View the page source of a proxied website. Links should be rewritten to include your proxy's prefix, allowing navigation to work seamlessly through the proxy.
Initialize a Node.js project and install node-unblocker along with a serverless-friendly framework like Express (which Vercel natively supports inside serverless functions).
Every Vercel deployment gets a *.vercel.app subdomain with a free SSL certificate automatically provisioned. If you want to use your own domain, you can add it in the Vercel dashboard and have SSL configured in minutes.
Next, install the required dependencies. We will use the core unblocker library along with express to handle routing easily within the serverless environment. npm install unblocker express Use code with caution. 2. Crafting the Serverless Configuration ( vercel.json ) node unblocker vercel
Test a target site by appending it to the proxy prefix: https://vercel.app Crucial Troubleshooting & Limitations
Node Unblocker is excellent, but it's not the only game in town. Depending on your specific needs, one of these alternatives might suit you better.
Despite its benefits, Vercel has strict limitations. Serverless functions have (usually 10–60 seconds depending on the plan), which can cause issues when proxying large files or slow-loading websites. Additionally, since Vercel uses dynamic IP addresses for its functions, some target websites may flag or block these requests as bot traffic. Conclusion View the page source of a proxied website
Because Vercel treats files inside the api/ directory as serverless endpoints, you must structure your project specifically for their platform.
Add the following configuration to vercel.json :
"version": 2, "builds": [ "src": "api/index.js", "use": "@vercel/node" ], "routes": [ "src": "/(.*)", "dest": "api/index.js" ] Use code with caution. 3. Writing the Entry Point ( api/index.js ) Every Vercel deployment gets a *
Before deploying a proxy to Vercel, review the platform's Fair Use Policy.
For web scraping, you can implement middleware that rotates User-Agent headers and limits request rates to avoid being blocked.
Every time a user makes a request through your Vercel proxy, the target site sees the IP address of the Vercel Edge Network or AWS Lambda instance handling that specific request. Because Vercel dynamically assigns nodes, your proxy's outward-facing IP may change frequently. This is excellent for masking identity but can trigger security captchas on sites like Google or Cloudflare. Best Practices and Security Considerations