---
title: "Outbound modes"
description: "What Potatso's Rule, Global, Direct and Smart outbound modes do on iPhone and iPad, when to pick each one, and what Smart needs to connect."
---

> Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://potatso.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Outbound modes

The outbound mode decides where a profile sends traffic. Each profile has its own mode, and Potatso offers four:

| Mode | Summary | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Global** | Global Proxy | All traffic goes through the outbound you choose. |
| **Smart** | Smart Routing | Sites in your region connect directly; everything else goes through your server. Needs Potatso Pro. |
| **Rule** | Custom Rules | Your profile's rules decide what goes where. |
| **Direct** | No Proxy | Nothing goes through a proxy. |

## Change the mode {#change}

1. On **Home**, tap the **Outbound Mode** row.
2. Choose **Global**, **Smart**, **Rule** or **Direct**.

The card under the row changes to match: it shows the outbound the mode uses, which you can tap to change. You can also choose a mode during first-run setup, on the **Choose a route** step. See [Getting started](/docs/guides/getting-started/#route).

## Rule {#rule}

In Rule mode, your profile's rules decide what goes where: through a proxy or a proxy group, directly, or nowhere. Traffic that your rules send to a proxy goes through the main outbound shown on Home. Traffic no rule matches goes to the profile's final route.

Pick Rule when your subscription or configuration comes with rules, such as a Clash / Mihomo configuration, or when you want to write your own. A profile without rules can still use Rule mode: everything goes to the final route.

To connect in Rule mode, the main outbound needs a server. If it has none, Potatso says **Choose a server to connect** and opens the list of outbounds.

See [Rules and rule sets](/docs/guides/rules-and-rule-sets/) and [Proxy groups and speed tests](/docs/guides/proxy-groups-and-speed-tests/).

## Global {#global}

In Global mode, all traffic goes through one outbound: a server or a proxy group. Your rules aren't used.

Pick Global when you want everything to go through your server, or when your profile is a plain list of servers without rules.

## Direct {#direct}

In Direct mode, all traffic goes direct and nothing goes through a proxy. Switch modes anytime without disconnecting.

Pick Direct to stop using your servers for a while without turning Potatso off.

## Smart {#smart}

In Smart mode, sites in your region connect directly, so they load faster and don't use proxy data. Everything else goes through your server. Smart keeps its lists up to date for you, so there are no rules to write.

Smart uses one of your servers, not a proxy group. Smart Routing makes its own groups and rules, so your configuration's proxy groups, rules and rule providers aren't used in Smart mode. Switch to Rule mode to use them again; they stay in your profile.

Pick Smart when you want local sites direct and the rest through your server, without managing rules.

Smart isn't available for a Personal VPN profile.

### Turn on Smart {#turn-on-smart}

The first time you choose **Smart**, Potatso introduces it:

1. Read what Smart does, then tap **Continue**.
2. On **Choose your region**, check the region Smart routes for. Potatso detects it for you. Tap the region to pick another, then tap **Continue**. You can change it later in Smart Routing settings.
3. On the last step, confirm. Smart becomes the outbound mode of the current profile. Your servers and rules stay as they are.

In Smart mode, Home shows a **Routing** card with a diagram of where traffic goes and, once you've used it, how much went direct and through the proxy today. Tap **Smart Routing Settings** to change the region or add **Custom Rules**: sites you choose to always use the proxy, connect directly or block. Custom rules apply before Smart's own rules, in every profile.

See [Smart Routing](/docs/guides/smart-routing/) for more.

### Smart and Potatso Pro {#smart-pro}

Connecting in Smart mode needs Potatso Pro, with these exceptions:

- **Free trial.** If you don't have Pro, the last step of Smart's introduction offers a trial. When the App Store offers you a free trial of Potatso Pro, the step takes you to it. Otherwise, you can use Smart free for 3 days, with no payment needed. That trial is offered once.
- **Profiles from Potatso 2.** A profile that had Smart Routing on in Potatso 2 keeps Smart for free. Other profiles still need Pro for Smart.

You can choose Smart on any profile without Pro; a **PRO** badge then shows next to it. If you connect in Smart mode without Pro, Potatso says **Smart Routing Is a Pro Feature** and offers **Upgrade to Pro** or **Switch to Global**.

Source: https://potatso.com/docs/guides/outbound-modes/index.mdx