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All glossary terms

Proxy & networking

Forward proxy

A forward proxy sits between a client and destinations the client wants to reach. The client sends requests to the proxy, which applies its configured routing or policy and makes the upstream connection; the destination generally sees the proxy’s outbound connection rather than a direct client connection.

Also known as outbound proxy.

Why it matters in practice

Forward proxies are used to centralize outbound access, apply network policy, or mediate requests from applications. Their behavior depends on protocol support, authentication, and how traffic is handled. A forward proxy can be shared or dedicated, and its egress address is not necessarily the same as its listening address.

Example

A command-line client is configured to send HTTP requests to a proxy endpoint, which then contacts api.example.com on the client’s behalf.

Educational note

This definition is general information, not legal advice. It may omit facts that matter to a specific situation and does not establish or guarantee compliance.