A proxy sits between your browser and the destination server. Some proxies add forwarding headers that reveal their presence; others intentionally do not. This tool checks the request headers visible to the website for common proxy signals.
What “no proxy headers” means?
It means this request did not contain the standard forwarding headers the tool checks. It does not prove that your connection is direct. A VPN tunnel, transparent network appliance, privacy proxy, or carefully configured reverse proxy can hide or omit those headers.
What can trigger a proxy signal?
Corporate networks, school networks, CDNs, security gateways, browser privacy services, and shared hosting infrastructure can legitimately add forwarding information. A detected header is therefore a diagnostic clue, not evidence of malicious activity.
Proxy vs. VPN
A browser proxy usually forwards selected application traffic. A VPN generally creates a tunnel for a broader set of device traffic. Both can change the public IP seen by websites. Compare this tool with What Is My IP before and after enabling a service if you are testing how it affects your connection.
What a proxy signal actually means?
Forwarding headers can reveal that an intermediary handled the HTTP request, but the absence of those headers does not prove a direct connection. VPNs, transparent proxies, reverse proxies, privacy relays, carrier gateways, and enterprise security systems expose different signals.
Compare browser and network evidence
If you are investigating an unexpected path, compare the public IP, ISP/ASN, DNS behavior, and the proxy result before and after disabling the suspected intermediary. That comparison is more reliable than treating one header as definitive proof.