# Proxy anonymity levels

Proxy anonymity levels describe what a proxy tells the destination about the client. A transparent proxy forwards the client's real IP in headers such as X-Forwarded-For; an anonymous proxy hides the real IP but announces itself through headers such as Via; an elite (high-anonymity) proxy adds no proxy headers at all, so the request looks like it came directly from the exit address. Commercial proxies meant for privacy or data collection are elite by design.


## The headers that give a proxy away

| Header | What it leaks | Level that sends it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| X-Forwarded-For | The client's real IP address | Transparent |
| Via | That a proxy is in the path, sometimes its software | Transparent, anonymous |
| X-Proxy-ID, Forwarded | Proxy identity or the original client | Transparent, anonymous |
| none | Nothing | Elite |


## How to check

Request a header-echo service through the proxy and inspect the response. Any header naming a proxy or an address that is not the exit means the level is not elite. Do it for HTTP as well as HTTPS: with HTTPS the proxy cannot add headers inside the encrypted request, so plain HTTP is where leaks show.


## How it works at ProxShift

ProxShift gateways and dedicated addresses are elite: they strip incoming proxy headers, add none of their own and never terminate TLS.

Source: https://proxshift.com/glossary/anonymity-levels