Add a profile

Clash for Windows supports two profile import methods:

  • Remote subscription URL
  • Local configuration file

Method 1: remote subscription URL

Copy a Clash subscription URL from your provider. This guide uses 畅连 as an example.

Copy a subscription URL

Open the 配置 (Profiles) page, paste the URL into the field at the top, and click 下载 (Download). When the download finishes, select the new profile to make it active.

Download a profile in Clash for Windows

Method 2: local configuration file

If you already have a local YAML file, drag it onto the Profiles page or click Import and choose the file.

Import a local profile in Clash for Windows

Select a proxy node

Open 代理 (Proxies) and initially keep 规则 (Rule) selected in the upper-right corner. The four modes work as follows:

  • Rule: applies the profile rules to connect directly, use a proxy, or reject traffic.
  • Global: sends every request to the current proxy node.
  • Direct: connects every request directly without a proxy.
  • Script: handles requests according to the script result.

规则 mode is the usual starting point. To troubleshoot a rule, temporarily compare it with Global mode. Expand a policy group and select an available node.

Rule mode in Clash for Windows

Enable the proxy

Open 主页 (General) and enable 系统代理 (System Proxy). Once the switch turns green, apps that respect the Windows system proxy will send requests through Clash for Windows.

Enable System Proxy in Clash for Windows

The tray icon changes to a gold cat. The image below explains the different icon colors.

Clash for Windows tray icon color states

Launch at startup

To start the client when you sign in to Windows, open 主页 (General) and enable 开机自启动 (Start with Windows). First confirm that the client exits cleanly and restores the proxy correctly.

Configure Clash for Windows to launch at startup

Update profiles

Open 配置 (Profiles) from the left menu and click 更新全部 (Update All) to refresh every remote profile.

Update profiles in Clash for Windows