GLOSSARY · Term Ledger
Organized into six categories — Core & Protocols, Proxy Modes, Rules & Proxy Groups, Subscriptions & Configuration, DNS & Networking Basics, and Clients & Platforms — covering 24 common terms. Each entry includes a definition, its purpose, and usage notes, with individual anchor links reachable from the index or category nav.
TERM INDEX · Full Entry List
The core is the program actually doing the forwarding work inside a client; the protocol is the language it speaks with the server. Sort out these two layers first, and the mode, rule, and configuration terms that follow will fall into place.
CORE-01
mihomo is the community successor core that took over after the original Clash core was archived, formerly known as Clash Meta. It parses configurations, matches rules, and establishes proxy connections — the engine actually running inside most GUI clients. The core itself has no interface and needs a GUI client or command line to operate.
CORE-02
Clash Meta is the former name of the mihomo core; both refer to the same project. The "Meta core" mentioned in older clients and tutorials is what is now called mihomo. Configuration fields and rule syntax remained compatible after the rename, so older tutorial steps still work.
CORE-03
A proxy protocol is the agreed-upon data transfer format between client and server, with common types including Shadowsocks, VMess, VLESS, Trojan, and Hysteria. Different protocols vary in encryption method, handshake process, and resistance to interference; each node in a subscription link lists its protocol type.
CORE-04
A node is a proxy server available for connection; each entry under proxies in a configuration file corresponds to one node. Node info includes the server address, port, protocol, and credentials, usually pushed in bulk via a subscription link. Switching nodes doesn't change the rules, only where traffic exits.
Three basic modes determine the overall direction of traffic, while TUN mode takes over the entire device's traffic at the network layer. Day-to-day mode selection and troubleshooting both start with this set of terms.
MODE-01
Rule mode matches requests against the rule list one by one: traffic hitting a proxy rule goes through a node, while traffic hitting a direct rule or the fallback rule uses the local network. It's the recommended mode for daily use, sending domestic services direct and overseas services through the proxy without one interfering with the other.
MODE-02
In global mode, every request — regardless of destination — is routed through the currently selected proxy node, and the rule list no longer applies. Useful for temporarily troubleshooting routing issues or when access must go through a proxy; leaving it on long-term will also route domestic sites through overseas servers.
MODE-03
In direct mode, all traffic bypasses the proxy and goes straight out from the device, effectively suspending the client's forwarding function. It's often used as a baseline test — switching to direct mode when a proxy is suspected of causing issues quickly reveals which leg of the chain is at fault.
MODE-04
TUN mode intercepts all system traffic at the network layer via a virtual network adapter, independent of whether individual apps respect the system proxy setting. This means command-line tools, games, and apps that ignore the system proxy can still be routed; enabling it in most clients requires administrator privileges and installing a virtual adapter component.
Rules handle the decision-making, proxy groups handle the exit point — together they form a complete routing system. Rule order and the fallback destination are the usual focus when troubleshooting.
RULE-01
Rule routing is the core mechanism of Clash: it assigns requests to different proxy groups based on conditions like domain, IP range, or process name. Rules are evaluated top to bottom and matching stops at the first hit, so order directly affects the outcome — more specific conditions should be placed earlier when writing custom rules.
RULE-02
A proxy group is a logical grouping of nodes, with rules pointing to the group rather than a specific node. Common types include manual selection (select), automatic latency testing (url-test), failover (fallback), and load balancing (load-balance) — switching the active node within a group changes the exit point for that entire category of traffic.
RULE-03
GeoIP is a rule type that matches based on IP geolocation, relying on a geo-IP database built into the client or updated with the configuration. A typical entry like GEOIP,CN matches mainland China IP ranges, commonly used for "domestic traffic goes direct" routing decisions; GEOSITE works similarly but matches against a domain database.
RULE-04
MATCH is the final entry in a rule list, matching any request not caught by earlier rules. It determines the default traffic destination: pointing it to a proxy group sends all unlisted traffic through a node, while pointing it to DIRECT makes direct connection the default. Only one MATCH rule is allowed per configuration.
Subscription links solve where nodes come from, YAML and overrides solve how to modify configuration, and mixed ports solve how the local machine and LAN devices connect.
SUB-01
A subscription link is a distribution address provided by a service, which the client periodically queries to fetch the latest node list and rule template. Content is usually a Base64-encoded list or a YAML document; once imported, it can be refreshed with one click in the client, no manual server entry required.
SUB-02
YAML is the text format used by Clash configuration files, relying on indentation to express hierarchy, with the extension .yaml or .yml. When editing, indentation must use spaces and stay aligned by level, with a space after each colon — formatting errors are the most common cause of configuration load failures.
SUB-03
An override (also called a mixin) lets the client automatically append or replace specified configuration sections after updating a subscription, without modifying the original subscription content. It's ideal for locking in custom rules or DNS settings, avoiding the need to redo changes manually every time a subscription updates.
SUB-04
A mixed port lets HTTP and SOCKS proxies share a single local listening port, avoiding the need to track separate port numbers for each protocol. Combined with the allow-LAN-connections toggle, phones and computers can share this port to access the same proxy; the setting is usually found on the client's port settings page.
Whether resolution goes through the proxy and what those latency numbers actually mean — this set of terms is key to reading a client's status panel and speed-test results.
NET-01
A DNS leak occurs when domain resolution requests bypass the proxy tunnel and go straight to the ISP's DNS, exposing browsing activity and potentially returning tampered results. Enabling the client's built-in DNS (fake-ip or redir-host paired with nameserver) routes resolution through the proxy chain and is a standard fix for leaks.
NET-02
Fake-IP is a DNS mode used by Clash: domains matching proxy rules are first returned a placeholder address from a reserved range, and the real address is resolved through the proxy only once the connection is established. This cuts down on DNS round-trip waits and avoids returning tampered results locally; most clients enable it by default.
NET-03
Latency is the time between a client sending a test request to a node and receiving a response, measured in milliseconds. The number shown in a client only reflects the leg up to the node's entry point, not the actual speed of reaching a target website; a timeout usually means the node is unavailable or the local network is being blocked.
NET-04
The system proxy is an OS-level proxy toggle; once enabled, applications that respect this setting will forward their traffic to the client's local listening port. Browsers and most desktop apps follow the system proxy by default, while some command-line tools and games ignore this setting and need TUN mode or separate configuration.
How the GUI client relates to the core, plus each platform's specific restrictions and toggles — just match them to whichever device you're using.
APP-01
A GUI client refers to a graphical shell around Clash that displays nodes, toggles the system proxy, and drives the core. Clash Plus, Clash Verge Rev, and FlClash all fall into this category; they update separately from the core, and any action in the interface ultimately maps back to the core's configuration.
APP-02
Clash Plus is the all-platform GUI client recommended by this site, covering Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, with the iOS version distributed through the App Store. Official site: clashplus.io. It has the mihomo core built in, with graphical toggles for subscription import, rule routing, and TUN mode.
APP-03
The UWP loopback restriction is a Windows sandbox limitation on Store-distributed apps: by default, they're blocked from accessing the local loopback address, which breaks connectivity when the system proxy points to 127.0.0.1. It can be lifted per app using the built-in CheckNetIsolation command.
APP-04
LAN sharing (allow-lan) opens the client's listening proxy port to other devices on the same local network. Once enabled, phones and tablets can share the proxy by entering the computer's LAN IP and mixed port, without needing to install a client on every device.