then results, then a detail page can reset or return an error if the exit changes halfway through.
Travel search is the textbook case: the fare detail request depends on the results request before it, which is why travel fare aggregation runs every search flow on one held exit.
How to set a sticky session on ARC
| Where | How | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Username (ARC Basic, Fast, Ultra) | _session-<id>_sesstime-<minutes> | Best effort, no hard cap |
| Dashboard generator | Session time picker | 1 minute to 24 hours |
| Public API | session_ttl in seconds | 60 to 86,400; default 600 |
| ARC Mobile | Chosen when the endpoint is generated | 5 to 60 minutes |
The same _session- handle returns the same exit; a new handle draws a new one. Run as many handles in parallel as you have independent tasks.
Choosing a duration
Hold the exit for the longest flow plus a margin, not for the whole job. A ten-minute hold suits a search flow; an hour concentrates a lot of requests on one address and makes the per-address rate limiting you were spreading out come back.
An exit can go offline before its time is up, on any provider. Treat a changed IP as a normal event: detect it, restart the flow with a new handle, and do not retry the failed step on a different address mid-flow.
Not the same as load-balancer stickiness
In web infrastructure, sticky sessions also means a load balancer pinning a user to one backend server. The proxy meaning is the mirror image: the client is pinned to one exit address. The comparison with rotating proxies is in rotating vs sticky sessions.
FAQ
Questions
Something not covered? Write to contact@arcproxies.io.
How long can a sticky proxy session last?
On ARC Basic, Fast and Ultra you set the minutes in _sesstime- and the hold is best effort with no hard cap; the dashboard offers 1 minute to 24 hours and the API takes 60 to 86,400 seconds. ARC Mobile sessions run 5 to 60 minutes.
What happens if my sticky IP goes offline?
The next connection with that session handle gets a different exit. Build for it: notice the change, start the multi-step flow again under a new handle, and avoid finishing a flow on a different address than it started on.
Do sticky sessions cost more than rotating ones?
Not on ARC. A sticky session is a username token, and billing is per gigabyte of traffic regardless of whether the exit rotates or is held.
Can I run several sticky sessions at once?
Yes. Each distinct session handle holds its own exit, so give every parallel worker or task its own handle.
Sources & review
Last reviewed by the ARC Proxies team. Prices are read from the live catalog at build time.
In practice