Open-Source Security · Ge0rg3

requests-ip-rotator

A Python library that leverages AWS API Gateway to rotate through AWS's IP pool for making requests appear to come from different IP addresses. It's designed to bypass IP-based rate limits on web services, commonly used for web scraping and penetration testing.

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Source: GitHub — github.com/Ge0rg3/requests-ip-rotator

1.7k

GitHub stars

173

Forks

Python

Primary language

GPL-3.0

License (OSI-approved)

Key facts

Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.

Field	Value
Repository	Ge0rg3/requests-ip-rotator
Owner	Ge0rg3
Primary language	Python
License	GPL-3.0 — OSI-approved
Stars	1.7k
Forks	173
Open issues	5
Latest release	v1.0.18 (2026-04-26)
Last updated	2026-05-16
Source	https://github.com/Ge0rg3/requests-ip-rotator

What requests-ip-rotator is

Integrates with Python's `requests` library via session mounting to proxy HTTP/HTTPS traffic through AWS API Gateway endpoints across configurable regions. Automatically randomizes X-Forwarded-For headers and exploits AWS's distributed infrastructure to generate pseudo-infinite source IPs for each request.

Quickstart

Get the requests-ip-rotator source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash

1git clone https://github.com/Ge0rg3/requests-ip-rotator.git2cd requests-ip-rotator3# follow the project's README for install & configuration

Need it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.

Best use cases

IP-Rate-Limited Web Scraping

Bypass IP-based throttling on public APIs or websites by distributing requests across AWS's IP pool, enabling large-scale data collection within free tier limits (1M requests/month/region).

Authorized Security Testing

Conduct IP rotation during authorized penetration tests and bug bounty work where distributed source IPs are needed to test rate-limiting defenses or access controls.

Geographic Request Distribution

Test region-specific behavior by selecting API Gateway regions; AWS headers may expose the proxy but IP diversity remains useful for multi-region testing scenarios.

Implementation considerations

Requires active AWS account with API Gateway enabled and valid access credentials (AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID, AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY) configured via environment or constructor parameters.
Must explicitly call `shutdown()` on gateway objects to delete API Gateway endpoints; failure to do so leaves resources running and incurs charges beyond the free tier.
X-Forwarded-For headers are auto-randomized unless explicitly set; application logic consuming this header may behave unpredictably with random IPs.
AWS API Gateway imposes per-region quota limits and throttling policies; large-scale scraping may hit service limits despite IP rotation.
Regional endpoint selection (DEFAULT_REGIONS, EXTRA_REGIONS, ALL_REGIONS) affects both latency and operational cost; choose regions strategically.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

Unauthorized Brute Force or Attack — Do not use for unauthorized attacks, credential stuffing, or malicious bypass attempts. License (GPL-3.0) and intended use do not shield users from legal liability for unauthorized access.
Production Traffic Requiring True IP Anonymity — AWS API Gateway adds identifying headers (X-Amzn-Trace-Id, User-Agent patterns) that fingerprint requests as coming from AWS infrastructure, defeating anonymity goals against security-conscious targets.
Sensitive Data in Transit — Routing production or sensitive traffic through third-party AWS gateways introduces data exposure risk; not suitable for handling PII, credentials, or confidential payloads without additional encryption.
Cost Predictability Concerns — Beyond 1M free requests/month per region, charges accumulate ($3/M requests + $0.09/GB data transfer). Unmanaged sessions or forgotten `shutdown()` calls risk unexpected AWS bills.

License & commercial use

GPL-3.0 (GNU General Public License v3.0). This is a copyleft license requiring that derivative works or bundled software also be licensed under GPL-3.0 with source code disclosure. Requires review for commercial deployment.

GPL-3.0 is a strong copyleft license. Commercial use is permitted, but any software bundling or modifying this library must also be open-sourced under GPL-3.0. Closed-source commercial products cannot incorporate this code without a separate proprietary license agreement from the maintainer. Requires legal review before enterprise deployment.

DEV.co evaluation signals

Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.

Signal	Assessment
Maintenance	Active
Documentation	Adequate
License clarity	Needs review
Deployment complexity	Low
DEV.co fit	Possible
Assessment confidence	High

Security considerations

AWS API Gateway adds identifiable headers (X-Amzn-Trace-Id) that fingerprint requests as originating from AWS, reducing stealth against sophisticated rate-limiting detection. Credentials must be protected (environment variables or IAM roles); hardcoding AWS keys in code risks key exposure. IP rotation does not provide encryption or anonymity for request payload. Users remain liable for unauthorized access or violation of target sites' terms of service. Not suitable for bypassing security controls of systems you do not own or have authorization to test.

Alternatives to consider

Residential Proxy Services (e.g., Swiftproxy, Bright Data, Oxylabs)

Commercial proxy pools offer managed IP rotation, better anonymity, no AWS infrastructure fingerprinting, and transparent billing. Trade-off: per-request cost vs. free AWS tier.

Squid / Forward Proxy (self-hosted)

Deploy on VPS/EC2 for full control, lower operational cost, and no vendor lock-in. Requires manual IP pool management and lacks AWS's distributed footprint.

Similar distributed IP concept via Cloudflare's network; includes built-in DDoS/bot protection. Higher latency for some regions; may be blocked more aggressively by targets.

Software development agency

Build on requests-ip-rotator with DEV.co software developers

This tool is powerful for authorized security testing and rate-limit bypass scenarios, but carries legal and financial risks. Ensure AWS credentials are secured, requests are authorized, and shutdown() calls are never forgotten. Requires GPL-3.0 compliance review for commercial use.

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requests-ip-rotator FAQ

Will targets detect that requests come from AWS?

Yes. AWS API Gateway adds headers like X-Amzn-Trace-Id and consistent User-Agent patterns that identify traffic as originating from AWS infrastructure. Sophisticated rate-limiters and WAFs actively block these signatures.

What happens if I forget to call shutdown()?

API Gateway endpoints remain active and continue incurring charges ($3/M requests + data transfer fees). AWS does not auto-delete endpoints; manual deletion via AWS CLI/console is required or set `require_manual_deletion=True` to prevent accidental deletion.

Is this legal for web scraping?

Legality depends on jurisdiction, target site's ToS, and authorization. Bypassing rate limits on public APIs you do not own may violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (US) or equivalent laws. Always obtain written permission for testing.

Can I use this for production traffic?

Not recommended. AWS fingerprinting and potential rate-limiting by targets make it unreliable for production systems. Use only for development, testing, and authorized security assessments.

Software development & web development with DEV.co

DEV.co is a software development agency delivering custom software development services to companies building on open source. Our software developers and web developers design, integrate, and ship production systems — spanning web development, APIs, AI, data, and cloud. If requests-ip-rotator is part of your open-source security roadmap, our team can implement, customize, migrate, and maintain it.

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