The Basics: Sidebar Navigation and the Five Tabs
The first time you launch a Clash client (think Clash Plus, Clash Verge Rev, Clash Nyanpasu, or any other desktop GUI), you'll see the same basic layout: a sidebar on the left, a content pane on the right, and a status indicator up top or tucked in a corner. Tab names vary slightly between apps, but the functions map to each other almost one-to-one. Here are the five you'll run into most:
- Proxies: pick a node and switch proxy modes — the tab you'll use most day to day.
- Profiles: manage your subscriptions and config files — import, update, and switch between them here.
- Connections: a live list of every connection currently passing through Clash.
- Logs: the kernel's activity log — check here when troubleshooting.
- Settings: toggles for system proxy, TUN mode, ports, launch on startup, and more.
The status area usually shows three things at a glance: the current proxy mode (Rule / Global / Direct), whether the system proxy is on, and which profile is currently active. Get in the habit of glancing at these three items every time you open the client — it clears up half the confusion right away.
Don't Worry About the Naming Differences
Different clients may label the same tab differently — Proxies vs. Nodes, Profiles vs. Subscriptions — but they're the same feature underneath. Just match them up by their position in the sidebar.
The Proxies Tab: Choosing a Mode and a Node
The Proxies tab handles two things: pick a mode up top, pick a node below.
The Three Proxy Modes
| Mode | What It Does | When to Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Rule | Routes traffic based on your rule set — proxied traffic goes through the proxy, everything else (like sites hosted outside your target region) connects directly | Default for everyday use |
| Global | Sends all traffic through whichever node is currently selected | Temporary use when your rules aren't behaving as expected |
| Direct | Sends all traffic straight through, bypassing the proxy entirely | Temporarily disabling the proxy without closing the client |
Proxy Groups and Node Selection
Nodes aren't shown as one flat list — they're organized into proxy groups. Each group works like a selector: click on the group name and you'll see a list of nodes or sub-groups inside, and whichever one you click becomes active. Common group types in subscriptions include manual selection (select), auto-speed-test (url-test, which auto-picks the lowest-latency node), and failover (fallback, which switches automatically if the primary node drops). Day to day, you'll mostly deal with manual selection groups — open the group and pick a node with normal latency.
Reading Latency Test Results
Next to each group name there's usually a lightning bolt or speed-test button — click it to test latency across every node in the group. The number shown is the handshake latency to that node, in milliseconds; it tells you whether a node is reachable and roughly how responsive it is, not your actual download speed. Lower is better, and anything under a few hundred milliseconds is generally usable. A node showing timeout or a timeout error just means it's currently unreachable — pick another one.
All Timeouts? Don't Rush to Switch Subscriptions
If every node times out during a latency test, it's rarely because all the nodes are down. First check that the system proxy is on, your subscription hasn't expired, and your local network is working normally — only then consider updating or replacing your subscription.
The Profiles Tab: Importing, Updating, and Switching Subscriptions
Think of the Profiles tab as your subscription shelf. Import a subscription link once, and it turns into a profile card showing the name and last-updated time — some clients also show usage data. Here's the import flow:
- Copy your subscription link.
- Open the Profiles tab, paste the link into the input field, then click Import or Download.
- Once the profile card appears, click it to set it as the active profile.
- Head back to the Proxies tab to pick a mode and a node.
Updating a subscription: each card has a refresh button — click it to pull the latest node list. Most clients let you set an auto-update interval in Settings; 24 hours is a reasonable default, so you don't have to refresh manually every time nodes change.
If you have multiple subscriptions saved, only one is active at a time. The active card is usually highlighted or labeled "In Use." Click another card to switch — the node list on the Proxies tab updates automatically.
The Profiles tab may also offer editing options like Merge, Script, or global override configs, which let you layer your own rules and settings on top of a subscription without modifying the original. You won't need these as a beginner — just know they live on this tab.
Logs and Connections: Your Two Troubleshooting Windows
The Logs tab shows the kernel's activity log. You can pick a log level at the top: debug, info, warning, or error. Leave it on info for everyday use; switch to debug for more detail when troubleshooting, or to error if you just want to see failures — the tab clears right up.
The Connections tab is more visual: it shows a live list of every connection currently passing through Clash, including the source process, destination domain or IP, which rule matched, and which node it's routed through. A typical entry looks like this:
[TCP] 127.0.0.1:52310 --> www.google.com:443 match DomainSuffix(google.com) using HK-01How to read it: this is a TCP connection to www.google.com on port 443, matched by the domain-suffix rule google.com, and routed through the node named "HK-01." If a site won't load, open the Connections tab, reload that site, and watch for the new entry: DIRECT means it bypassed the proxy entirely; REJECT means a rule blocked it; and if you only see an IP with no domain, the request matched an IP-based rule — your routing may not be behaving as expected.
The Settings Tab: Five Toggles Worth Knowing
- System Proxy: when enabled, your OS routes traffic from apps like your browser through Clash. This is the toggle people usually mean when they say "turn the proxy on."
- TUN Mode: routes all system traffic through a virtual network adapter, covering apps that ignore the system proxy setting. Requires extra permissions or a service-mode install — turn it on only if you need it.
- Allow LAN: lets other devices on the same network, like your phone, share this computer's proxy.
- Launch on Startup / Start Minimized: launches automatically at boot and tucks itself into the tray, so you don't have to open it manually every day.
- Port Settings: the mixed proxy port defaults to 7890 and the external controller defaults to 9090; change these here if another app is already using those ports.
Quick Answers to Common Beginner Questions
Every node times out during the latency test — what now?
Check these in order: has the subscription expired, is your local network working, is the system proxy turned on. If all three check out and you're still getting timeouts across the board, update your subscription or contact your subscription provider.
I picked a node and the system proxy is on, but sites are still connecting directly?
Open the Connections tab, visit the site, and check whether the matching entry shows DIRECT or a proxy node. Also check whether your browser has a standalone proxy extension installed — extensions can bypass the system proxy, so disable it and test again.
The Profiles tab is empty — no cards at all?
That means you haven't imported a subscription yet. Follow the four-step flow in the Profiles section above: paste your subscription link to import it, then click the card once it appears to set it as active.
The Logs tab keeps scrolling and I can't make sense of it — do I need to do anything?
Nothing to worry about — a scrolling log just means the kernel is running normally. Only open it when the proxy is actually misbehaving, switch to the info or debug level, and look for lines containing error or warning to track down the cause.