Routing rules send traffic to proxy, DIRECT, or reject by domain/IP/process. Daily use Rule mode; Global proxies almost everything; Direct mostly bypasses. Wrong mode makes rules look “broken.”
Read the connections page hit first—then edit. Don’t paste giant rule sets preemptively.
Pick the right mode
| Mode | Behaviour | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Rule | Matches your rule set, then falls back to the default policy | Daily driving |
| Global | Sends nearly all traffic through the proxy | Quick test, or when rules misfire |
| Direct | Bypasses the proxy entirely | Local or trusted networks |
Safe edits
Never edit the provider body — an update wipes it. To add your own rules, right-click the profile card and use the prepend area of Edit Rules; for your own policy groups, use Edit Proxy Groups. Extended Configuration (called Merge config before v1.7.x) is for key-value items like DNS or ports only: it overrides rather than appends, so a rules block written there replaces the entire provider ruleset (Merge). Copy real group names. Reload and confirm hits.
A minimal rule example
DOMAIN-SUFFIX,github.com,Proxy
DOMAIN-SUFFIX,api.openai.com,Proxy
DOMAIN-SUFFIX,cn,DIRECT
GEOIP,CN,DIRECT
MATCH,ProxyAdd a few lines, reload, and watch the connections page. Small patches first; huge third-party sets add lag and conflicts.
Tun, DNS, AI
Change rules, DNS, or Tun one layer at a time (DNS, Tun, AI). Huge third-party sets add lag and conflicts—small patches first.
Looks right, connections disagree
Earlier broad rules, caches, or actually being in Global/Direct cause “edits did nothing.” After Rule/Global switches, recheck daily sites and DIRECT exceptions. Stubborn cache: reload/restart.
Stop adding rules
If it already works, more “optimization” mostly confuses you. Roll back Merge from your copy. Game downloads: Steam DIRECT, DIRECT rules. Builds: download center.