Proxy List Timestamps: Last Updated vs Last Tested
A proxy list can be recently updated while an individual IP no longer works. Check what the timestamp measures.
A list updated a minute ago can contain a dead proxy. “Updated” may describe a data import, not a request sent through that endpoint.
- Collected
- The list fetched or received the entry.
- Updated
- The stored record changed or was refreshed.
- Tested
- A checker attempted a particular request through the endpoint.
- Used
- Your application attempted its own request.
A feed can republish the same IP without retesting it, and a collector can refresh the record's timestamp during import. The ProxyHub proxy list currently imports details from upstream lists; its data-update times are not independent end-to-end connection measurements for every endpoint.
Even “working at 10:00” needs a definition. Did the checker open a TCP port, fetch HTTP, or complete CONNECT, TLS and an HTTPS request? Which destination, network and time limit did it use? A proxy can pass one of those checks while failing the next or reaching only some destinations.
Use recent collection to narrow the candidates, then make a bounded request with the protocol and destination type you need. For HTTP entries, the curl proxy test shows what to inspect. Save the endpoint, time and result together. A failed request does not become a configuration error just because the list is fresh; try another entry. If many entries fail the same way, investigate the shared client and network path too.