How to set up proxy server on Windows 11

On Windows 11, you can set up a proxy server quite easily. A proxy server is a service that works as a man-in-the-middle between the computer and the internet. When using this feature, the requests you make to websites and other services will be handled by the proxy instead.

Usually, you’d see a proxy configuration in organizations and schools, but anyone can set up a proxy server because of its benefits. Using a proxy helps save data usage and reduce bandwidth use because web requests are cached in the server and then served again when the user requests the same content.

It can increase your privacy by hiding the IP address of the client making an internet request. It can improve security by blocking malicious traffic and logging users’ activities. It can also block sites, by using rules, a company can stop users from accessing social networks and other websites, and much more.

In this guide, you will learn three ways to set up a proxy server on your Windows 11 device without the need for third-party tools. (Just to be clear, in this guide, we’re setting proxy settings to connect to a server, not to set up the actual proxy server.)

• Configure proxy server on Windows 11
• Configure proxy through script on Windows 11
• Configure automatic proxy with manual configuration on Windows 11

Configure proxy server on Windows 11

The following instructions will apply to Ethernet and Wi-Fi network connections, but these settings won’t work during a VPN session.

To enable automatic configuration for proxy server on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on Network & Internet.

3. Click the Proxy tab.

4. Turn on the Automatically detect settings toggle switch to set up a proxy server on Windows 11.

   

Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 will automatically detect the settings using the Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Protocol (WPAD). Organizations and schools typically use this option to automatically configure or change the proxy settings to computers connected to their networks.

If you do not want the computer to detect settings automatically, or you are trying to set up a proxy server manually, you need to turn off the Automatically detect settings toggle switch.

Configure proxy through script on Windows 11

It is also possible to configure a proxy server automatically using the setup script option on Windows 11.

To configure a proxy server using a script, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Network & Internet.

3. Click the Proxy tab.

4. Under the “Automatic proxy setup” section, click the “Set up” button for the “Use setup script” setting.

   

5. Turn on the Use setup script toggle switch.

6. Confirm the address of the script (or .pac file).

   

7. Click the Save button.

After you complete the steps, Windows 11 will load the proxy configuration from the specified file.

Configure automatic proxy with manual configuration on Windows 11

To set up proxy server settings manually on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Network & Internet.

3. Click the Proxy tab.

4. Under the “Manual proxy setup” section, click the “Set up” button for the “Use a proxy server” setting.

   

5. Turn on the “Use a proxy server” toggle switch.

6. In the “Proxy IP address” setting, confirm the address that connects to the proxy server.

   

7. In the “Port” setting, confirm the port number required for the proxy to work.

8. Check the “Don’t use the proxy server for local (intranet) addresses” option.

9. (Optional) Confirm the addresses that will bypass the proxy in the available section.

   Quick note: You need to specify these addresses using a semicolon (;) to separate each entry. You can use an asterisk as a wildcard if you have multiple addresses from the same domain. For example, *.website.com will match all the addresses in the asterisk part, including forums.website.com, docs.website.com, etc.

10. Click the Save button.

Once you complete the steps, the proxy will be configured and the network traffic will automatically pass through the proxy server. However, it is also possible to specify a list of addresses that will not use the proxy.