Use Cases · Clash Technical Blog

Routing Netflix, YouTube, and Disney+ with Clash

Signing in, seeing the catalog, and streaming reliably are three separate requests. Pin the correct region first, then use whether authorization or the video CDN fails to decide which rule to add.

  • Streaming media
  • Netflix
  • YouTube
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If Netflix, YouTube, or Disney+ opens the home page but buffers, route by playback stage

Netflix, YouTube, and Disney+ all access multiple service groups before and during playback. If only the home-page domain is placed in a policy group, the catalog often works but playback fails after you click. Clear the connection records immediately before starting playback so you can distinguish authorization from video segments.

Stages of the playback process

StageCommon symptoms when it failsWhat to observe
Account and region detectionWrong catalog or inconsistent subscription benefitsAccount region, egress region, and cookies
Catalog and detail pagesThe home page opens, but posters or details are missingPrimary site, API, and image assets
Playback authorizationAn immediate region or proxy error after clickingWhether authorization requests use the same egress as the primary site
Video segmentsPlayback starts but repeatedly lowers quality or buffersCDN path, bandwidth, packet loss, and sustained stability

First make the egress region match the account and content, then compare speed

The lowest-latency streaming node may not have the required regional catalog or playback rights. First pin a node and confirm that the target region matches the account's benefits, then test an actual video. Frequent automatic egress changes during sign-in, authorization, or playback may trigger region detection again.

Even within one region, egress types can differ. Availability of residential, data-center, or shared nodes depends on current platform and provider policies; Clash cannot guarantee so-called “unblocking.” When the platform shows an explicit region or proxy warning, switch to a legitimate, supported egress or review the account settings instead of burying the warning under more rules.

Complete the rules from one playback record

After choosing a fixed node, exit the player or close the tab, clear the Clash connection records, and start playback from the detail page. In time order, check whether the primary site, authorization endpoint, images, and video CDN all enter the same streaming policy group. Only unexpected DIRECT or REJECT requests need correction.

Domain lists vary by platform and device. A TV App, mobile App, and browser may use different CDNs. Copying a complete rule set from someone else's browser log does not prove that the TV's playback requests are covered.

Record one complete playback path

  1. Pin a node

    Disable automatic switching during the test so the egress region remains fixed.

  2. Open the detail page again

    Make catalog, authorization, and video requests appear again in chronological order.

  3. Play for at least ten minutes

    Observe startup, quality ramp-up, and sustained buffering—not only the first frame.

  4. Add rules only for anomalous requests

    Place the rule before broad regional rules, then replay the same video.

The three platforms have different priorities and do not need to share a policy group

Netflix more readily exposes inconsistencies among the catalog region, playback authorization, and video CDN egress. YouTube's web app, youtubei API, and googlevideo segments use different infrastructure; when video requests escape the policy group, quality often fails to increase. Disney+ may show inconsistencies among the account, Star content region, and playback authorization.

Separate policy groups for the three platforms let you change egress without affecting other services and prevent one rule correction from changing all streaming traffic. If household accounts belong to different regions, they should not all be bound permanently to one automatic group. YOUR_EXISTING_GROUP below is not a policy-group name; replace it with a real group in the current subscription, such as the actual “Node Selector” or another name you can see.

Replace the existing group name before creating the three platform groups
# 使用前先替换每一处 YOUR_EXISTING_GROUP
proxy-groups:
  - name: STREAM-NETFLIX
    type: select
    proxies:
      - YOUR_EXISTING_GROUP
      - DIRECT
  - name: STREAM-YOUTUBE
    type: select
    proxies:
      - YOUR_EXISTING_GROUP
      - DIRECT
  - name: STREAM-DISNEY
    type: select
    proxies:
      - YOUR_EXISTING_GROUP
      - DIRECT

rules:
  - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,netflix.com,STREAM-NETFLIX
  - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,nflxvideo.net,STREAM-NETFLIX
  - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,youtube.com,STREAM-YOUTUBE
  - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,googlevideo.com,STREAM-YOUTUBE
  - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,disneyplus.com,STREAM-DISNEY
  - DOMAIN-SUFFIX,bamgrid.com,STREAM-DISNEY
  - GEOIP,CN,DIRECT
  - MATCH,YOUR_EXISTING_GROUP

When a TV behaves differently, check whether it uses another DNS or IPv6 path

If the browser works but the TV reports a region error, the two devices probably use different gateways, DNS, or IP protocols. The TV may use DNS advertised by the router while the computer is handled by its local Clash client. The home network may also send the TV directly over IPv6 while the proxy captures only IPv4.

On the router, first confirm the TV's actual gateway and DNS. Temporarily disable independent secure DNS on the device or browser for comparison. If disabling IPv6 changes the behavior, complete the IPv6 capture and direct-routing rules instead of treating disabled IPv6 as the permanent answer.

Choose the next step based on the stage where the failure occurs

The catalog is for the wrong region

Common cause:The account, cookies, or egress region do not match

Resolution:Pin egress in the target region, sign in again, and verify the account region.

Playback fails immediately after clicking

Common cause:An authorization request misses the rule, or the platform rejects the current egress

Resolution:Inspect the authorization domain and HTTP message at the instant of the click before optimizing bandwidth.

Playback works but buffers repeatedly within ten minutes

Common cause:Video CDN path, bandwidth, or packet loss

Resolution:Observe segment requests and compare sustained throughput across nodes in the same region.

The computer works, but the TV fails

Common cause:The devices use different gateways, DNS, IPv6 paths, or App domains

Resolution:Inspect the TV's traffic at the router; do not substitute browser results.

Change only one of the node, rule, or DNS per test, and keep playing the same content. Streaming issues are easily hidden by a working home page. A reproducible result includes the correct region, successful authorization, and a sufficiently long period of stable playback.

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