Clash Glossary

Core CORE

The command-line program that does the actual network processing. It reads the configuration file, listens on local ports, and handles proxy forwarding and rule matching. A GUI client is just a graphical shell around it — core capabilities depend on the core version.

mihomo

The mainstream Clash core fork today, renamed from the Clash.Meta project. It supports extended protocols such as VMess, Trojan, and Hysteria2, and is actively maintained. Most clients listed on this site bundle this core.

Clash Meta

The former name of mihomo. After the original Clash core stopped receiving updates, the community extended it with new protocols and features, forming this fork, which was renamed to mihomo across the board after 2023. Older documentation may use either name for the same project.

GUI Client GUI CLIENT

A desktop or mobile app that puts a graphical interface on top of the core, such as Clash Plus, Clash Verge Rev, or FlClash. It handles subscription management, node switching, and system proxy toggles, while the actual traffic is still handled by the bundled core. See the Get the App page to pick one by platform.

TUN Mode TUN MODE

A mode that creates a virtual network adapter to take over all system traffic. It can capture programs that ignore system proxy settings, which is common with command-line tools and game clients. Enabling it requires administrator or system extension permissions.

Shadowsocks

A lightweight proxy protocol built on an encrypted tunnel, with simple config fields and a long history. Every Clash core supports it natively, and it's common in subscription node lists, where the type field is written as ss.

VMess

A transport protocol defined by the V2Ray project, supporting various encryption methods and transport-layer combinations. The mihomo core fully supports it; nodes appear with the vmess type, usually paired with WebSocket or gRPC transport.

Trojan

A protocol that disguises proxy traffic as standard TLS traffic, relying on a valid certificate and port 443. It has few distinguishing traffic patterns and a minimal config. mihomo supports it natively, and later releases of the original core can parse it too.

Hysteria2

A QUIC-based transport protocol optimized for high-loss links, with better throughput on poor networks. Only newer cores like mihomo support it — the original Clash core can't parse this node type, so check your core version first if import fails.

WebSocket Transport WS TRANSPORT

A transport method that wraps proxy traffic inside a WebSocket connection, often paired with VMess or Trojan to make CDN relaying easier. Node configs use the network: ws field for this.

Rule-Based Routing RULE

The mechanism that routes each connection to a different exit based on conditions like domain, IP, or port. Rules are matched top to bottom, stopping at the first hit, with a catch-all MATCH rule usually placed at the end. This is the core feature that sets Clash apart from simple global-proxy tools.

Proxy Group PROXY GROUP

A way of grouping multiple nodes into one selectable unit — rules point to a proxy group rather than a single node. Common types include manual selection select, latency-based auto-selection url-test, and failover fallback.

GeoIP

A rule type that decides where traffic goes based on the IP's geographic location, using a built-in IP geolocation database. A typical rule reads GEOIP,CN,DIRECT, meaning connections whose destination IP is in mainland China go direct. The database updates along with the core.

GeoSite

A rule type matched against a domain classification database, which pre-groups large numbers of domains by purpose. A single GEOSITE rule can cover hundreds or thousands of domains, dramatically shrinking config size. Supported by the mihomo core.

Rule Set RULE PROVIDER

A rule fragment loaded from an external URL and refreshed on a schedule. The config file only stores the reference URL — the maintainer updates the actual rules remotely, which is handy for following a third-party-maintained routing list. The refresh interval is controlled by the interval field.

Subscription URL SUBSCRIPTION URL

A URL provided by a service that returns a node list or a full config. Once imported into a client, it can be refreshed on a schedule, so node changes don't require manually editing the config file. The link carries authentication credentials, so never share it publicly. See the Guide for import steps.

Proxy Node PROXY

A single usable remote proxy server entry, containing the server address, port, protocol type, and encryption parameters. A subscription returns a list made up of many nodes, and proxy groups pick the actual exit from among them.

Configuration File config.yaml

The complete description of how the core should run, made up of five main sections: ports, DNS, nodes, proxy groups, and rules. Most GUI clients generate it automatically from a subscription — back up the original file before editing it by hand.

YAML

The text format used for Clash configs, where indentation expresses hierarchy. It's whitespace-sensitive — indentation must use spaces and stay aligned by level. If a config throws an error, check indentation and whether a space is missing after a colon first.

Subscription Converter SUB CONVERTER

A tool or service that converts one client's subscription format into another. Used when a provider only offers a non-Clash format subscription. Running it through a third-party converter exposes your subscription URL, so self-hosting is safer.

Latency Test LATENCY TEST

The client sends a request to a fixed test endpoint and measures how long it takes, as a way to gauge node availability. The number reflects round-trip time to that test endpoint, which isn't exactly the same as the experience of visiting your actual target site. A timeout is usually shown as timeout.

Fake-IP

A DNS handling mode where the core immediately returns a virtual IP from a reserved range for any domain lookup, deferring the real resolution until a connection is actually established. It eliminates DNS lookup wait time, but a few programs that depend on the real IP need to be added to a fake-ip-filter exception.

DNS Leak DNS LEAK

When DNS queries still go through your local ISP even with the proxy enabled — this can expose what you're trying to reach and lead to poor resolution results. Directions to check: enable the core's DNS module, turn on TUN mode, and check whether another program has taken over the system DNS settings.

UWP Loopback UWP LOOPBACK

Windows blocks UWP apps from accessing the local loopback address by default, which stops Store apps from reaching a local proxy port. You need a loopback exemption tool (such as CheckNetIsolation or a client's built-in UWP Loopback feature) to allow specific apps through.