A forward proxy is a server that sits between user devices and the internet. A forward proxy is commonly used for:

ByteByteGo provides tutorials, articles, and resources for learning and mastering the Go programming language, covering topics such as syntax, concurrency, and best practices. Developers can learn about Go programming fundamentals, web development with Go, and building scalable applications using Go's powerful features and standard library.

ByteByteGo

A forward proxy serves as an intermediary between user devices and the internet, commonly used for protecting clients, avoiding browsing restrictions, and blocking access to certain content. Conversely, a reverse proxy accepts client requests, forwards them to web servers, and returns the results, providing benefits like server protection, load balancing, caching static content, and handling SSL communication.

EP137: Proxy vs Reverse Proxy

WorkOS: Your app, Enterprise Ready. (Sponsored)

🚀pgai Vectorizer - Automate embeddings for search and RAG, all within PostgreSQL (Sponsored)

20 Popular Open Source Projects Started or Supported By Big Companies

10 Essential Components of a Production Web Application

The distinction between forward proxy and reverse proxy is foundational in networking. While forward proxies primarily act on behalf of clients by mediating their requests to servers (e.g., for anonymity or bypassing restrictions), reverse proxies work on behalf of servers, optimizing and securing incoming traffic through load balancing, caching, and SSL encryption. This architecture ensures scalability and robust security for modern web applications.

In a nutshell:
A forward proxy acts as a proxy for end users.
A reverse proxy acts as a proxy for backend servers.

It’s the placement of the proxy that decides whether it is Forward or Backward proxy.

If we are creating a server and client application then can both reverse and forward proxy be used in the same project