Outline. Managing the module

This article continues from Outline quick start. If you have not installed the module and created the first user yet, start there. The topics here cover operations on the module itself: starting and stopping the service, updating, and uninstalling. User management is covered in a separate article — Outline. Managing users.

Managing the service

In the top-right corner of the module page, three controls are available for the Outline service: "Start", "Stop", and "Restart".

• "Start" — brings the service up from a stopped state. The button is active only when the service is currently down.
• "Stop" — shuts the service down. All active connections are dropped, and new ones cannot be established.
• "Restart" — stops the service and immediately starts it again. Open connections are dropped.

Changes to the user list apply immediately — no service restart is needed.

⚠️ Stopping the service drops every connection

While the service is down, no user can connect. Plan stops and restarts for a maintenance window, or notify users in advance.

While the module is being updated or uninstalled, the service controls are temporarily unavailable.

ℹ️ Port

Outline runs on TCP and UDP port 9000. All access keys share the same port.

⚠️ 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.

Notice about unconfigured SMTP

A banner "Email sending not configured" with a link "Set up" may appear in the module page header. It means the panel has no working SMTP — connection links cannot be sent to users by email.

The proxy itself keeps working: the banner only affects email sending, copying the link and the QR code in the "Connection settings" dialog stay available.

For SMTP setup, see How to set up an SMTP relay for sending emails.

Update the module

In the module action menu next to the "Outline" title, choose "Update Outline". The panel downloads the latest Outline version and installs it over the current one. The user list and access keys are preserved.

There is no confirmation for the update — the action runs immediately. While the update is in progress, the header shows the indicator "Updating Outline", and the service controls and menu items are unavailable.

Reinstall the module

If the module is running unstably, you can reinstall it without losing users or their access keys. In the module action menu, choose "Reinstall Outline" and click "Confirm" in the dialog. The panel installs the same Outline version over the current one and restarts the service. While the reinstall is running, the header shows a "Reinstalling Outline" indicator.

ℹ️ Access keys are preserved

A reinstall does not touch the module data: access keys and active connections stay the same, and the servers do not need to be added to client apps again. This is the key difference from uninstalling the module.

ℹ️ If a connection doesn't recover

If a client cannot reconnect after the reinstall, disable the user in the list, enable them again, and re-add the access key in the Outline Client or another Shadowsocks-compatible app. If the errors persist, the last resort is to fully uninstall the module and install it again.

Uninstall the module

In the module action menu, choose "Uninstall Outline". The panel asks you to confirm and warns that all access keys and user connections will be removed; the module can be installed again afterwards.

‼️ Uninstalling the module wipes every access key

Uninstalling cannot be undone: the module takes all Outline users and their access keys with it. Servers already added to client apps will stop working — ss://... links become invalid after the uninstall. After a fresh install, the module and the users have to be created from scratch; new keys are issued, and client apps need their servers added again.

After confirmation, the panel runs the uninstall; the progress is shown by the indicator "Uninstalling Outline" in the header. When it completes, the module page returns to its initial state with the "Install" button.

Task log

The module page header has a link to the module task log. It records every lifecycle operation — install, update, uninstall — with their statuses and execution logs. Useful when an install or an update fails and you need to find out why.

See also

• Outline quick start — installing the module and the first connection.
• Outline. Managing users — creating, editing, and deleting users, and getting the access link.