Step-by-step guide · Microsoft Edge

How to set up a proxy in Microsoft Edge: step-by-step guide

Microsoft Edge uses the Windows system proxy. Set the address and port once, and Edge will start opening sites through the selected server unless extensions or VPN override the connection.

Works inMicrosoft Edge on Windows
What you needProxy, port, username, and password if authentication is enabled
CheckIP, headers, and access to HTTPS sites
01

Before you start

This guide shows how to enable, change, and disable proxy in Microsoft Edge on Windows. The browser takes the proxy address from system settings, so some steps happen in Windows dialogs. If you are still choosing between HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5, open the proxy types guide.

  • If you need a working address without random disconnects, you can buy proxies, and free proxies are suitable for a short check. More addresses for manual selection are available in the full proxy list.
  • Open the IP check before setup and remember your regular address.
  • Close or disable VPN, proxy extensions, and similar network switches so the check result is clear.
  • Confirm the protocol: websites usually need an HTTP/HTTPS proxy with CONNECT, while broader tasks often use SOCKS5.
02

What to check before changing IP

A proxy changes the external IP, but a site may still link you to the old profile through cookies, cache, DNS, and WebRTC. So before setup, it is better to clear browser traces and then check the result.

  • Write down your regular IP and region before enabling proxy.
  • Close tabs of the sites where you will check the new address.
  • After setup, compare IP, DNS, and the authentication window if the proxy requires username and password.
03

Cookies and saved files

Before changing IP in Microsoft Edge, delete cookies and saved files for the required period. This signs you out of sites, but the proxy check will be cleaner.

  1. Open Microsoft Edge settings and go to the privacy or security section.
  2. Find the item for clearing history, cookies, or site files.
  3. Choose All time if you need a fully clean launch through the new IP.
  4. Keep cookies and cached files selected, then confirm deletion.

Choose file deletion for all time, keep cookies and cache selected, then confirm cleanup.

Microsoft Edge: deleting cookies and cached files for the selected period.
04

Cookies for one site

If you do not want to sign out of all accounts, delete cookies only for the site where you will check the new IP or region.

  1. Open site files settings or permissions management.
  2. Find the domain using site name search.
  3. Delete records for this domain and its subdomains.
  4. Open the site again after enabling proxy.

Delete records for the required domain and subdomains, then close settings.

Microsoft Edge: removing cookies for one selected site.
05

Secure DNS

DNS requests may go through a different channel than the one you are checking. Before testing, choose a clear mode: temporarily disable Secure DNS or specify a concrete provider.

  1. Open the browser security or privacy section.
  2. Find Secure DNS, DNSCrypt, DNS over HTTPS, or a similar item.
  3. For diagnostics, you can disable Secure DNS; for regular work, choose a trusted provider.
  4. After the check, keep the DNS mode that fits your task.

Open the Secure DNS, DNSCrypt, or DNS over HTTPS block and choose a clear mode for testing.

Microsoft Edge: Secure DNS settings.
06

Open browser settings

In Microsoft Edge, the proxy item is in the system settings section. Click it — the Windows system settings window will open, where you enter the proxy address.

  1. Open the Microsoft Edge menu, choose Settings, then System and performance, and click Open your computer proxy settings. Fast path: edge://settings/system.
  2. If the item is not visible, search browser settings for proxy.
  3. If the browser has a built-in VPN, disable it during the check; otherwise, the result may differ from the proxy address.
07

Enable the proxy in Windows

After the Windows window opens, fill in the system fields. A detailed explanation is in the separate Windows proxy setup guide, and a protocol comparison is in the extended knowledge base.

  1. Disable automatic detection and PAC file if you are not using corporate auto-configuration.
  2. Enable Use a proxy server.
  3. In the address field, enter the IP or domain without a protocol; in the port field, enter the port number. Example: 192.0.2.10 and 8080.
  4. For SOCKS, check whether your Windows version supports socks=IP:PORT, or configure SOCKS through the old Internet Options dialog.
  5. Save the changes and return to the browser.

Make sure the Windows proxy settings window opened; manual setup is lower on this page.

Windows proxy settings opened from the browser.

If you need SOCKS or separate HTTP and Secure fields, open Internet Options and click LAN settings.

Internet Options: Connections tab.
08

Check and disable

After saving settings, open a new tab in Microsoft Edge and check the external IP. If the address did not change, the proxy was not applied or another network tool is overriding it.

  1. Open the IP check and make sure the proxy address is shown.
  2. If a login window appears, enter the proxy username and password. A repeated prompt usually means a wrong password, expired access, or a port for another protocol.
  3. Open an HTTPS site. If it does not load, check that the proxy supports CONNECT and that the port is correct.
  4. To disable it, return to the system Proxy section and turn off manual proxy. The browser will apply the change without reinstalling.
Open proxy listCheck IP