The new OpenClash GEO database comes in four types, and many users are unsure how to use them or whether to enable automatic updates for all.
GeoIP MMDB Database: Used for country/region detection—determining if an IP is Chinese and whether to route through a proxy. MMDB is MaxMind’s new format, commonly used by Clash and OpenClash. It enables direct connections for domestic IPs and proxies for foreign ones. Recommended to enable and auto-update.
GeoIP Dat Database: Similar to GeoIP MMDB but uses an older format. Early versions of Clash and Shadowsocks may utilize this, though newer tools increasingly avoid it. Can be disabled unless explicitly specified in legacy config files (e.g., geoip.dat).
GeoSite Database: Determines region based on domain names (e.g., google.com is international, 163.com is domestic, netflix.com is streaming media). Essential for region unlocking, website classification, and service detection. Must be enabled. Auto-updates.
Geo ASN Database: ASN = Autonomous System Number. Identifies which ISP or cloud provider an IP belongs to. For example, distinguishing China Unicom, China Telecom, Amazon, Google, etc., used for specific judgment and processing. Not essential unless you’re doing something particularly complex. Mainly used for traffic routing.
Now you can determine what you need. My own settings:
✅ GeoSite
✅ GeoIP MMDB
❌ GeoIP Dat
❌ Geo ASN
The above information is current as of February 2026. I will update it if there are any changes later.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)