Clash Configuration Guide: From Beginner to Advanced

1. Core Concepts and the Connection Path

What the Client, Core, and Service Each Do

Names in the Clash ecosystem do not all refer to the same layer of software. A client typically provides the interface, manages configuration, changes system proxy settings, and starts background services. The core listens on local ports, evaluates rules, and establishes outbound connections. mihomo is an actively developed proxy core in this ecosystem, while Clash Meta is a name often found in historical documentation. Once a desktop client opens, that only confirms the front end is running—it does not prove the core has started or the subscription is valid.

A subscription provides remote configuration or node information. Nodes describe the address, protocol, and authentication details needed to connect to a proxy server. Installing a client does not provide a working route by itself; availability, data limits, and service quality depend on the provider. Before importing a subscription, make sure its source is trusted and you are authorized to use it. Subscription URLs often contain access credentials, so do not share them publicly as if they were ordinary web addresses when posting logs or screenshots.

Break a Connection into Four Stages

Think of a web request in four stages: entry, decision, resolution, and outbound connection. Entry determines whether application traffic reaches the core. Decision determines which rule matches and which policy group is used. Resolution maps a domain to an address for the connection. Outbound handling then sends the traffic directly, through a proxy, or rejects it. DNS mode, domain sniffing, and connection type can make the actual flow more complex, but these four questions are a useful troubleshooting framework. If a browser cannot load a page, check whether traffic reaches the core before changing every DNS field.

DIRECT connects to the destination over the local network. REJECT blocks the connection. A policy group can select one or more proxy nodes. In rule mode, different sites can use different routes, so seeing both a local address and a proxy exit is not necessarily a problem. Conversely, selecting DIRECT in global mode may send every connection that reaches the core directly. To understand what is happening, check the active mode, matched rule, and final outbound route—not just the connection status shown in the window.

Build a Repeatable Test

Choose two destinations with clear expected behavior: one should connect directly and the other through a proxy. Open the connection panel and note the target domain, matched rule, policy group, and final node, then check whether the page loads. Do not infer the route for every application from the exit address shown by a single site. Browser caching, per-app proxy settings, IPv6, and different connection protocols can all affect the result. The goal is to trace a request to a core log entry, not collect isolated speed-test numbers.

Learn configuration along the same path. First make sure a node can connect, then confirm that application traffic reaches the proxy, and only then fine-tune rules and DNS. Adding more rules before the previous stage works only increases the number of variables. Keep a local record of the client name, system architecture, listening port, traffic capture method, and test results. Store raw subscription and authentication details separately; never include them in troubleshooting materials intended for public sharing.

2. Choose a Client for Your Platform and Maintenance Needs

Choose a Client, Then Check Its Feature Limits

If you are new to Clash, start by looking at Clash Plus, then compare other clients based on your platform and needs. Check operating system and processor architecture first, then confirm support for subscription management, system proxy, TUN, log export, and configuration overrides. A switch in the interface does not mean every platform implements the feature in the same way. Permissions, background execution, and system networking APIs can vary by platform. If you need a particular feature, verify it with a real connection after installation.

On Windows, compare Clash Plus, Clash Verge Rev, FlClash, and Clash Nyanpasu. Clash for Windows is archived and no longer maintained. On macOS, compare Clash Plus, Clash Verge Rev, and FlClash; ClashX Meta is also archived. Archived software can help with older tutorials or configuration migration, but it is not a good default for long-term use, especially for beginners. Screenshots, button locations, and settings from an older interface should not be treated as instructions for a current client.

On Android, consider Clash Plus, Clash Meta for Android, FlClash, and Surfboard. On iOS, see Clash Plus; its official site is clashplus.io. On Linux, start by comparing Clash Verge Rev and FlClash. This shortlist does not guarantee configuration compatibility: in particular, do not assume Surfboard's configuration format can be used interchangeably with mihomo YAML. Find installation links on the downloads page; confirm your platform before choosing an app.

Check Architecture, Package Format, and Permissions

Processor architecture determines whether a program can run; package format determines how it is installed. Windows commonly uses x64 or ARM64. On macOS, distinguish Apple Silicon from Intel; on Android, check for ARM64 or older ARM devices. DEB and RPM are package formats for different Linux distributions, not interchangeable installation commands. Even when a desktop OS supports compatibility layers, prefer a package built for your architecture to reduce differences in service and virtual network interface behavior.

Choosing Between a Desktop Client and a Standalone Core

A standalone mihomo core suits servers, routers, and users already comfortable with system services. It can load a configuration and provide proxy listeners, but does not automatically include a desktop tray, subscription editor, or system proxy controls. Running a standalone core means planning process restarts, file permissions, service startup order, and log storage yourself. For everyday desktop use, learning the workflow in a graphical client first and moving to the command line later can help you avoid learning network configuration and service management at the same time.

When switching clients, keep the original subscription source, policy group selections, and any necessary override rules—but do not copy the old application's entire data directory. Client data structures, encrypted storage, and service configuration may not be compatible. A safer approach is to import the configuration into the new client, verify basic connectivity, and then migrate a few custom rules. During migration, use only one system proxy or tunnel capture method at a time. If the old client exits but leaves system proxy settings behind, check those in your OS network settings too.

3. Installation, Permissions, and a Minimal Working Baseline

Prevent Conflicts Before Installation

Choose an installer for your operating system and processor architecture from the downloads page, then follow the client's standard installation steps. Before the first launch, quit other tools that modify proxy settings or routes, and check for a stale system proxy address. Company- or school-managed computers may restrict virtual network interfaces and background services; do not bypass those policies. If the interface runs but service installation fails, check permission prompts and system restrictions before trying to reinstall over the existing copy.

On Windows, service mode and administrator privileges may be needed for a background core or TUN. macOS may ask you to approve network-related permissions; mobile operating systems generally require consent to create a VPN configuration. The VPN label indicates that the system is using its network traffic capture interface; it does not tell you which remote protocol is in use. Grant permissions only when needed and through the client's normal workflow. If the system warns about the app's source or signature, check the download source and security notice rather than treating disabling system protection as a standard installation step.

Verify Local Listening Before Importing a Complex Configuration

A minimal baseline needs only a local listener, rule mode, and an explicit direct route. The configuration below can be used to test a standalone core locally, but it contains no proxy nodes and cannot test a remote proxy route. A desktop client may manage its own listening port and control interface; after importing, inspect the effective configuration to see whether these fields have been overridden. The aim is to confirm that the core can load the configuration and that a request explicitly sent to the local proxy appears in the connection log.

mixed-port: 7890
allow-lan: false
bind-address: 127.0.0.1
mode: rule
log-level: info

rules:
  - MATCH,DIRECT

mixed-port accepts both HTTP and SOCKS proxy connections on the same listening port; it is not a remote server port. allow-lan: false limits sharing over the local network. There is no need to expose a proxy to other devices during local testing. The listening address and permitted sources are also affected by the system firewall, so one field alone is not complete access control. If you later need to share the proxy over a LAN, define the permitted devices, network range, and firewall rules separately.

Check Ports and Configuration Syntax

With a standalone core, you can start by running the configuration check command below. Adjust the executable name and path to match your installation. A successful check means the configuration can be parsed; it does not mean remote servers in the subscription are reachable. YAML uses spaces for indentation, with fields at the same level aligned and list items retaining their hyphens. When copying snippets, make sure indentation has not turned into tabs. Avoid adding two top-level fields with the same name to an existing configuration, as one may override the other or make the result ambiguous.

mihomo -t -f config.yaml
curl -I -x http://127.0.0.1:7890 https://example.com

If startup logs report a port conflict, identify the process using the port before deciding whether to quit the old app or change the listening port. After changing it, update the port in system proxy settings, browser extensions, and terminal environment variables too. On Windows, run netstat -ano | findstr :7890 to view related connections. Use the process ID to identify the app; do not terminate an unknown system process. For a more detailed walkthrough, see Port Conflicts and Changing mixed-port.

4. Importing Subscriptions, Effective Configuration, and Overrides

Check the Subscription Content and Import Result

In the client's configuration or subscription manager, add the remote URL, give it a recognizable local name, then download or update it. After import, confirm that the configuration is selected as the current one and that proxy nodes and policy groups appear. Some sources return full YAML, some return only a node list, and others use formats for different software. A successful server response does not mean the content is suitable for your client. If parsing fails after import, check the source format and subscription documentation first.

When a subscription fails, distinguish a download failure from a parsing failure. Download failures commonly involve timeouts, certificate problems, expired authentication, or server rejection. Parsing failures may be caused by an HTML response, incompatible format, or invalid fields. Check the specific error in the client; do not submit your subscription URL to an unfamiliar online converter. Query parameters in the URL may grant account access, so redact the full address and node credentials from troubleshooting screenshots, leaving only what is needed to identify the error type.

Find the Configuration That Actually Takes Effect

Desktop clients often have three layers: the original subscription, local overrides, and the effective runtime configuration. The original subscription is the downloaded content; overrides add or modify settings such as ports, DNS, or rules; the effective configuration is what the core ultimately reads. After changing a setting in the interface, check whether it changed in the runtime configuration. Editing a cached file directly may work only until the next update. If a setting keeps reverting, first find the right configuration layer instead of repeatedly editing the same temporary file.

Put customizations you want to keep in a client-supported override or merge mechanism. Clients handle arrays differently: some replace the whole list, while others support prepending or appending, so never assume a merge preserves the original rules. In particular, replacing rules, proxy-groups, or dns.nameserver wholesale can remove existing subscription content. Back up your configuration before using overrides, then check the effective configuration to confirm the final field order.

Keep References Intact When Updating Subscriptions

Rules reference policy groups, which in turn reference nodes or providers. Any name change can break those references. If an update removes a node but a locally written policy group still refers to its old name, loading may fail or the option may no longer be selectable. Where possible, have local rules refer to stable policy group names rather than individual node names that providers may change. The snippet below illustrates the structure; it is not a complete proxy configuration. The policy group named “Proxy Egress” must already be defined in the actual configuration.

rules:
  - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,example.com,Proxy Egress
  - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,lan,DIRECT
  - MATCH,DIRECT

Before updating, note which policy options currently work. After the update, retest nodes and rules. Avoid setting an excessively frequent automatic update interval: it cannot fix provider quotas or expired authentication, and may trigger access limits. If a new subscription download fails, keep the last working configuration instead of clearing everything during an outage. If the client supports configuration history, confirm which version you can roll back to. Otherwise, keep a separate backup of essential local settings.

Subscription conversion is only necessary when the source and target formats differ, and it may not preserve all protocol parameters, rule sets, or DNS behavior. After converting, still check syntax and verify connectivity; “conversion successful” does not prove the result works. Also distinguish updating a subscription from switching nodes: the former changes configuration data, while the latter only changes the current outbound selection. For the basic steps, follow the subscription import process in the Getting Started Guide.

5. Proxy Modes, System Proxy, and Traffic Capture

What Rule, Global, and Direct Modes Do

Rule mode selects an outbound route according to the order of rules in the configuration, making it the usual starting point for everyday traffic routing. Global mode sends connections that reach the core through the selected global policy, which can help test whether a route can reach a destination. Direct mode sends connections entering the core directly over the local network, making it useful for comparing local and proxy routes. These modes control how the core handles traffic it receives; they do not capture traffic on their own. If an app's traffic never reaches the core, switching modes usually will not change its connection.

For your first connection, select a specific node in a policy group and test it in rule mode. If the destination fails, temporarily switch to global mode and explicitly select the same node, then compare the connection panel. If global mode works but rule mode does not, inspect the rules and group selection. If both fail, check the node, network, or DNS. Restore the original mode after testing so you do not leave a temporary diagnostic setting in place and accidentally proxy services that should connect directly.

System Proxy Only Affects Apps That Follow It

A system proxy typically points supported system proxy settings to a local listening address. It is commonly used by browsers and desktop apps that follow those settings. Some terminal tools, games, apps with their own networking stacks, and background services do not read them automatically. So a working browser and a failing command-line tool do not, by themselves, mean the node is broken. Check whether the terminal tool supports explicit proxy options, test with a clearly defined entry point, and then decide whether environment variables or TUN are needed to capture more traffic.

curl -I -x http://127.0.0.1:7890 https://example.com
curl -I --proxy socks5h://127.0.0.1:7890 https://example.com

The two commands above use different proxy entry points. socks5h means the proxy handles resolution of the destination domain, rather than the local tool resolving it first; the DNS path after that still depends on the core configuration. Once an explicit proxy test succeeds, check the app's own proxy options. Environment variable support is inconsistent: some tools read only lowercase variables, and others override them with their own settings. Do not assume one set of variables works for every command-line app.

Use Connection Logs to Rule Out an Entry-Point Problem

If the connection panel shows no entry at all when you visit a destination, first check whether the system proxy is enabled, the listening port matches, the app has a bypass list, or another proxy extension is active. If an entry appears but uses DIRECT, check the mode and rules. If it uses a proxy but still fails, inspect the connection error and remote status. Short-lived connections or a refreshed interface can make entries hard to catch; if needed, watch the logs briefly, but do not start by enabling the most verbose logging for an extended period.

When you finish, turn off the system proxy—or confirm that the client will restore it on exit—before stopping the core. If the process exits while the system still points to its local port, apps that follow the system proxy will try to reach a listener that no longer exists and may appear to lose all network access. On mobile devices, also check whether the system VPN profile is still connected. For a comparison of traffic capture methods, read TUN Mode vs. System Proxy. Do not treat “global mode” and “system-wide traffic capture” as synonyms.

6. Rule Order, Policy Groups, and Rule Sets

The First Matching Rule Determines the Route

Rules are checked in order, and the first match usually determines how a connection is handled. Put specific exceptions before broad rules, and place the fallback rule last. DOMAIN matches one exact domain, DOMAIN-SUFFIX matches a domain and its subdomains, IP-CIDR matches a destination address range, and MATCH handles connections not matched earlier. Rule types rely on different information; domain rules may not work as expected when the domain is unavailable.

The snippet below is a standalone direct-connection example for understanding rule order and group references; it does not provide remote proxy access. “Everyday Route” contains only DIRECT, so all allowed connections use the local network. Add a node or provider to a policy group only when one is already available. Do not copy a reference rule without also defining the group it refers to; the core needs to resolve these names and their dependencies when loading the configuration.

mixed-port: 7890
allow-lan: false
mode: rule
log-level: info

proxy-groups:
  - name: Everyday Route
    type: select
    proxies:
      - DIRECT

rules:
  - DOMAIN,example.com,Everyday Route
  - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,localhost,DIRECT
  - IP-CIDR,127.0.0.0/8,DIRECT,no-resolve
  - IP-CIDR,192.168.0.0/16,DIRECT,no-resolve
  - MATCH,Everyday Route

Policy Groups Provide a Stable Link Between Rules and Nodes

A manual selection group makes behavior easy to understand: rules point to a fixed group, and you choose the route within that group. An automatic latency-testing group can select nodes based on test results, but the test URL, timeout, and interval all affect its choice. Test results mainly reflect connection setup and response time; they do not measure download bandwidth or guarantee the best route for every destination. Switching connections can also affect logins and remote sessions, so more frequent automatic selection is not always better. Observe how your apps behave.

no-resolve is used with some IP-based rules to avoid triggering DNS resolution solely to evaluate that rule; it does not disable DNS for the entire client. If a connection already has a destination IP, the rule can still match it. Before adding this parameter, decide what the rule should do: handle only connections that already have an address, or resolve domains before matching. Adding the same parameter mechanically to every address rule can produce behavior you did not intend.

Managing Rule Sets and Update Boundaries

Rule providers let you move a group of rules into a separate file or remote source and reference it from the main configuration with RULE-SET. Check that the provider's behavior type matches its content format—for example, a domain list is not the same input as classic rule lines. Validate a small local rule set first, then add sets from trusted sources. If a rule set fails to download, is cached out of date, or has the wrong format, check the provider's loading records rather than relying only on the main configuration's syntax check.

After adding a rule, close or restart the target connection before testing it. An existing long-lived connection may not move immediately when rules change, and browser caching can hide a new request. For troubleshooting, record the destination, rule, group, and node; this is more useful than pasting the entire rule list. More rules do not automatically mean more precise routing, and large overlapping lists are harder to understand and maintain. Keep only rules whose purpose, source, and position you can explain.

Test LAN, corporate network, and development environment traffic separately. Private addresses usually make sense as direct routes, but local services may use custom domains, split DNS, or specific routes that one address rule does not cover. Keep new intranet exceptions narrow to avoid changing unrelated traffic with an overly broad domain suffix. For help with a specific rule not taking effect, see the Help Center and include redacted match details.

7. TUN, DNS, and Virtual Network Interface Capture

Enable TUN Only After Basic Proxying Works

TUN captures traffic through a virtual network interface and routing rules. It is useful for apps that ignore system proxy settings, but it does not guarantee that all traffic will go through a proxy. System routes, excluded addresses, process permissions, other tunnels, and core limitations can all affect the result. Before enabling TUN, confirm that the regular proxy entry point can reach its destination and note the current network state. Otherwise, node failures, DNS issues, and virtual interface problems can happen at once, making it hard to tell what the new configuration changed.

A desktop client may need to install a background service or request elevated privileges; mobile clients usually use the system's tunnel interface. If enabling TUN fails, check permissions and service status first, then inspect interface and routing logs. Corporate VPNs, virtual machine networks, container bridges, and other proxy tunnels can all change route priority. During testing, keep only the traffic capture tools you need and note any intranet destinations that must remain reachable. If remote work depends on a particular tunnel, test changes gradually in an environment you can recover from.

Understand DNS Listening, Upstreams, and Hijacking

DNS configuration has at least three layers: whether the core provides a DNS service, whether system or app queries reach that service, and which upstream the core uses for resolution. Enabling dns.enable does not automatically route every query through the core. The snippet below illustrates how TUN and DNS can work together; merge it into an existing working configuration and make sure the client does not override it. If a dns or tun section already exists, merge the fields instead of adding a duplicate top-level key.

dns:
  enable: true
  listen: 127.0.0.1:1053
  enhanced-mode: fake-ip
  fake-ip-range: 198.18.0.1/16
  nameserver:
    - https://1.1.1.1/dns-query
    - https://dns.google/dns-query

tun:
  enable: true
  stack: mixed
  auto-route: true
  auto-detect-interface: true
  dns-hijack:
    - any:53

Whether the example upstream is reachable depends on your network, so do not treat it as a default for every environment. When encrypted DNS uses a domain as its server address, that domain may itself need to be resolved first—a bootstrap resolution problem. Port rules in dns-hijack also cannot capture every app's built-in encrypted DNS. A browser or app that opens its own HTTPS connection for DNS does not automatically turn it into an ordinary query on port 53 just because it uses DNS.

What fake-ip Does and How to Check Compatibility

In fake-ip mode, the core returns a synthetic address to the app and keeps a mapping between that address and the domain so it can continue handling the connection by domain. Seeing an address from the corresponding range is not immediately a sign of an error, but some LAN discovery tools, specialized authentication flows, and apps that depend on real addresses may need exceptions. Add exceptions only after testing the specific app rather than excluding all domains. After changing DNS mode, the app and OS may retain old results; reconnect and clear the relevant caches if needed.

To verify DNS, check both the resolution result and the query path and final outbound route. A correct exit address does not prove the DNS path is as expected, and one online test page cannot represent every app. IPv6 is a separate path to check; turning off one DNS option does not disable system IPv6. If you do not plan to use IPv6, verify behavior in the client, OS, and network instead of inferring the overall state from one setting.

After enabling TUN, test the browser, terminal, LAN services, wake-from-sleep recovery, and network switching one by one. If all connectivity fails, turn off TUN and return to the known-good system proxy baseline, then compare logs and routes. Do not change the node, upstream, and network stack all at once. For a layered checklist for “connected but cannot access the internet,” see Troubleshooting: Connected but Can't Open Websites. Make sure you can recover before enabling advanced traffic capture.

8. Maintenance, Backups, and Recovery

Maintain the App, Core, and Subscription Separately

Updating the client, core, and subscription are separate events. A client update may change the interface, service components, or how configuration is generated. A core update may add field support or change network behavior. A subscription update changes nodes, rules, or policy groups. If something breaks, first identify which layer changed most recently rather than blaming an update in general. In important environments, space these changes out and run a baseline test after each one so you can identify what needs to be rolled back.

A backup should include a secure record of the original subscription source, custom overrides, important policy group selections, listening ports, and traffic capture method. Screenshots alone are not enough to restore a configuration, while copying the entire data directory may bring along caches, stale service state, and machine-specific paths. Keep essential configuration separate from temporary data, and store backups somewhere access-controlled. Before syncing to the cloud or another device, check whether the subscription URL, node credentials, and control interface details should be included.

Troubleshoot in a Consistent Order

Check the local network, core process, configuration loading, traffic entry, rule decision, DNS, and remote node—in that order. First disable the proxy to test the base network, then restore it and see whether the target request appears. If traffic reaches the core but no usable policy is available, check the configuration and group references. If the policy is clear but the connection fails, inspect the error. A timeout only means the operation did not complete within the wait period; it does not prove a DNS problem. Connection refusal, authentication failure, and certificate errors each point to different next steps.

Change one variable at a time and record the destination and result before and after. For example, if changing nodes restores access while rules and DNS stay the same, focus next on the outbound route. If changing a rule produces the expected match but the request still times out, the problem is not solved. A troubleshooting record does not need a complex table—just note the time, symptom, change, and result. For intermittent problems, these notes are more useful than repeated restarts and can help reveal links to sleep, network changes, or subscription updates.

Interpret Latency and Logs Correctly

Node test results help with selection; they do not provide a definitive rating of the entire route. A test URL may be nearby while the actual service is on a different network. A fast connection setup can still be followed by slow downloads under congestion. Consider the actual destination's response, stability across repeated requests, and required protocol. An automatic latency test can also fail because its test URL is unreachable, so do not immediately delete every node. For more on what these measurements can and cannot tell you, read url-test Latency vs. Real-World Speed.

Set the log level to what the current diagnosis requires. Keep routine logging on for everyday use, raise verbosity briefly to reproduce a problem, then restore it. Full logs may contain domains, addresses, program paths, and authentication details; redact them before sharing. When reporting a problem, include the client name, operating system, traffic capture method, reproduction steps, and relevant error lines—not the entire configuration. For a consistently reproducible problem, keep the smallest reproduction possible and remove unrelated rules before comparing results.

Plan a Recovery Sequence

To recover, first undo the most recent change, then turn off TUN and test again with an explicit or system proxy. If necessary, restore the previous working configuration. If the client has exited but network access is still unavailable, check for stale system proxy settings and other tunnel states before resetting all network settings. Be especially careful when changing default routes on remotely managed devices, as you could lose your management connection. Before any operation that affects system networking, prepare a local access method or another way to recover.

9. Advanced Configuration Path and Acceptance Checklist

Add Capabilities to Solve Problems, Not Just More Fields

Once the basics are stable, explore three areas: move repeated rules into rule providers, move node sources into proxy providers, and use policy groups to organize routes for different apps. Introduce one mechanism at a time, test it in a copy, and only then use it in your everyday configuration. Advanced fields are not necessary by default. Add configuration only when you have a clearly identified problem, understand what the field does, and can verify the result. Reducing hidden dependencies is often more useful for long-term maintenance than adding more options.

When learning about proxy providers, first understand where node data comes from, where it is cached, when it updates, and how groups reference it. For rule providers, understand the content format and behavior type before planning how to detect a loading failure. Both use external data, so valid syntax does not guarantee successful downloads at runtime. Check the download path, file permissions, cache state, and reference names separately to avoid mistaking a provider problem for a failure of every node.

Understand Domain Information Before Exploring Sniffing

Some connections reach the core with only a destination address, leaving domain rules with no direct information to match. Domain sniffing can extract domain information from supported protocols under suitable conditions, but it is not a general-purpose decryption tool and cannot identify every connection. Before enabling it, confirm that the problem is actually a missing domain, then check the connection records afterward. Do not copy an entire sniffing configuration just because it appears in a tutorial. Pay particular attention to app compatibility, exclusions, and additional processing overhead.

Process rules, interface binding, and route exclusions also depend on the system environment. Process detection may be affected by permissions and platform support, and a background service may appear under a different identity than its front-end window. Before routing by process, verify the actual process information; do not assume the displayed app name identifies a matchable path. Providing proxy access to virtual machines, containers, or LAN devices also involves forwarding, access control, and DNS sources—well beyond proxying a browser on one computer.

Build Security Boundaries into Your Configuration Habits

Control interfaces, LAN listeners, and remote subscriptions should each have a clear purpose. When working on the local machine only, keep services bound to localhost. For access from other devices, plan authentication, allowed sources, and the system firewall. Do not bind every listener to all network interfaces just to make debugging easier and leave it that way. Apply the principle of least exposure to configuration repositories and support attachments: share public structure and redacted examples, not real subscriptions, authentication fields, or complete access logs. Keep example configurations clearly separate from production configurations.

Acceptance testing for an advanced configuration goes beyond checking whether a website opens. Also test intranet destinations that should connect directly, app sign-ins, file transfers, wake-from-sleep recovery, and network switching. After a rules update, check for new false matches; after switching nodes, see whether long-lived connections need to be re-established. On mobile devices, also consider the effect of background execution and battery policies on connectivity. Each environment has different constraints: one successful test on an always-on desktop does not prove the same behavior on every device.

After following this guide, you should be able to trace a failed request back through its entry point, rule, resolution, and outbound route instead of relying on repeated reinstalls. When consulting a new tutorial, first check which client, core, and operating system it covers, then decide which fields apply to your setup. To review the initial connection process, return to the Getting Started Guide. For troubleshooting by symptom, visit the Help Center. Keep a concise, explainable, and recoverable effective configuration as the baseline for future experiments.