Rule, Global, and Direct modes explained

The outbound mode decides how traffic is handled — one of the most fundamental concepts in Clash-family clients. Switch between the three at the top of the Proxies page or from the tray menu.

The three modes compared

Rule mode (recommended for daily use): traffic is routed intelligently by the rules in your config — local sites connect directly, foreign sites go through the proxy, ad domains get blocked. Best balance of speed and experience.

Global mode: all traffic goes through the selected proxy node. Useful when you temporarily want everything proxied; for daily use it slows down local sites.

Direct mode: nothing goes through the proxy — effectively pausing it while keeping the client running.

How to switch

  1. Open the Proxies page; the mode switcher sits at the top.
  2. Or right-click the tray icon and switch under the outbound mode menu.
  3. Changes apply instantly, no restart needed.