Outline quick start

The Outline module in the BeAdmin panel runs your own proxy on the server, based on Shadowsocks with ChaCha20‑Poly1305 (AEAD) encryption. Outline was designed from the start as the simplest VPN: each user gets a short ss://… link that you just paste into the Outline Client — and the connection is ready. No configuration files, no manual client tweaks.

This article walks through the minimum scenario: install the module, create the first user, and connect a client device.

ℹ️ Note

Your own proxy server pays off compared with commercial services: bandwidth is not split between hundreds of clients, and the number of users in an Outline module on BeAdmin is not capped even on the free licence.

⚠️ ISP restrictions

Traffic encryption makes a VPN a reliable way to protect a connection, but in some countries and regions internet providers actively interfere with VPN protocols. Because of this, full availability of the service cannot be guaranteed — regardless of the connection type. If one protocol does not work for you, try another VPN module available in the panel. If none of them work on your network, contact support and we will issue a refund for the license.

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Installing the module

In the side menu open VPN → Outline and click Install — the module installs with a single button and is ready to use right away. By default the server listens on port 9000 (TCP and UDP).

When installation finishes, the panel takes you straight to the Users page — the module's main screen. Installation usually takes a few minutes; you can follow the progress via the Log button on the install card.

After installation

The page header exposes the core module actions — start, stop, and restart. The three-dot menu groups the rest: action log, update check and run, reinstall, and uninstall.

To get started, create the first user.

Creating the first user

An Outline user is a separate access key with its own ss://… link. We recommend creating a separate user per device that will connect: that way you can revoke access for a single device without touching the others.

1. On the Users page click Create user.
2. Fill in the fields:
   • Username — a short identifier of 2 to 32 characters: Latin letters, digits, and hyphens. You can leave the field empty — the panel will generate a name for you. The name must be unique.
   • Email — optional. Useful if SMTP is configured in the panel and you want to email the user their connection link; the address is not needed for the connection itself.
   • Comment — an optional label up to 64 characters: for example, "Anna's iPhone" or "work laptop". Helps you navigate the list.
   • User language — the language of the email with the connection link. Default — English.
3. By default the user is created enabled — turn off the Enabled toggle in the dialog footer if you want to create it disabled.
4. Click Create.

The user appears in the list. The server generates an access key for them and assembles the ss://… link together with a QR code — you can grab both right away.

Connecting a client device

Outline uses links of the form ss://… — a compact string carrying the connection parameters. The Outline Client accepts it either by scanning the QR code or by pasting it from the clipboard. No configuration file is involved.

The connection works through a single official app — Outline Client:

• Android
• iOS
• Windows, macOS, and Linux

Install the app on the device that will route its traffic through the proxy.

1. In the users list click a row — a panel with the QR code and action buttons expands.
2. The expanded row shows the QR code together with action buttons:
   • Link — copies the ss://… string to the clipboard. Handy when the device you're setting the connection up on is the same one you opened the panel from: paste the link into the Outline Client without a camera.
   • QR code — downloads the QR code image. Useful for forwarding to someone else or saving for later.
   • Email — sends the connection link to the address provided when the user was created (if SMTP is configured in the panel).

Editing and deleting users — see the user management article. 3. Import the link into the Outline Client:

• On a smartphone: tap Add server in the app and scan the QR straight off the panel screen, or from the downloaded image.
• On a computer: copy the link with the Link button and tap Add server in the Outline Client — the app will recognize the link in the clipboard and offer to add it.

4. Activate the connection in the app. On iOS, confirm the system prompt to install the VPN profile.

To confirm the proxy is working, open any IP-check page in your browser, for example myip.com. If everything is set up right, it will show your server's country.

Emailing the link

If SMTP is configured in the panel, the connection link can be sent to the user by email — handy when the device isn't on hand.

In the expanded user row click Email. The link will be sent to the address provided when the user was created.

ℹ️ If SMTP is not configured

The email button stays disabled, and the expanded row shows a note with a link to the SMTP settings. Details — in the article How to set up an SMTP relay for sending email. Copying the link and downloading the QR code work either way.

What's next

• Outline. Managing users — adding users, editing, emailing the link, revoking access.
• Outline. Managing the module — starting and stopping the service, updating, and uninstalling the module.