External controller and web dashboards

Advanced featuresUpdated 2026-06-14

The core exposes a RESTful API (the external controller). Paired with a web dashboard, you can watch connections and switch nodes from a browser — great for power users and remote management.

Enable the external controller

1. Open Settings and find “External Controller”.
2. It listens on 127.0.0.1:9097 by default; change the port if needed.
3. Set an access secret to keep other local programs from talking to the API uninvited.

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Using a web dashboard

Popular open-source dashboards include metacubexd and yacd: open the dashboard in a browser, enter the API address http://127.0.0.1:9097 and your secret, and connect. You can watch live connections and traffic, switch group nodes, read logs, and test latency — the same features as in the client, on a bigger screen.

Related guides

Using TUN mode

Capture all traffic through a virtual adapter, covering apps that ignore the system proxy.

Installing service mode

Install the system service so TUN mode runs without administrator prompts.

DNS settings explained

How the built-in DNS works and the adjustments you may actually need.