Clash Quickstart: Four Steps to Import a Subscription and Connect

Before You Start: Two Things to Confirm

First, make sure the client is installed and opens properly. Installers and store links for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS are all on the download page — just pick your platform. If your system's security prompts block the install, that's common; see the installation and setup section of Common Questions for how to handle it.

Second, have a working subscription link ready. It's provided by your service provider — a long URL starting with https://, usually found under "Subscription" or "One-Click Import" on the provider's site. This site only offers client downloads and tutorials, not any proxy service — without a subscription link, the steps below have nothing to work with. You can look up the exact meaning of terms like subscription and configuration file in the glossary.

One more tip: if you have other proxy-related software running, quit it first. Two programs fighting over the same proxy port is one of the most common causes of a failed first-time setup.

1Import the Subscription

Copy the entire subscription link to your clipboard first. Make sure you copy it from start to end — a link that's missing a chunk in the middle will throw an error during download, and it's the first pitfall most newcomers hit.

Then open the client and find the subscription entry:

• Clash Verge Rev (Windows / macOS / Linux): Click "Subscriptions" in the sidebar, paste the link into the input box at the top of the page, and click "Import" on the right.
• Clash Plus (all platforms): The home screen has a built-in entry for adding a subscription — open it, paste the link, and confirm.
• Clash Meta for Android: Go to the "Profiles" tab, tap the plus icon in the bottom right, choose "Import from URL", paste the link and save, then tap the newly added entry to start the download.
• iOS clients: On the app's configuration or subscription screen, choose to add via URL, paste the link, and confirm.

Once confirmed, the client downloads the configuration content from that URL. Success looks like this: a new configuration card appears in the list, showing the config name, update time, and sometimes traffic info. Don't forget to select this card so it's marked as active (highlighted or checked) — importing only fetches the config, selecting it is what makes it take effect. Most people get stuck at "imported but nothing happens" simply because they skipped this.

If the download fails, first check whether the link was copied in full and whether your device has a working network connection; some subscription URLs require certain network conditions to reach, and that scenario is covered in Common Questions — not detailed here. Once the import succeeds, the config is in place, and next you decide how traffic gets routed.

2Choose a Proxy Mode

Clash has three basic modes: Rule, Global, and Direct. Rule mode routes each request to the proxy or straight to the internet based on the rules in the config file; Global mode sends all traffic through the proxy; Direct mode sends everything straight out locally, effectively turning the proxy off. For everyday use, stay on Rule mode by default — it reaches sites that need a proxy without slowing down local sites or banking apps. For a deeper comparison of the three modes and when to use each, read Proxy Modes Explained.

Where to switch modes: on desktop it's usually a row of clickable mode names at the top of the main window or the "Proxies" page; on mobile it's typically a "Mode" item on the home screen or in settings. Tap "Rule" and confirm it's selected.

After picking a mode, choose a node. Open the "Proxies" page and you'll see one or more proxy groups, each listing nodes provided by your service. Tap the latency test button first (usually a lightning bolt or waveform icon), wait for a millisecond value to appear next to each node, then pick one with a lower number and a greener color. Some configs include an "Auto" group — selecting it works too, since the client will automatically pick whichever node currently has the lowest latency. Note that this millisecond figure only reflects handshake time and doesn't fully match real-world experience; if you're curious, read How Latency Numbers Work.

3Turn On the Connection

The config is chosen and the node is set, but at this point the system's traffic still hasn't been handed to Clash. This step differs by platform, so let's go through each:

Windows / macOS / Linux

Find the "System Proxy" toggle in the client's settings or main window and turn it on. Once enabled, the operating system routes network requests from apps like your browser through the client. When the toggle lights up or the menu bar/tray icon changes, it means traffic has been taken over. Some apps that bypass the system proxy (certain command-line tools, games) need TUN mode to be captured — that's a more advanced topic; steps and caveats are in the relevant platform section of the multi-platform guide, and you don't need it for your first run.

Android

Go back to the client's home screen and tap the big start button. The system will show a VPN connection request — tap "Allow". This is Android's standard way of taking over traffic; it works by creating a virtual network adapter on the device, and your traffic doesn't pass through any third-party server first. After allowing it, a key or VPN icon will appear in the status bar, meaning the connection is established.

iOS

Tap the connect toggle in the app. The first time, a system prompt asking to "Add VPN Configurations" will appear — tap Allow and authenticate with your passcode or Face ID. A VPN indicator will then appear in the status bar as well. You won't need to authorize again on future connections.

At this point, the toggle is on and the icon is lit. But "looks connected" and "actually working" are two different things, which is exactly what the final step checks.

4Verify It Works

Verification has two parts: one external, one internal.

1. External check: Open your browser and visit a site you previously confirmed you couldn't reach. If it loads normally, the proxy path is working. It's a good idea to try this in a fresh incognito window to avoid false positives from browser cache.
2. Internal check: Go back to the client, open the "Connections" or "Logs" panel, refresh the page you just tried, and watch for a new connection entry to appear — check whether the node column matches the one you picked. If there's an entry and the node matches, your traffic is genuinely following your settings.

If both checks pass, congratulations — your first-time setup is complete. From now on, each time you start up, just confirm the client is running and the toggle is on.

If the page won't load, check in this order — the cause is usually found within three steps: switch to a node with normal latency and try again (to rule out a single bad node); confirm the mode is set to Rule or Global, not Direct; and finally check whether the system proxy or VPN toggle is genuinely turned on. If it's still not working, the error messages in the logs panel are the best clue — Reading Clash Logs explains what common entries mean; for solutions to more specific symptoms, check the troubleshooting section of Common Questions.

After You're Done: Where to Go Next

Getting it running is just the starting point — three things are worth learning next:

• Keep your subscription updated: providers adjust nodes from time to time; tap the update button on the config card to pull the latest content, and most clients also support setting an automatic update interval.
• Go deeper by platform: advanced items like TUN mode, launch on startup, and LAN sharing are covered step by step, per platform, in the multi-platform guide.
• Look up anything unfamiliar: terms like Mixed Port, GeoIP, and proxy groups all have concise entries in the glossary.

That's the end of the tutorial. Hope those ten minutes were well spent.