Clash Usage Guide

Quick Start

Get started with Clash in just three steps:

Windows Installation Guide

The following guide uses Clash Verge Rev as an example (highly recommended for beginners).

macOS Installation Guide

The following guide uses ClashX Meta as an example installation process.

Android Installation Guide

Using FlClash as an example. Install via APK directly, no Google Play required.

iOS Installation Guide

Using Stash as an example:

Linux Installation Guide

Linux options include GUI clients (Clash Verge Rev) and command-line cores (Mihomo).

Option 1: GUI Client (Recommended for Desktop)

# Install DEB package (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo dpkg -i clash-verge-rev-linux-amd64.deb
# Or install RPM package (Fedora/CentOS)
sudo rpm -i clash-verge-rev-linux-x86_64.rpm

Import Subscription URL

A "Subscription Link" (Subscription URL) is a node configuration address from your provider. Clash uses it to automatically pull and parse all available nodes.

General Import Steps

1. Open Clash, and find the "Subscription," "Config," or "Profile" section.
2. Click the Add button (usually "+"), and select "Import URL" or "Remote Config"
3. Paste your subscription URL and click Confirm/Import
4. Wait for the client to fetch and parse nodes (usually takes a few seconds)
5. Select a node from the proxy list and start the service

Auto-Update Subscriptions

We recommend enabling auto-update for subscriptions. This is usually found in Subscription Settings; a 24-hour interval is recommended to keep node information current.

Configuration Details

Clash uses YAML for its configuration file (config.yaml). Understanding its structure helps you customize rules and policy groups.

mixed-port: 7890       # HTTP and SOCKS5 mixed port
allow-lan: false       # Set true to share proxy with LAN devices
mode: rule             # rule | global | direct
log-level: info

proxies:
  # Proxy nodes (usually imported via subscription)
  - name: HK-01
    type: trojan
    server: hk.example.com
    port: 443
    password: your-password

proxy-groups:
  - name: PROXY
    type: select
    proxies: [HK-01, DIRECT]

rules:
  - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,google.com,PROXY
  - DOMAIN-KEYWORD,youtube,PROXY
  - GEOIP,CN,DIRECT
  - MATCH,PROXY

Rule Routing Setup

Rule-based routing is Clash's core feature, allowing local traffic to connect directly while global traffic goes through a proxy and ads are blocked—all automatically.

Rule Types Overview

Supported Protocols

Clash (based on Mihomo/Clash.Meta cores) supports the industry's most comprehensive set of protocols for diverse environments and security needs.

TUN Mode Config

TUN mode creates a virtual network interface to intercept all system TCP/UDP traffic, providing true global proxying for apps that don't support system proxy (e.g., some games, CLI tools).

Enable TUN in Clash Verge Rev

1. Run Clash Verge Rev as Administrator (Right-click → Run as administrator)
2. Go to "Settings" → "System Settings"
3. Toggle the "TUN Mode" switch to ON
4. Click "Yes" when the permission request appears
5. Wait for the virtual adapter to be created; "TUN Running" indicates success

tun:
  enable: true
  stack: system   # system | gVisor | mixed
  auto-route: true
  auto-detect-interface: true
  dns-hijack:
    - any:53

Policy Group Settings

Policy groups (proxy-groups) allow you to organize nodes into strategies for auto-selection, load balancing, failover, and more.

Core Arch & Performance

Clash is trusted by millions because of its rich features and an underlying architecture optimized for high throughput, low latency, and efficiency.

Go Language: Native High Concurrency

The Clash core (Mihomo) is written in Go. Its goroutine scheduling model allows handling thousands of concurrent connections with minimal memory—the core remains fast even when streaming, gaming, and downloading simultaneously. Compared to C/C++ implementations, Go offers superior development efficiency and runtime safety, with memory safety mechanisms reducing crash and vulnerability risks.

High-Speed Protocol Support

Choosing the right protocol is key to speed. These protocols are natively supported by Mihomo and optimized for high-bandwidth scenarios:

• Hysteria2: Built on QUIC/UDP, designed for high-latency/high-loss networks. Delivers speeds up to hundreds of Mbps; ideal for streaming and gaming.
• TUIC: Also QUIC-based, with 0-RTT handshakes for ultra-low initial latency. Best for real-time communication.
• VLESS + REALITY: Lightweight encryption with near-zero overhead, using real-site certificate masking for superior anti-detection.
• WireGuard: A modern kernel-level VPN protocol with low overhead and very low latency.

Smart DNS & Rule Caching

Mihomo features built-in DNS caching and rule indexing for nearly zero-cost repeated requests. Combined with Routing Rules, local traffic connects directly, avoiding the proxy node and reducing latency.

Register US Apple ID

Due to regional policies, proxy apps must be purchased with a US App Store account. Here is the full registration process.

Linux CLI Config Guide

Configure proxy via command line using the Mihomo core on servers without a desktop environment.

# Create config directory
sudo mkdir -p /etc/mihomo
sudo cp config.yaml /etc/mihomo/

# Create systemd service file
sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/mihomo.service <<EOF
[Unit]
Description=Mihomo Clash Kernel
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/mihomo -f /etc/mihomo/config.yaml
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=3

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

# Enable and start the service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable mihomo
sudo systemctl start mihomo
sudo systemctl status mihomo

Frequently Asked Questions