This guide walks through a clean Clash Verge setup on Windows 11: install the client, import a subscription, update its profile, choose a proxy, and check whether traffic is following the expected route. The exact wording and placement of controls can differ between releases, so treat the labels below as landmarks rather than assuming every screen looks identical. A subscription link is sensitive account information; keep it private and use it only in a client you trust.
Prepare Windows and Clash Verge
Before installing anything, confirm that the computer is running a supported 64-bit Windows 11 edition and that you have permission to install desktop applications. Close other proxy clients for the initial setup. Two clients can compete to change the system proxy, create overlapping routes, or leave Windows pointing to an old local proxy after one app exits. If you already use another client, note its current settings so you can restore them later.
Obtain Clash Verge from its official distribution channel or a source you can independently verify. Check that the application name and publisher information match the expected project, and avoid repackaged installers, download mirrors that replace files, or unsolicited links. Windows may display a security prompt for a newly downloaded application. Do not bypass a warning unless you have verified the installer and understand why the prompt appeared.
Install the application using the standard Windows installer flow. If Windows asks for permission to make changes, approve only when you have just launched the installer you intended to use. After installation, open Clash Verge and let it initialize its core. The client uses a proxy core to interpret profiles and route traffic; a profile can import successfully while the core or system proxy is still inactive, so installation alone does not establish a connection.
For the first test, keep the setup simple. Do not enable TUN mode, install extra network drivers, or change DNS settings merely because those options are visible. Begin with the standard system-proxy behavior, which is easier to inspect and reverse. TUN mode is useful for applications that do not honor Windows’ system proxy, but it changes more of the computer’s network path and may require elevated permissions or a service component.
6
setup stages in this guide
1
client to control the proxy
2
checks: route and public IP
Import the subscription profile
Find the subscription link in the provider’s account area or setup instructions. It is usually a long URL that gives the client access to a profile or a profile provider. Treat it like a password: do not paste it into public chat, screenshots, issue reports, or a shared document. Anyone who obtains a working link may be able to retrieve configuration information associated with the account. If it is exposed, check whether the provider lets you renew or replace it.
In Clash Verge, open the profile management area. Depending on the release, it may be called Profiles, Subscriptions, or something similar. Choose the option to add a profile by URL, paste the complete subscription link, and save or confirm. Avoid adding spaces before or after the URL. If the client asks for a display name, choose a neutral label that helps you recognize the profile without revealing private account details.
After adding the profile, select its update or download action. A successful result should show a profile entry and some indication that its configuration has been retrieved. A link being accepted is not proof that the profile is current: the request might fail because of a copied character, an expired link, a temporary network problem, or a server response the client cannot parse. Read the displayed error rather than repeatedly clicking update.
Some providers supply a Clash-compatible profile directly; others provide a subscription format intended for a different client. If the link is accepted but the profile contains no usable proxies, check the provider’s instructions for the correct format or a supported conversion option. Do not assume every subscription URL works in every client. Also avoid manually editing a downloaded profile unless you understand YAML indentation and the meaning of the changed fields; a small formatting error can make an otherwise valid configuration unreadable.
If you are comparing provider coverage and client setup together, begin with Reliable VPN for China and then confirm that the subscription format offered for your account is compatible with Clash Verge. The provider’s current setup instructions are the best source for the exact link to copy and any client-specific requirements.
Refresh the profile and select a proxy
Once the profile has downloaded, select it as the active configuration if Clash Verge does not do so automatically. Then open the proxy or connection view. Depending on the configuration, proxies may appear individually or inside groups such as automatic selection, regional selection, or load balancing. A group is not necessarily a server: it may be a rule that chooses among several available entries.
For a basic test, choose a clearly named individual proxy if one is available, or select a sensible option within the provider’s recommended group. Avoid changing many variables at once. Start with the provider’s suggested route, allow the client to apply it, and test a site or application that normally works directly. If a group offers a latency test, treat the result only as a comparison at that moment; a probe does not guarantee that every website or application will perform the same way.
Clash configurations commonly offer different operating modes. Rule mode sends traffic according to rules in the profile, so some destinations may go through a proxy while others connect directly. Global mode sends traffic handled by the client through the selected proxy more broadly. Direct mode bypasses proxies. For ordinary use, follow the profile’s intended mode rather than switching to Global by default. A site loading in Rule mode does not mean every application is routed through the same server.
Use the profile’s update control when the provider says the subscription has changed or when expected proxy entries are missing. Refreshing retrieves configuration; it does not necessarily switch the active profile, select a different proxy, or restart the client. After updating, verify that the intended profile remains active and review the proxy list again. If an update removes a previously selected entry, choose an available replacement rather than assuming the old selection still exists.
Keep the profile name and subscription URL separate in your notes. The profile name is a convenient label; it does not authenticate the client. The URL may contain a private token and should not be copied into troubleshooting messages. If support needs information, provide the client version, Windows version, visible error text, and a redacted screenshot rather than the complete link or an unfiltered configuration file.
Enable the connection on Windows 11
After choosing a proxy, enable the client’s system proxy control if you want Windows applications that respect the system proxy to use Clash Verge. The control may be on the main dashboard or in a settings area. When enabled, the client typically configures Windows to send supported application traffic to a local proxy managed by the client. This is different from turning on a remote server by itself: the selected route and the local system-proxy setting both matter.
Check Windows 11 under Settings, then Network & internet, then Proxy. The automatic or manual proxy state shown there can help explain whether Windows has a proxy configured, but do not edit those fields independently while Clash Verge is managing them. If another application overwrites the setting, the client may appear connected while browsers continue to use a different route. Close competing proxy tools, return to Clash Verge, and reapply its system-proxy setting before changing anything else.
System-proxy mode generally affects applications that honor the Windows proxy configuration. Some games, command-line tools, launchers, or applications with their own network stack may connect directly instead. That difference is expected and does not automatically indicate a broken profile. If an application needs broader routing and the provider’s instructions support it, investigate TUN mode separately. Read the client’s permission prompts, understand how to disable the mode, and test it only after ordinary proxy operation is confirmed.
- ✅ Start with one active proxy client and the provider’s recommended profile mode.
- ✅ Enable the system proxy through Clash Verge, then confirm Windows reflects the change.
- ✅ Test a browser and an application you actually intend to use.
- ❌ Do not enable TUN mode just to fix a profile that has not downloaded correctly.
- ❌ Do not publish a subscription URL or an unredacted profile while asking for help.
When you want to disconnect, use Clash Verge’s system-proxy control and confirm that the client has restored or cleared the setting. Do not assume closing the window is the same as exiting the application; it may remain in the notification area and continue managing the proxy. If Windows stays configured to a local address after the client has stopped, reopen the client and turn the system proxy off cleanly, or restore the previous Windows proxy settings you recorded before installation.
Verify that traffic uses the expected route
Use two independent checks rather than relying on a single “connected” indicator. First, inspect Clash Verge’s connection view or logs while loading a test page. A new connection entry can show whether the client handled that request and which rule or proxy group was involved. The wording varies by version, and a quiet log does not prove failure if the application bypasses the proxy or the display is filtered.
Second, compare the public IP shown by a reputable IP-check service before and after enabling the proxy. The result should be consistent with the route you selected, but an IP change by itself does not verify every privacy property. A browser may use a proxy while another application connects directly; DNS behavior can also depend on the profile, the application, and the network. For sensitive use, review the provider’s documentation and the client’s DNS and routing settings instead of treating one webpage as a complete audit.
Test more than one type of destination if your goal involves both websites and desktop applications. A page may load through a browser’s proxy while a separate application remains direct. If the IP check does not change, confirm that the system proxy is enabled, a profile is active, and a proxy has been selected. Then check whether the browser has its own proxy extension or configuration that overrides Windows.
Troubleshoot common setup problems
If the subscription cannot be added, check the URL for truncation, quotation marks, spaces, or characters omitted during copying. Confirm that the computer has an internet connection before the proxy is enabled, and try the provider’s recommended import method. A profile URL may be restricted, revoked, or intended for another format. If the error persists, ask the provider to confirm the link and supported client format; do not paste the secret URL into a public search or forum.
If the profile downloads but the proxy list is empty, refresh once and inspect the profile status or log for a parsing error. Check whether the configuration requires a compatible core and whether the client is using the provider’s recommended core option. Do not download a random core file or replace application components from an unknown source. If the profile contains groups rather than individual entries, open the group and select a child route before testing.
If Clash Verge shows activity but applications cannot connect, check the active mode and the system-proxy toggle. In Rule mode, the destination may be assigned to Direct by the profile. Try a provider-recommended test destination, inspect the matching connection rule, and avoid changing unrelated DNS, firewall, and adapter settings together. If only one application fails, determine whether it supports the Windows system proxy before changing the entire computer’s routing.
If the system proxy appears enabled but browsing behaves as if it is off, close other proxy clients and browser proxy extensions, then reapply the setting from Clash Verge. Restarting the client can help after a profile or network change, but first make sure the subscription has downloaded and the correct profile is selected. If Windows reports that a setting is managed by an organization, follow the device administrator’s rules rather than trying to bypass that restriction.
If connection quality changes, do not immediately conclude that the subscription is invalid. Wi-Fi signal, local network congestion, ISP routing, the destination, and the selected proxy can all affect performance. Compare another route from the same profile, test again later, and keep the client’s mode unchanged during the comparison. Record what changed—such as the selected proxy, network, and error message—so a support request is useful without exposing private credentials.
For a clean reset, turn off the system proxy, exit Clash Verge from the notification area, and reopen it. If the profile itself is damaged, remove and re-import it using the current subscription link, then select the refreshed profile and a route again. Removing a profile from the client does not necessarily revoke its subscription URL; protect or renew the link separately if it was exposed.