After Effects Proxies: Speed Up Your Workflow Guide

Proxies are lower-resolution stand-ins for your footage that make After Effects WAY faster during editing. When you render, AE uses the original full-res files.

What is a proxy?
A proxy is a smaller, lighter version of a footage item or composition. AE works with the proxy during editing, then swaps back to the original for final render. Think of it as working with a sketch instead of the oil painting.

How to create a footage proxy:
1. Select a footage item in the Project panel
2. Right-click → Set Proxy → File
3. AE opens a render dialog — choose a low-res format:
- JPEG Sequence at 50% resolution
- Or H.264 at half/quarter size
4. Once rendered, AE uses the proxy automatically

How to create a comp proxy (prerender):
For heavy compositions that are "done":
1. Select the comp in the Project panel
2. Right-click → Set Proxy → File
3. Render at working resolution
4. Now AE plays back the pre-rendered file instead of re-calculating everything

Toggling proxies on/off:
Look at the footage item in the Project panel — you'll see a small square next to the name:
- Filled square = proxy is ON (using proxy)
- Empty square = proxy is OFF (using original)
- Click the square to toggle

Toggle ALL proxies: Hold Ctrl/Cmd+Click the proxy toggle, or use the "Use All Proxies" option in Preferences.

Important: Proxies do NOT affect final render!
When you render from the Render Queue with "Use All Proxies" disabled (the default for final render), AE uses the original full-resolution files. Your output quality is identical whether you used proxies during editing or not.

When proxies are most helpful:
- 4K or higher resolution footage
- Large PSD/AI files with many layers
- Compositions with heavy effects (3D, particles, simulations)
- Working on a laptop or less powerful machine

Proxy workflow best practices:
- Create a "Proxies" folder in your project
- Use consistent naming: filename_PROXY.mov
- Set all heavy footage to proxies at the start of the project
- Before final render, toggle proxies OFF and do a final quality check

Pro tip: For the fastest proxy workflow, use Adobe Media Encoder to batch-create proxies for all your footage at once. Export everything at 50% resolution as H.264. The speed difference is dramatic — a project that stutters at 3fps can become smooth 30fps with proxies.