What Is Clash?

Clash is an open-source, rule-based network proxy client. Its core is written in Go and supports mainstream protocols including Shadowsocks, VMess, Trojan, VLESS, and Hysteria2. Clash's standout feature is its powerful rule-based routing engine — you can precisely control which traffic goes through the proxy and which connects directly, giving you both speed and flexibility.

The original Clash project has been archived, and the most actively maintained successor is the Mihomo core (formerly Clash.Meta), along with a range of GUI clients built on top of it. This guide uses Clash Verge Rev as the example — one of the most actively maintained desktop clients, supporting Windows, macOS, and Linux, with a modern interface suitable for beginners.

This guide covers client setup only. Proxy nodes (subscription links) must be obtained from a proxy service provider. This site does not provide proxy services.

Step 1: Download and Install the Clash Client

Visit the downloads page and choose the Clash Verge Rev package for your OS. Before downloading, check your system architecture: Intel Macs use amd64, Apple Silicon (M-series) uses arm64, and most Windows users should choose the x64 version.

  • Windows: Download the .exe installer, double-click to run it, follow the setup wizard, and a desktop shortcut will appear when done.
  • macOS: Download the .dmg file, open it, and drag the Clash Verge icon into the Applications folder.
  • Linux: Download the .deb package and run sudo dpkg -i clash-verge_*.deb, or download the .AppImage, make it executable, and run it directly.
On macOS, you may see a "Cannot verify developer" prompt on first launch. Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, find the blocked app, and click "Open Anyway", then confirm with your password.

Step 2: Import a Subscription Link

A subscription link (subscribe URL) is an HTTPS address provided by your proxy service provider. The client fetches this URL to download a YAML configuration file containing your proxy node list. Each time you update the subscription, the client re-downloads the latest node list — so when your provider adds or changes nodes, one click is all it takes to sync.

1

Open the Profiles page

Launch Clash Verge Rev and click the "Profiles" icon in the left sidebar. The list will be empty the first time — that's expected.

2

Paste your subscription link

Click the "Import" button in the top-right corner of the page. Paste the full subscription URL from your provider into the input box, then click Confirm. The client will immediately fetch the URL and download the config file, usually within a few seconds.

3

Activate the profile

Once downloaded, the subscription card appears in the list showing the node count and last update time. Click the card to activate it — a blue highlight on the left edge of the card confirms it's active.

Step 3: Enable System Proxy

With a profile active, you still need to tell the operating system to forward traffic through Clash. This is done by enabling "System Proxy" — Clash automatically updates your system's proxy settings and takes over HTTP/HTTPS traffic from browsers and most apps.

Click "Home" in the left sidebar, find the "System Proxy" toggle and switch it on — the toggle turning blue means it's active. For the proxy mode, "Rule" mode is recommended: Clash evaluates each request against your rule list and routes it either directly or through the proxy, all transparently in the background.

If a browser was already open when you enabled System Proxy, refresh the page or restart the browser for the proxy to take effect on existing tabs.

Verify Your Setup

After completing the three steps above, you can verify that the proxy is working:

  1. Try a proxied site: Open a website that requires the proxy. If it loads normally, your proxy is working.
  2. Check the Connections page: In Clash Verge Rev, the "Connections" page shows a live list of network requests — you can see traffic being routed through Clash in real time.
  3. Test node latency: Go to the "Proxies" page and click the latency test button to measure response times for all nodes. Green indicates a healthy, low-latency node.

Clash Proxy Modes (Rule / Global / Direct)

Clash offers three proxy modes you can switch between as needed:

  • Rule mode: Routes traffic according to the rules in your config file — the recommended mode for everyday use.
  • Global mode: All traffic goes through the proxy, useful when you want every request to be proxied temporarily.
  • Direct mode: Proxy is bypassed for all traffic, effectively pausing Clash's proxy function.

Advanced Tips

Update Your Subscription Regularly

Proxy providers periodically add, replace, or remove nodes. It's a good idea to click the update button on the Profiles page every 1–3 days, or enable "Auto Update" in the card settings with an interval (e.g. 24 hours) so the client silently syncs in the background.

Launch at Startup & Run Minimized

Enable "Launch at Login" under Settings → System to have Clash start with your system and automatically restore the last proxy state — no need to manually re-enable it each time. You can also enable "Minimize to System Tray" to keep Clash running silently in the background without taking up desktop space.

Switch Nodes Quickly

If the current node feels slow or has high latency, go to the "Proxies" page, click "Latency Test" to benchmark all nodes, and select the one with the lowest latency shown in green. The switch takes effect instantly without restarting the app.

Use TUN Mode for Full Traffic Coverage

System Proxy only intercepts apps that respect proxy settings. If you need games, CLI tools, or other apps to be routed through Clash as well, enable TUN mode in Settings. Clash will create a virtual network interface and capture all TCP/UDP traffic at the OS level.

Running into issues? Check the Help Center, or visit Detailed Tutorials for platform-specific setup steps.

Getting Started Configuration Clash Verge Rev Subscription