# Proxies & VPN Most streaming services are geo-restricted, region-priced, or refuse to hand over a manifest from the "wrong" country. unshackle routes its traffic through a proxy so the service sees the location you choose instead of your own. You can point it at a single proxy URL, or configure one of several **proxy providers** (commercial VPNs and self-hosted tunnels), then ask for a country by its two-letter code and let unshackle pick a working server for you. The `--proxy` flag controls proxying, and the proxy providers unshackle supports change a query to a real proxy URL: [basic static proxies](#basic-static-proxies), [Control D](#control-d), [Gluetun](#gluetun) (documented in the most detail, since it is the most flexible), [ExpressVPN](#expressvpn), [NordVPN](#nordvpn), [Proton VPN](#proton-vpn), [Hola](#hola), [Surfshark](#surfshark), and [Windscribe](#windscribe). !!! note "Where proxies are configured" All proxy provider configuration lives under the top-level `proxy_providers:` config key in your `unshackle.yaml`. Each proxy provider has its own sub-key, and the config keys inside it map directly onto that proxy provider's settings. See the [Configuration file](../getting-started/configuration-file.md) page for where the file lives and how unshackle loads it. ## The `--proxy` flag Four options on the `dl` command control proxying at download time: | Option | Effect | |---|---| | `--proxy` | The proxy to use. Either an explicit URI, or a query that unshackle resolves against your configured providers. | | `--no-proxy` | Force **all** proxy use off. No providers are initialised and no proxy query is resolved. | | `--no-proxy-download` | Use the proxy for the manifest, licence, and authentication, but bypass it for the **downloads** themselves. | | `--proxy-download` | Use `--proxy` for the manifest, licence, and authentication, and a different proxy for the **downloads**. Takes the same forms as `--proxy`. | ```shell title="Explicit proxy URI" unshackle dl --proxy http://user:pass@1.2.3.4:8080 EXAMPLE 81234567 ``` ```shell title="Resolve a US server from your configured providers" unshackle dl --proxy us EXAMPLE 81234567 ``` ```shell title="Target a specific provider" unshackle dl --proxy nordvpn:us EXAMPLE 81234567 ``` !!! tip "Set a default proxy in config" Like every `dl` flag, you can give `--proxy` a default in your configuration, so you do not have to pass it on every command. See [Downloading](downloading.md) for how `dl` options and config defaults interact. ### `--no-proxy-download` Segment downloads are usually the largest share of traffic, and a residential-grade VPN proxy is frequently the slowest part of the chain. `--no-proxy-download` lets you keep the proxy where it matters (passing the geo-check for the manifest and the licence) while pulling the files themselves over your normal connection at full speed. ```shell title="Proxy the manifest and licence, download segments direct" unshackle dl --proxy gb --no-proxy-download EXAMPLE 10a1234 ``` !!! warning "When this is unsafe" Some services tie segment delivery (CDN tokens, per-segment geo-checks) to the same region as the manifest. On those services, bypassing the proxy for downloads will cause segment fetches to fail or return the wrong region. If downloads break with `--no-proxy-download`, remove it. ### `--proxy-download` `--proxy-download` is the middle ground: the manifest, licence, and authentication go through `--proxy`, and the downloads go through a second proxy. Use it when one proxy passes the geo-check and another one is faster for bulk traffic. The value takes the same forms as `--proxy`, so a country code or `provider:region` resolves against the same providers. ```shell title="Manifest and licence over NordVPN, downloads over Windscribe" unshackle dl --proxy nordvpn:us --proxy-download windscribevpn:us EXAMPLE 10a1234 ``` `--no-proxy` and `--no-proxy-download` both override `--proxy-download`. The same region warning applies: if the service ties segment delivery to the manifest region, keep both proxies in that region. ## How proxy resolution works unshackle interprets the value you pass to `--proxy` in one of three ways. It tries them in this order. ```mermaid flowchart TD A["--proxy value"] --> B{"Looks like a URI?
http:// https:// socks"} B -- yes --> C["Use it verbatim"] B -- no --> D{"Has a provider prefix?
provider:query"} D -- yes --> E["Ask that one provider
for the query"] D -- no --> F["Ask every provider in order,
first match wins"] ``` 1. **An explicit URI.** unshackle uses anything shaped like `http://...`, `https://...`, or a `socks...` URI exactly as you give it. unshackle logs `Using explicit Proxy: ...` and does no lookup. 2. **A provider-prefixed query**: `provider:query`, for example `nordvpn:us` or `gluetun:windscribe:us`. unshackle finds the proxy provider whose name matches the prefix (case-insensitive). It then asks *only* that proxy provider to find a proxy for the remainder. If unshackle loads no such proxy provider, or if that proxy provider returns no proxy, the download errors. 3. **A bare query**: a region like `us`, `gb`, `us:seattle`, or `us1234`. unshackle asks each loaded proxy provider **in order** and uses the first proxy any of them returns. unshackle compares the query against a region grammar: a country or location code of two to four letters, with an optional `_code` part (`res_yyz`), then an optional server number and/or a `:city` or `-city` part. A `host:port` value never matches. It then lowercases the query and hands it to the proxy provider. Its section below gives the exact forms each proxy provider accepts. A Control D resolver, `controld://@dns.controld.com`, is a fourth form. A `--remote` client sends it to a server in place of a proxy URI, and the server starts a forwarder for it. See [Control D](#control-d). ### Provider load order When you do a download without `--no-proxy`, unshackle instantiates every configured proxy provider once, in this fixed order. It uses that same order for bare-query resolution: **Basic → ExpressVPN → NordVPN → Proton VPN → Surfshark → Windscribe → Gluetun → Hola → Control D** So if you have both Basic and NordVPN configured and use `--proxy us`, a `us` entry in your Basic config wins, because unshackle tries Basic first. To skip ahead to a specific proxy provider, prefix the query (`--proxy nordvpn:us`). !!! note "A bare region reaches Control D last" unshackle asks Control D for a bare region such as `--proxy us` only when no other loaded proxy provider has a proxy for it. Hola loads automatically when the `hola-proxy` binary is on your `PATH`, and it comes before Control D. When Control D answers, it changes your Control D account: it points a profile at that country, and it can create an `unshackle-us` profile and endpoint. The geofence auto-proxy uses the same order. To use Control D directly, prefix the query (`--proxy controld:us`). !!! note "Auto-loading providers" Most providers only load when you configure them under `proxy_providers:`. Three are special: **ExpressVPN** and **Proton VPN** also load automatically once their cache file exists on disk (even with no YAML), and **Hola** loads automatically whenever the `hola-proxy` binary is found on your `PATH`. ### Connection feedback After a proxy provider resolves a query, unshackle prints a line so you can see where you came out: - **Gluetun** reports the verified exit IP, country, and city of the container. - **ExpressVPN** and **Proton VPN** print a location summary such as `(USA - New York, #3 of 5): .214`. - Other proxy providers log the resolved proxy URL. ### Exit check Before the service sends a request, unshackle looks up the proxy exit IP through the proxy. The service stops with `Proxy check failed` in two cases: - No IP lookup gets through the proxy. The proxy is down, or it refused the connection. - The proxy exit IP is the same as your own IP, so traffic does not go through the proxy. unshackle tries each geolocation API in turn, and a 429 moves on to the next one. If at least one API answers through the proxy but none of them gives an IP, the proxy passes the check without the IP comparison. unshackle does not compare the exit country with the region you asked for, because geolocation data can be out of date. Over the REST API, the server returns this failure to the client as `INVALID_PROXY`. ## Basic (static proxies) The `Basic` proxy provider is pure static configuration, with no accounts and no network calls. You record proxy URLs under each country code, and unshackle serves them back when you query that country. This is the right choice when you already have proxy endpoints (from a proxy seller, your own servers, or a corporate gateway). Under each two-letter country code you can put either a single proxy string or a list of them: ```yaml title="unshackle.yaml" proxy_providers: basic: us: http://user:pass@1.2.3.4:8080 de: - http://a.example:8080 - socks5://b.example:1080 ``` **Query forms:** | Query | Meaning | |---|---| | `us` | A proxy for the US. If several are listed, one is chosen at random. | | `us2` | The **2nd** entry in the US list (1-based). | - If a country has a single proxy string, that proxy is always returned. - If it has a list and you give a plain country code, unshackle picks one at random. Append an index (`de1`, `de2`) to pin a specific entry. - unshackle normalises each URL (a missing scheme defaults to `http`) and validates it, so it rejects a malformed URI up front and does not fail mid-download. ```shell unshackle dl --proxy de2 EXAMPLE 81234567 ``` ## Control D [Control D](https://controld.com) is a DNS service, not a proxy. It answers the hostnames it redirects with the IP of a transparent proxy in the region you chose, and that proxy relays onwards by SNI. There is no proxy URI to hand to Requests, so this proxy provider runs a small **forwarder on loopback**: it resolves each connection through your Control D resolver and relays the bytes. Everything downstream (the service session, the downloads, `--proxy-download`) sees an ordinary HTTP proxy. unshackle picks the region itself, by pointing a profile's **default rule** at it. A profile holds one region at a time, so unshackle gives each region in use a profile of its own, each with its own endpoint and its own forwarder port. `--proxy controld:yyz --proxy-download controld:yul` therefore uses two profiles, when two are free: Toronto for the service and Montreal for the downloads. When no second profile is free, the second region moves the first profile (see [step 5](#how-unshackle-chooses-a-profile)). Keep both locations in one country. Some CDNs also check the country of the download IP, and refuse a `--proxy-download` exit in another country with a 403. This applies to every proxy provider. `unshackle search --proxy controld:ca` works the same way as `dl`. ### What you need - **A plan with traffic redirection.** On the personal plans that is *Full Control*; *Some Control* has no redirection, and every redirect fails. The 14-day trial includes it. See [Control D's plans](https://controld.com/plans) for current prices. - **An API token of type *Write*.** A *Read* token cannot change a profile's default rule. Create it in the dashboard under *API*. If you set *Allowed IPs* on the token, include the address of each machine that runs unshackle with it. ```yaml title="unshackle.yaml" proxy_providers: controld: token: api.xxxxxxxxxxxx # a Write API token, from the Control D dashboard ``` ```shell unshackle dl --proxy controld:ca EXAMPLE 81234567 ``` The token is the only required key. You do not need to create a profile or an endpoint, or to give a `profile` and `resolver`: unshackle creates an `unshackle-` profile and endpoint on your account the first time it needs one, and uses it again on the next run. Give `profile` and `resolver` only to use a profile that you made yourself (see [How unshackle chooses a profile](#how-unshackle-chooses-a-profile)). The returned proxy is HTTP on loopback, `http://127.0.0.1:{port}`. The locations themselves are read from Control D at startup (107 of them across 68 countries, at the time of writing), so there is nothing to list: | Query | Meaning | |---|---| | `ca` | One of Control D's Canadian locations, at random. | | `yul` | That exact location, by its code. | | `res_yyz` | A residential location, by its code. A country pick never uses a residential location, so name it this way. | The [configuration reference](../reference/configuration/network.md#controld) lists every `controld` config key. ### How unshackle chooses a profile Each region query gets a profile and an endpoint named after it: `--proxy controld:ca` uses `unshackle-ca`. For each region, unshackle uses the first match in this list: 1. A profile that this process already pointed at that region. 2. The endpoint named `unshackle-` on your account, made by an earlier run. 3. A profile from your config that this process does not use yet. These are optional: ```yaml title="unshackle.yaml" proxy_providers: controld: token: api.xxxxxxxxxxxx profile: abcd123 # a profile kept for unshackle, and nothing else resolver: efgh456 # the resolver ID of an endpoint using that profile profiles: # more pairs, in the same shape - profile: ijkl789 resolver: mnop012 max_profiles: 4 # the most profiles unshackle uses, yours included (default 4) ``` The resolver ID is the last part of the endpoint's DoH URL, `https://dns.controld.com/`. You can also give the full URL. 4. A new profile and endpoint named `unshackle-`, while your config pairs plus the `unshackle-*` endpoints on the account are fewer than `max_profiles`. unshackle keeps them for the next run. `max_profiles` limits only this step: unshackle uses every pair in your config, even more than `max_profiles`. 5. When no profile is free, a profile moves to the new region, with everything that still uses it. unshackle first moves a profile that this process has not pointed at a region, which another process can still use. Next, it moves the profile that this process pointed at a region first. An `unshackle-*` profile that moves, and its endpoint, get the new region's name. unshackle logs `Every Control D profile is in use; moving profile … to …`, and connections already open keep the old exit until they close. Because the names live on the account, every unshackle process agrees on them: two runs, or two jobs on a `serve` instance, that ask for `ca` both use `unshackle-ca`. Two processes can still move a profile under each other when they run out of profiles (step 5). unshackle changes only the profiles in your config and the profiles of `unshackle-*` endpoints. It skips an `unshackle-*` endpoint whose profile an endpoint without that name also uses, so unshackle never redirects a profile that serves your own devices. Leave the `unshackle-*` profiles empty: no services, no custom rules. unshackle sets their default rule to `REDIRECT`, and the *Services* and *Custom Rules* tabs stay at zero by design. To remove them, delete the endpoints and profiles in the dashboard. unshackle creates new ones when it next needs them. !!! warning "Business accounts pay per endpoint" Personal plans allow an unlimited number of profiles and endpoints. Business plans bill each endpoint every month, so each `unshackle-` endpoint adds to the bill. On a business account, configure your own pairs, as many as the countries you use at the same time, and set `max_profiles` to that number. unshackle then never creates a profile. !!! note "Everything goes through the proxy, including the segments" With the default rule redirecting, the whole download leaves through Control D's transparent proxy. Control D serves it on a best-effort basis. Pair it with `--no-proxy-download` to keep the geo-check on the manifest and the licence while pulling the files over your own connection. !!! note "The switch is not instant" unshackle drops its own DNS cache when it changes region, but Control D's edge may still serve the previous answer for the remainder of the record's TTL. !!! note "Same machine, same IP, over IPv4" Control D authorises its proxies by source IP: the address that queried DNS is the one allowed to use the proxy. The forwarder resolves and connects from the same host, so this holds. Control D also answers a redirected name only to a query over IPv4, so the forwarder asks over IPv4 even on a host with IPv6, and ignores `HTTPS_PROXY` for these queries. The forwarder refuses a connection to an IP address with a `502`, because an IP address skips Control D's DNS and connects from your own address. A request that names a host by IP address fails with this proxy provider. !!! note "With `--remote`, the server resolves" unshackle does not send your API token to a server. For `--proxy controld:ca` with `--remote`, unshackle points `unshackle-ca` at Canada with your token, then sends the server only that endpoint's resolver ID, as `controld://@dns.controld.com`. The server runs its own forwarder with it, from its own address, and needs no Control D configuration. The resolver ID lets anyone who has it use that endpoint's proxy, so treat it as a secret: unshackle masks it in logs and in stored job parameters. The server must run a version of unshackle that knows `controld://`. An older server rejects it with `INVALID_PROXY`: `Proxy provider 'controld' not found` when your API key has `server_proxy`, else a message that asks for a full proxy URI. A bare region, such as `--proxy ca`, skips Control D with `--remote`, because the proxy it gives is on your machine. A service whose accounts the server manages does not accept a proxy from the client, and that includes a Control D resolver. ### Troubleshooting Control D | Symptom | Cause and fix | |---|---| | `Proxy check failed`, because the exit IP is your own IP. | The profile does not redirect. Make sure that the plan includes traffic redirection (*Full Control*, not *Some Control*). After a region change, wait for the TTL of the previous answer to end. | | A `502 Bad Gateway` for one host. With `-d`, the log shows `Control D returned no A record for …`. | Control D gave no IPv4 address for that host. | | A `502 Bad Gateway` for one host only. With `-d`, the log shows `Refused …, an address that Control D cannot redirect`. | The request names the host by IP address. The forwarder refuses it. See the note on IPv4 above. | | An HTTP `401` or `403` from `api.controld.com`. | The token is a *Read* token, or its *Allowed IPs* do not include this machine. Use a *Write* token. | | `Control D needs both a profile and a resolver` or `Control D needs max_profiles of 1 or more` at startup. | The `controld` config is not valid. Give `profile` and `resolver` together, and a `max_profiles` of 1 or more. Every run fails until you correct it, also a run that does not use Control D. | | `Could not read Control D's locations`. | unshackle could not get the location list. It tries again at the next Control D query. | | A `403` for the segments only, with `--proxy-download` in another country. | The CDN checks the country of the download IP. Keep `--proxy-download` in the same country as `--proxy`. | ## Gluetun Gluetun is unshackle's most flexible proxy backend, and the one to reach for if you want one configuration to cover many VPN providers. Instead of returning a remote proxy URL, Gluetun **launches a local Docker container** running the [`qmcgaw/gluetun`](https://github.com/qdm12/gluetun) image. That container establishes a WireGuard or OpenVPN tunnel to your chosen VPN provider and exposes a plain HTTP proxy on `localhost`, which unshackle then routes traffic through. When the download finishes, the container is torn down automatically. This means you get access to the **50+ VPN providers** that Gluetun supports, using your own VPN subscription, through a single uniform interface, with no per-provider integration in unshackle itself. !!! warning "Not available with `--remote`" Gluetun listens on your machine, so a server on another machine cannot reach it. With `--remote`, unshackle stops with an error for `--proxy gluetun:...`, and for any proxy that resolves to `localhost` or a loopback address, such as a region query that Gluetun answers. Give `--remote` a proxy the server can reach, or run the service locally. A server on this machine (a `remote_services` URL on `127.0.0.1`) can reach a local proxy, so it is exempt. !!! warning "Docker is required" Gluetun needs a working [Docker](https://docs.docker.com/get-docker/) installation on your `PATH`. If Docker is not found, the proxy provider fails to load with an error linking to the install docs. The container also needs the `NET_ADMIN` capability and access to `/dev/net/tun` to bring up the tunnel. unshackle requests both automatically. ### Query format Gluetun uses a nested selector: the proxy provider prefix picks Gluetun, and the rest names the **VPN provider** and the **region**. ``` gluetun:: ``` ```shell title="A Windscribe US exit via Gluetun" unshackle dl --proxy gluetun:windscribe:us EXAMPLE 81234567 ``` ```shell title="A NordVPN Germany exit via Gluetun" unshackle dl --proxy gluetun:nordvpn:de EXAMPLE 81234567 ``` After unshackle strips the leading `gluetun:`, the proxy provider receives exactly `provider:region`. It must be two colon-separated parts, and anything else is an error. The `` must be one you have configured under `gluetun.providers`, and unshackle normalises friendly names to Gluetun's identifiers (for example `pia` and `privateinternetaccess` both map to `private internet access`). ### Configuration Each VPN provider you want to use gets an entry under `providers:`, carrying its VPN type, credentials, and how your region aliases map onto Gluetun's server selectors. ```yaml title="unshackle.yaml" proxy_providers: gluetun: providers: windscribe: vpn_type: wireguard credentials: private_key: YOUR_WIREGUARD_PRIVATE_KEY addresses: YOUR_WIREGUARD_ADDRESS preshared_key: YOUR_PRESHARED_KEY server_countries: us: US uk: GB server_cities: {} server_hostnames: {} extra_env: {} nordvpn: vpn_type: wireguard credentials: private_key: YOUR_WIREGUARD_PRIVATE_KEY server_countries: us: US de: DE # Global settings (all optional) base_port: 8888 auto_cleanup: true container_prefix: unshackle-gluetun auth_user: null auth_password: null verify_ip: true ``` **Per-provider keys:** | Key | Purpose | |---|---| | `vpn_type` | `wireguard` (default) or `openvpn`. | | `credentials` | The secrets for the tunnel; see the credential rules below. | | `server_countries` | Maps your region alias (e.g. `us`) to Gluetun's country value (e.g. `US`). | | `server_cities` | Optional. Maps an alias to a Gluetun city. | | `server_hostnames` | Optional. Maps an alias directly to a specific server hostname. | | `extra_env` | Optional. Raw environment variables merged into the container last, for any Gluetun setting not covered above. | **Credential rules by VPN type:** === "WireGuard" - `private_key` is **always** required. - `surfshark`, `mullvad`, and `ivpn` also require `addresses`. - `windscribe` additionally requires **both** `addresses` and `preshared_key` (`preshared_key` may be an empty string, but the config key must be present). - NordVPN and Proton VPN need only `private_key`. === "OpenVPN" - Requires `username` and `password`. !!! tip "Which `vpn_type` should I pick?" WireGuard is the default because it **can be faster**, but it needs the fiddlier credential setup above (private keys, and for some providers `addresses` and a `preshared_key`). OpenVPN is the **simplest** to configure (only a username and password) at the cost of some speed. If you start out, or if you have credential trouble, OpenVPN is the path of least resistance. Switch to WireGuard when you want the extra throughput. **Global keys:** | Key | Default | Purpose | |---|---|---| | `base_port` | `8888` | The first local port to expose proxies on. Additional containers take the next free ports. | | `auto_cleanup` | `true` | Remove containers on exit. If `false`, containers are only stopped, not deleted. | | `container_prefix` | `unshackle-gluetun` | Prefix for Docker container names. | | `auth_user` / `auth_password` | `null` | Optional HTTP-proxy credentials. If set, the local proxy requires auth and the credentials are embedded in the proxy URL. | | `verify_ip` | `true` | After connecting, verify the container's real exit IP and region. | ### Region selection For a given query region, Gluetun resolves the server like this: 1. An explicit entry in `server_hostnames`, `server_cities`, or `server_countries` for that alias always wins. 2. unshackle changes a `us1239`-style query (country code + number) with no explicit mapping into a provider-specific server hostname (for example `us1239.nordvpn.com` for NordVPN, `us-1239.prod.surfshark.com` for Surfshark). 3. unshackle expands a bare two-letter code to the full country name Gluetun expects. A few providers (Windscribe, VyprVPN, VPN Secure) select by **region** rather than country, and unshackle converts Windscribe region names automatically. For instance `us` becomes `US East` and `uk`/`gb` become `United Kingdom`. ### Container lifecycle Understanding what Gluetun does behind the scenes helps when something goes wrong: 1. **Image check.** unshackle pulls `qmcgaw/gluetun:latest` if it is not already present. 2. **Reuse.** If a container for this exact `provider:region` already runs (from a concurrent unshackle process), unshackle adopts it and does not start a new one. It removes stopped or dead containers with the same name first. !!! note "Expect a slow first request, then instant reuse" Bringing up a fresh tunnel takes roughly **10 to 30 seconds** for the first request to a given `provider:region`. This is the VPN handshake and readiness wait, not a hang. Every subsequent request that reuses that same container is effectively **instant**. A slow first run is normal. 3. **Port allocation.** unshackle chooses a free local port, starting from `base_port`. 4. **Start.** unshackle launches the container bound to `127.0.0.1:{port}`. It passes credentials through a temporary, `0600`-permission env-file (never as `-e` flags), and it overwrites and deletes that file immediately after. 5. **Readiness wait.** unshackle polls the container logs (up to 60 seconds) until the HTTP proxy listens **and** the VPN reports a completed connection. Fatal errors like `authentication failed` or `invalid credentials` abort early, and unshackle attaches recent logs to the error to help you diagnose it. 6. **IP verification.** When `verify_ip` is on, unshackle queries the container's exit IP and checks the country matches what you asked for, raising a *region mismatch* error if it does not. 7. **Proxy handed back.** You get `http://localhost:{port}` (or with auth credentials if configured). !!! note "Cleanup and Ctrl+C" unshackle cleans up containers with an `atexit` handler on normal exit. Gluetun deliberately does **not** install its own signal handlers, so `Ctrl+C` continues to work as you expect. If something kills a run hard (for example `kill -9`), a container can stay behind. With `auto_cleanup: true` the next run that adopts that name still works, or you can remove it manually with `docker rm -f`. ### Troubleshooting !!! example "Common Gluetun issues" - **`RuntimeError` about Docker not found.** Install Docker and make sure that `docker` is on your `PATH`. - **`invalid credentials` / `authentication failed` in the readiness wait.** Your WireGuard/OpenVPN credentials are wrong or in the wrong fields. Double-check `private_key`, `addresses`, and (for Windscribe) `preshared_key`. - **Region mismatch error.** The VPN connected but exited in a different country than requested. Examine your `server_countries` mapping, or set `verify_ip: false` if you intentionally use a nearby region. - **Timeout after 60 seconds.** The tunnel never came up. Inspect the container logs (`docker logs `) for the underlying VPN error. ## ExpressVPN ExpressVPN mirrors the ExpressVPN Android TV app: it signs in through Express's OAuth 2.0 device-login flow, obtains proxy-capable locations from Express's API, and returns an authenticated HTTPS proxy. The device login runs once. After that, the cached refresh token keeps you signed in headlessly. Enable it and do a download interactively once: ```yaml title="unshackle.yaml" proxy_providers: expressvpn: enable: true ``` With `enable: true` and an interactive terminal, unshackle prints a code and a URL to enter it at. Once you approve it, unshackle caches the tokens and reuses them automatically, so later runs need no terminal. ExpressVPN also **auto-loads** once its token cache exists, so you can drop `enable` after the first login, but you can keep a YAML block to pin regions or servers: ```yaml title="unshackle.yaml (optional)" proxy_providers: expressvpn: region_map: us: ny-02 # prefer New York, server 02 for the US gb: # empty = smart random location server_map: myserver: usny-newyork-2 ``` **Default file location:** | File | Default path | |---|---| | Token cache | `{cache}/vpn/expressvpn_tokens.json` | Where `{cache}` is your configured cache directory. **Query forms:** | Query | Meaning | |---|---| | `us` | A smart, random US location. | | `us-ny` | US, New York. | | `us-ny-2` / `us-ny2` | US, New York, the 2nd server. | | `usny-newyork-2` | A full location slug. | | `hostname.expressprovider.com` | A direct endpoint hostname. | The resolved proxy is an HTTPS proxy on port `443`. On success, unshackle prints a location summary such as `(USA - New York, #3 of 5): .214`. !!! note "Cache safety" unshackle writes ExpressVPN's token cache with `0600` permissions, so the refresh token is never briefly world-readable. ## NordVPN NordVPN uses your **Service Credentials**, not your normal NordVPN login. Make them from the [NordVPN dashboard](https://my.nordaccount.com/dashboard/nordvpn/) under manual setup. They are a long random username/password pair, not your email and password. ```yaml title="unshackle.yaml" proxy_providers: nordvpn: username: YOUR_SERVICE_USERNAME password: YOUR_SERVICE_PASSWORD server_map: # optional: pin specific server IDs us: 1234 us:seattle: 5678 ``` **Required keys:** `username`, `password`. unshackle validates them up front: the combined username and password must be exactly 48 alphanumeric characters (case-insensitive), and the username must not contain an `@`. If validation fails, you have almost certainly used your login credentials instead of your service credentials. `server_map` is optional and maps a region (or `code:city`) to a pinned NordVPN server ID. Its main use is to tune performance: for a given streaming service one specific server often performs noticeably better than NordVPN's recommended pick. So you can hard-code that server for a day or two as a workaround, until it degrades and you swap in another. !!! note "Use `gb`, not `uk`, for the United Kingdom" Query the UK as `gb`. unshackle uses the Alpha-2 country code `gb` deliberately to stay consistent with its other regional/country-code systems and avoid the language-vs- country-code confusion that `uk` invites. **Query forms:** | Query | Meaning | |---|---| | `us` | A recommended US server. | | `us1234` | The specific server `us1234`. | | `us:seattle` | A recommended server in Seattle. | | `228` | A NordVPN numeric country ID. | The returned proxy is HTTPS on **port 89** (NordVPN disabled its plain-HTTP proxies on port 80 in 2021). ```shell unshackle dl --proxy nordvpn:us:seattle EXAMPLE 81234567 ``` ## Proton VPN Proton VPN supports two authentication methods, and unshackle can work with either. Note that free Proton accounts work, but Proton limits them to its free-tier exit countries. === "TV login (recommended)" Proton's TV device-login flow gives a self-sustaining, refreshable sign-in. This is the only method that can refresh itself headlessly, so it keeps working without re-exporting anything. Enable it and do a download interactively once: ```yaml title="unshackle.yaml" proxy_providers: protonvpn: enable: true ``` With `enable: true` and an interactive terminal, unshackle prints a code and asks you to enter it at [account.proton.me/vpn/tv/code](https://account.proton.me/vpn/tv/code). Once you approve it, unshackle caches the sign-in and reuses it automatically. === "Exported cookies" Export your `account.proton.me` cookies (the `AUTH-` cookie) to the Proton cookie file. This method is **access-only**: it cannot refresh, so you must re-export when it expires. !!! warning "The `AUTH-` cookie is HttpOnly" This is the single most common cause of a failed Proton cookie import: the required `AUTH-` cookie is **HttpOnly**, and many one-click cookie-export extensions silently skip HttpOnly cookies by default. If your import "does not work," use an exporter that explicitly includes HttpOnly cookies. !!! note "Why this session can't refresh, and lapses after ~24h" Proton rotates browser refresh tokens and ties them to the live browser, so a headless refresh is impossible. unshackle therefore deliberately uses only the cookie's short-lived **access token** and never attempts a refresh. That is why the sign-in lapses at Proton's ~24h TTL and you must export it again. This is exactly why TV login is the better method for set-and-forget use. **Default file locations:** | File | Default path | |---|---| | Cookies | `{cookies}/vpn/protonvpn.txt` | | Session cache | `{cache}/vpn/protonvpn.json` | Proton VPN **auto-loads** if its cookie file exists. Like ExpressVPN, unshackle writes its cache file with `0600` permissions. !!! note "Cache vs cookie precedence" If both a TV-login cache and a cookie file exist, unshackle **prefers the cache** unless the cookie file is newer. unshackle reads cookies fresh every run and never writes them back to the cache. So to deliberately force use of the cookie file, re-save (re-export) it so its modification time is newer than the cache. **Query forms (after the `protonvpn:` prefix):** | Query | Meaning | |---|---| | `us` | A random US server (paid tiers preferred over free). | | `us12` | Proton US server #12. | | `us:ny` | A server in New York. | The returned proxy is HTTPS on **port 4443** (or **port 443** for Secure Core servers). unshackle excludes Secure Core and Tor servers from selection because they are too slow for a plain proxy. On success, unshackle prints a summary such as `(Name - City): server-host`. !!! tip "Proton server numbers aren't sequential" When pinning a server with `protonvpn:deNN`, do not guess a low number. A country may have non-contiguous IDs like `#203`, `#813`, and so on. Copy the number from a previous run's log line (e.g. `DE#203`) instead. ## Hola Hola requires no configuration at all. It uses the [`hola-proxy`](https://github.com/Snawoot/hola-proxy) binary, and **auto-loads** whenever that binary is found on your `PATH`. If you query Hola but the binary is missing, the proxy provider raises an error that tells you to install it. ```shell title="Install hola-proxy, then just query a country" unshackle dl --proxy hola:us EXAMPLE 81234567 ``` **Query forms:** a two-letter country code (e.g. `us`, `gb`). unshackle asks `hola-proxy` for available proxies in that country and picks one at random, returning an HTTP proxy. !!! warning "Temporary bans" Hola's free tier can rate-limit or temporarily ban you if queried too aggressively. If you see a *temporary ban detected* error, wait before retrying. Hola currently uses only datacenter proxies. ## Surfshark Surfshark, like NordVPN, uses **Service Credentials** rather than your login. Make them from the [Surfshark manual-setup page](https://my.surfshark.com/vpn/manual-setup/main/openvpn). ```yaml title="unshackle.yaml" proxy_providers: surfsharkvpn: username: YOUR_SERVICE_USERNAME password: YOUR_SERVICE_PASSWORD server_map: # optional us: 1234 ``` **Required keys:** `username`, `password`, validated with the same 48-character rule as NordVPN (combined username+password must be 48 alphanumeric characters, case-insensitive, no `@`). `server_map` optionally pins server IDs per region. **Query forms:** | Query | Meaning | |---|---| | `us` | A random US server. | | `us-bos` | A specific server. | | `us:seattle` | A random server in Seattle. | The returned proxy is HTTPS on **port 443**. ## Windscribe Windscribe uses **Service Credentials** from its [OpenVPN config page](https://windscribe.com/getconfig/openvpn). unshackle only makes sure that a username and a password are present (there is no 48-character rule). ```yaml title="unshackle.yaml" proxy_providers: windscribevpn: username: YOUR_SERVICE_USERNAME password: YOUR_SERVICE_PASSWORD server_map: # optional: alias -> hostname us: us-east.totallyacdn.com us:seattle: us-seattle.totallyacdn.com ``` **Required keys:** `username`, `password`. `server_map` optionally maps a region (or `region:city`) directly to a hostname. **Query forms:** | Query | Meaning | |---|---| | `us` | A random US server. | | `us150` / `sg007` | A specific numbered server. | | `us:seattle` | A random server in Seattle. | The returned proxy is HTTPS on **port 443**. !!! warning "Windscribe is not loaded by the REST API resolver" The `dl` command loads the standalone Windscribe proxy provider (and Gluetun), but the proxy resolver that the REST API and the remote-download client use does **not**. If you drive downloads through the API and need Windscribe or Gluetun exits, get the proxy on the CLI side, or use a different proxy provider for API jobs. See the developer note below. ## Developer notes !!! note "Two resolution paths (developers)" unshackle has **two** proxy-resolution code paths that are intentionally not identical: - `unshackle/commands/dl.py` inlines its own logic and loads **all nine** providers, including Windscribe and Gluetun. - `unshackle/core/proxies/resolve.py::initialize_proxy_providers()` is the shared resolver used by the REST API handlers and the remote-service client. It **omits** Windscribe and Gluetun. Both paths accept the same query grammar (a direct URI, a `provider:query`, a bare country query tried against providers in order, or a `controld://` resolver), but the set of available providers differs. Keep this in mind when you add a proxy provider: an entry in `dl.py` does not make it available over the API, and the opposite is also true. The remote-service client resolves `--proxy` with its own `resolve_remote_proxy_arg()`. It changes a `controld:` query to a `controld://` resolver for the server with `get_remote_proxy()`, and it removes Control D from a bare query, because a loopback forwarder is of no use to a server on another machine. !!! note "Implementing a new provider (developers)" Every proxy provider subclasses `unshackle.core.proxies.proxy.Proxy` and has three methods: - `__init__(self, **kwargs)` receives its `proxy_providers` sub-dict splatted as keyword arguments, so YAML keys map 1:1 to constructor parameters. Do authentication and catalogue pre-fetching here. - `__repr__(self)` is a human summary, conventionally `"{n} Countries ({m} Servers)"`. - `get_proxy(self, query)` returns a Requests-compatible proxy URI, or `None` only when the query was valid but no proxy exists. Raise on genuine errors or bad queries. Optionally add `get_connection_info(query)` (as Gluetun does) or `last_connection_display()` (as ExpressVPN and Proton VPN do) to make `dl` print a friendly connection line instead of the raw proxy URL. ## See also - [Downloading](downloading.md): the full `dl` command guide, including where proxy flags sit in the download flow. - [Configuration file](../getting-started/configuration-file.md): the `unshackle.yaml` reference, including directories for cookies and cache used by the cookie-based providers. - [Configuration reference](../reference/api/config.md): the developer-facing configuration API, including the `proxy_providers` structure.