Docs › Guides › Choosing the Right Endpoint

Choosing the Right Endpoint

FourA offers three API endpoints, each optimized for different scenarios. Choosing the right one saves time, reduces costs, and improves success rates.

Quick Decision Guide

Use the single endpoint when:

  • The target page is server-rendered (no JavaScript required)
  • You need maximum speed (typically under 1 second)
  • You're collecting data from APIs or static HTML pages

Use the browser endpoint when:

  • The page relies on JavaScript to render content
  • Content loads dynamically after the initial page load
  • You need the fully rendered DOM

Use the proxy endpoint when:

  • The target site actively blocks requests
  • You need to rotate through multiple IP addresses
  • Previous attempts returned 403 or captcha pages

Endpoint Comparison

Single (POST /api/single/)

The fastest option. Sends an HTTP request with realistic browser-like wire characteristics, without spinning up a browser process.

curl -X POST https://eu.api.foura.ai/api/single/ \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"method": "GET", "url": "https://example.com/api/products", "unblocker": true}'

Typical response time: 200ms to 2s Best for: APIs, news sites, blogs, static product pages

Browser (POST /api/browser/)

Opens your URL in a Chrome browser instance. The page loads completely, JavaScript executes, and you get the final rendered HTML.

curl -X POST https://eu.api.foura.ai/api/browser/ \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://example.com/spa-app",
    "timeout_ms": 15000,
    "checkText": "data-table"
  }'

Typical response time: 2s to 10s Best for: Single-page apps (SPAs), sites with lazy loading, JavaScript-rendered content

Proxy (POST /api/proxy/)

Combines HTTP requests with automatic proxy rotation. If the first attempt fails or gets blocked, FourA retries through different proxies.

curl -X POST https://eu.api.foura.ai/api/proxy/ \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "maxTries": 5,
    "request": {
      "method": "GET",
      "url": "https://example.com/pricing",
      "unblocker": true
    }
  }'

Typical response time: 1s to 5s Best for: E-commerce price monitoring, travel aggregation, sites with bot detection

When to Combine Approaches

Some workflows benefit from using multiple endpoints:

  1. Start with single: test if the page returns useful data without a browser.
  2. Fall back to browser: if the response is empty or missing content, switch to browser rendering.
  3. Add proxy: if you're getting blocked (403/captcha), wrap your request in the proxy endpoint for automatic IP rotation.

This progressive approach keeps costs low while maximizing success rates.

Performance Tips

  • Use the single endpoint by default and only upgrade when needed
  • Set checkText in browser requests to avoid waiting for unnecessary content
  • Set maxTries in proxy requests to control retry behavior (default is 5, max is 90)
  • Keep timeout_ms values reasonable: 10 to 15 seconds for most pages

Next Steps

Last updated: May 20, 2026
Handling Anti-Bot Protection →