To try a different route for a site in Tor Browser, open the main menu (≡) and select New Tor Circuit for this Site. Tor reloads that site over another circuit. It may help if the site will not connect or load, but it is not a reliable speed boost and does not clear cookies, history, or other private information. For a more separate browser session, use New Identity instead.
Change the circuit for one site
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In Tor Browser, open the main menu (≡).
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Select New Tor Circuit for this Site. The active tab reloads over a new circuit.
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You can also find the same control in the circuit display under the site information menu in the URL bar.
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Tor documents this feature as a way to address a site that is not connecting or loading properly. The route may use a different exit relay and therefore a different exit IP address, which can help if a site is rejecting or challenging a shared Tor exit. It does not change the route for other websites. Other tabs or windows open to the same site use the new circuit when reloaded.
What changes—and what does not
A circuit is the route Tor uses to connect to a destination. Changing the circuit for a site changes that route; it does not make the connection inherently faster, increase encryption, erase browser data, or make activity anonymous in a new way. Tor’s guidance identifies network load, latency, and relay bottlenecks as causes of slow performance, and it does not promise that switching circuits will improve speed. A new route may perform differently, but the result is not guaranteed. Tor Project support describes circuit changes as a troubleshooting option rather than a speed optimization.
A circuit change is also not an identity reset. Cookies and browsing history remain, so the site may still recognize a signed-in account or browser session. If you need to reduce the chance that subsequent browser activity is linked to the previous session, use New Identity.
Choose between a circuit change and New Identity
| Control | Scope | Clears private information? | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Tor Circuit for this Site | Current site; same-site tabs and windows adopt the route when reloaded | No | A site is failing to connect or load, or you want to try another exit relay |
| New Identity | All open tabs, windows, and connections | Yes. It closes tabs and clears private information such as cookies and history. | You want to start a more separate browser session |
New Identity stops current activity and downloads, so save anything important first. Tor’s identity-management guidance explains the scope of both controls.
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If the site still will not load
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Wait briefly and try again. Relay load and network latency affect performance, and some site warnings are temporary.
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If the site shows a CAPTCHA or warns about spyware, that alone does not mean your device is infected. Websites often challenge Tor traffic because many users share exit-relay IP addresses.
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Do not assume the circuit change failed because the first relay shown in the circuit stays the same. Tor keeps an entry guard stable—generally for about two to three months—while the rest of the route changes. This is intended to reduce exposure to certain attacks on anonymity.
Protect privacy without overriding Tor’s route
Tor chooses relays automatically. Avoid instructions that tell you to force an entry relay, exit relay, or country to gain speed or bypass a site challenge. The Tor Project says, “Modifying the way that Tor creates its circuits is strongly discouraged,” because overriding circuit construction can compromise anonymity. Tor’s default configuration is designed to work for most users; unsafe changes to torrc can weaken privacy or security.
If you sign in or send sensitive information, check that the site uses HTTPS. Tor routes traffic through its network; HTTPS protects against eavesdropping and tampering between your browser and the destination site. These protections address different parts of the connection, and one is not a substitute for the other.
Best Value
Changing a circuit also does not alter Tor Browser’s security level. Raising that separate setting restricts some site features and may reduce functionality. If your actual need is to reach a resource restricted to a particular country, Tor suggests considering a VPN for that geolocation problem, while noting that VPNs do not have Tor’s same privacy properties.
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