# How to Set the Proxy Configuration for ModLens API Providers > Learn how to set proxy configuration for ModLens API providers. Explore global, per-provider, and environment variable settings with provider-specific overrides. - Repository: [liustack/modlens](https://github.com/liustack/modlens) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-08-25 --- **ModLens routes API requests through HTTP proxies defined either globally in `~/.modlens/config.json`, per-provider via nested configuration keys, or through standard environment variables like `HTTPS_PROXY`, with provider-specific settings always taking precedence.** ModLens is an open-source CLI tool for interacting with AI API providers. Setting the proxy configuration for ModLens API providers ensures reliable connectivity when operating behind corporate firewalls or routing traffic through intermediary gateways. ## Global Proxy Configuration The **global proxy** applies to every provider that does not define its own proxy setting. According to the `liustack/modlens` source code, the configuration loader in [`src/config.ts`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/src/config.ts) reads the top-level `proxy` key and copies it to any provider lacking an explicit definition (lines 258‑260). ```bash # Set a global proxy for all providers modlens config set proxy http://proxy.example.com:8080 ``` When present, this URL becomes the default dispatcher for all outgoing requests unless overridden at the provider level. ## Provider-Specific Proxy Configuration You can override the global setting for individual providers by specifying a proxy under the provider’s namespace. In [`src/config.ts`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/src/config.ts), the configuration merge logic treats a provider’s `proxy` field as authoritative, ignoring the global value when the provider-specific key exists (lines 277‑281). ```bash # Set a proxy only for the OpenAI provider modlens config set openai.proxy http://openai-proxy.example.com:3128 ``` This allows you to route sensitive providers through dedicated gateways while sending other traffic through the global proxy. ## Configuration Precedence and Resolution ModLens resolves proxy settings through a strict precedence chain implemented in [`src/net/proxy.ts`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/src/net/proxy.ts): 1. **Provider-level** `proxy` (e.g., `openai.proxy`) 2. **Global** `proxy` defined at the root of [`config.json`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/config.json) 3. **Environment variables** (`HTTPS_PROXY`, `HTTP_PROXY`, `https_proxy`, `http_proxy`) When an effective proxy URL is determined, the `apiFetch` wrapper constructs a `ProxyAgent` from Undici and injects it into the request dispatcher (lines 22‑24). If no configuration is found, the system falls back to standard environment variables (lines 26‑28) before connecting directly to the endpoint. ## CLI Commands for Proxy Setup Use the built-in configuration CLI to persist proxy settings without manually editing JSON: ```bash # Configure global proxy modlens config set proxy http://proxy.example.com:8080 # Configure provider-specific proxy (overrides global) modlens config set openai.proxy http://openai-proxy.example.com:3128 # Verify effective configuration modlens config show # Execute a request using the resolved proxy modlens -i screenshot.png -p openai ``` ## Environment Variable Fallback If you prefer not to commit proxy URLs to the configuration file, ModLens detects standard proxy environment variables. As implemented in [`src/net/proxy.ts`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/src/net/proxy.ts), the dispatcher checks for `HTTPS_PROXY`, `HTTP_PROXY`, and their lowercase variants (lines 26‑28). ```bash export HTTPS_PROXY="http://proxy.example.com:8080" modlens -i screenshot.png -p gemini-api ``` This approach is ideal for ephemeral environments or CI/CD pipelines where configuration files are not persisted. ## Security Considerations Proxy URLs containing authentication credentials are automatically redacted in logs. The [`src/util/redact.ts`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/src/util/redact.ts) utility parses proxy strings to mask usernames and passwords before writing to stdout or logfiles, preventing accidental credential leakage in shared environments. ## Summary - **Global proxy**: Set via `modlens config set proxy` and stored at the root of `~/.modlens/config.json`; applies to all providers without specific overrides. - **Provider-specific proxy**: Set via `modlens config set .proxy`; takes precedence over global settings as enforced in [`src/config.ts`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/src/config.ts). - **Resolution order**: Provider config > Global config > Environment variables (`HTTPS_PROXY`, `HTTP_PROXY`) > Direct connection. - **Implementation**: Proxy agents are constructed in [`src/net/proxy.ts`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/src/net/proxy.ts) using Undici’s `ProxyAgent` dispatched at lines 22‑24. - **Logging safety**: Credentials embedded in proxy URLs are sanitized by [`src/util/redact.ts`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/src/util/redact.ts) before output. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How do I set a global proxy for all ModLens providers? Run `modlens config set proxy ` to write the proxy URL to the top-level `proxy` key in `~/.modlens/config.json`. This value is inherited by every provider unless they define their own `proxy` setting, as handled by the merge logic in [`src/config.ts`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/src/config.ts) (lines 258‑260). ### Can I use different proxies for different API providers? Yes. Use the command `modlens config set .proxy ` to define a provider-specific proxy. According to the source in [`src/config.ts`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/src/config.ts) (lines 277‑281), provider-level settings override the global configuration, allowing you to route OpenAI traffic through one gateway and Gemini through another. ### What environment variables does ModLens check for proxy settings? ModLens checks `HTTPS_PROXY`, `HTTP_PROXY`, `https_proxy`, and `http_proxy` as fallbacks when no configuration file settings exist. This behavior is implemented in [`src/net/proxy.ts`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/src/net/proxy.ts) (lines 26‑28) and follows standard Node.js conventions. ### How does ModLens handle proxy authentication credentials? You may embed credentials directly in the proxy URL (e.g., `http://user:pass@proxy.example.com:8080`). The [`src/util/redact.ts`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/src/util/redact.ts) module automatically detects and masks these credentials in log output, ensuring that sensitive authentication details are not exposed in console history or logfiles.