Setting up Safari for Proxies

Since Apple introduced Safari in 2003, it has become perhaps the leading Macintosh web browser, especially now that Internet Explorer is no longer bundled with new Macs. This guide will show you how to set up this popular browser to access the Internet through a proxy server.

Safari uses the proxy server settings that are defined in the Network Preferences panel of System Preferences. If you have previously set up proxy settings in this way then you don't need to follow this guide. If you are still having problems accessing the Internet, try contacting your network administrator to ensure that the details you have entered are correct. Double check that you haven't made any mistakes when entering the information. If you've entered the Port incorrectly, for example, you won't be able to connect to the Internet even if the server details are correct.

1. Open up Safari and select Preferences from the Safari Menu.

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2. Make sure you are viewing the Advanced tab. You should see it automatically when you open the preferences, but if not, it is the last of the tabs at the top of the window. Now click on the button marked "Proxies: Change Settings".

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3. Safari takes its proxy settings from the global network preferences, so the Network Preferences window will now open. If you would like more information about this, please see our guide to Setting up Proxies on the Mac, which looks at the Network preferences in more detail.

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4. Select an option from the list and make sure it is active by clicking the checkbox.In this example I am using the Web Proxy (HTTP). For everyday browsing you will probably also need to select the Secure Web Proxy (HTTPS) and possibly the Streaming Proxy (RTSP) as well. To do so, just repeat this step for the the other options in the list. Once you have selected a proxy server to configure, enter your server details and port number in the boxes provided. You may need to ask your network administrator for these details if you don't know them already.

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5. If your proxy server requires a password, click the checkbox next to "Proxy server requires password" and enter your Account name and Password in the box that appears. Click Apply Now to save your settings, then close the window by selecting Quit from the System Preferences Menu.
   You can now close the Safari Preferences by clicking the red button in the top left hand corner of the window, and your preferences will be automatically saved. You should now be able to access the Internet!

Because Safari uses the global Network Preferences to determine how it should set proxies, any settings you alter here will also apply to many other applications that refer to the System Preferences to define their behavior. This includes email clients such as Apple Mail, as well as FTP programs, but does not include Firefox, which has its own proxy settings. If you want to use Firefox to connect to the Internet and need help setting it up, please refer to our guide, Setting up Firefox for Proxies.