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This guide will show you how to use the ExpressVPN command-line control in Windows Command Prompt.

ExpressVPN command line interface (CLI) can be used to control the ExpressVPN app for Windows in Windows Command Prompt.

This is an advanced tool that can be used as a means of controlling and automating the app to connect, disconnect, and more.

Important: To connect to the ExpressVPN app for Windows using Command Prompt, you will need to select Run as administrator when launching Command Prompt. You must then navigate to the directory of the ExpressVPN CLI by entering the following command in Command Prompt:cd C:\Program Files (x86)\ExpressVPN\services\
Note: ExpressVPN command line interface (CLI) requires version 12.69.0 or higher of the ExpressVPN app for Windows.

Jump to…

View list of commands
Connect to a VPN server location
Disconnect from a VPN server location
Connect to a different VPN server location
Switch to a different VPN protocol
Connection information
Split tunneling
Block ads, trackers, and harmful sites
Enable (or disable) Internet Kill Switch
Check app version
Sign out of your account

View list of commands

To see a list of commands you can use, run the following command:

expressvpnctl -h

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for assistance.

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Connect to a VPN server location

To connect to the VPN, run the command:

expressvpnctl connect

If you are connecting for the first time, ExpressVPN will use the Smart Location feature to select a server location, which is recommended to you based on factors such as speed and proximity.

If this is not your first time connecting, ExpressVPN will connect to the server location you most recently connected to.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for assistance.

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Disconnect from a VPN server location

To disconnect from a VPN server location, run this command:

expressvpnctl disconnect

ExpressVPN will disconnect from the server it is connected to.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for assistance.

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Connect to a different VPN server location

List of server locations

To find a list of VPN server locations to connect to, enter the following command in the terminal:

expressvpnctl get regions

Connect to a specific VPN server location

To connect to a specific server location, enter:

expressvpnctl connect "[LOCATION]"

For example, to connect to USA – New York, enter:

expressvpnctl connect “USA - New York”

Connect to the Smart Location

To connect to the Smart Location:

expressvpnctl connect smart

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for assistance.

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Switch to a different VPN protocol

Important: Disconnect from the VPN before switching to another protocol.

VPN protocols are the methods by which your device connects to a VPN server. For the best experience, ExpressVPN recommends using the Automatic protocol option. This is selected by default and automatically picks the protocol most appropriate for your network.

In some cases, switching to a different protocol can give you faster connection speeds.

To switch to Lightway – TCP, run the following command:

expressvpnctl set protocol lightwaytcp

To switch to Lightway – UDP, run the following command:

expressvpnctl set protocol lightwayudp

To switch to WireGuard, run the following command:

expressvpnctl set protocol wireguard

To switch to OpenVPN – TCP, run the following command:

expressvpnctl set protocol openvpntcp

To switch to OpenVPN – UDP, run the following command:

expressvpnctl set protocol openvpnudp

To use the Automatic option, run this command:

expressvpnctl set protocol auto

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for assistance.

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Connection information

To check your connection status, run the following command:

expressvpnctl status

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for assistance.

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Split tunneling

Split tunneling enables you to choose which apps use the VPN and which apps don’t when you are connected to ExpressVPN. This allows you to access both local and blocked content on your Windows PC.

To enable split tunneling, run the command:

expressvpnctl set splittunnel true

Once enabled, you can decide which apps bypass the VPN and which apps use the VPN.

To add apps you wish to bypass the VPN, run the command:

expressvpnctl set split-app bypass[ROUTE TO FOLDER WHERE THE APP IS LOCATED]

For example, if you wanted the VPN to bypass Firefox, you would run the command:

expressvpnctl set split-app bypass:/usr/lib/firefox/firefox

To add apps you wish to use the VPN, run the command:

expressvpnctl set split-app vpn[ROUTE TO FOLDER WHERE THE APP IS LOCATED]

For example, if you wanted the VPN to bypass Firefox, you would run the command:

expressvpnctl set split-app vpn:/usr/lib/firefox/firefox

To delete split tunneling rules for an app, run the command:

expressvpnctl set split-app remove[ROUTE TO FOLDER WHERE THE APP IS LOCATED]

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for assistance.

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Block ads, trackers, and harmful sites

Customize your online experience and take back control over what companies know about you. You can block ads, trackers, malicious sites, and adult content from within the ExpressVPN app.

A lot of the apps and websites you visit keep a record of and share your activity with third-party companies, including trackers, scammers, and malware sites. This information is used to serve you more targeted ads and content, usually without your knowledge or permission.

These advanced protection features prevent all apps and websites you visit on your device from communicating with the third-party companies in our open-source blocklists.

Advanced protection features are disabled by default. To enable all advanced protection features at the same time, run the command:

expressvpnctl set blockAll true

To disable all advanced protection features, run the command:

expressvpnctl set blockAll false

You can also enable and disable each advanced protection feature individually:

Block trackers

To block trackers, run the command:

expressvpnctl set blockTrackers true

To stop blocking trackers, run the command:

expressvpnctl set blockTrackers false

Block malicious sites

To block malicious sites, run the command:

expressvpnctl set blockMalicious true

To stop blocking trackers, run the command:

expressvpnctl set blockMalicious false

Block ads

To enable the ad blocker, run the command:

expressvpnctl set blockAds true

To disable the ad blocker, run the command:

expressvpnctl set blockAds false

Block adult sites

To enable the adult site blocker, run the command:

expressvpnctl set blockAdult true

To disable the adult site blocker, run the command:

expressvpnctl set blockAdult false

Read more about ExpressVPN’s advanced protection features.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for assistance.

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Enable (or disable) Internet Kill Switch

Note: Disconnect from the VPN before changing your settings.
Warning: Internet Kill Switch is ExpressVPN’s kill switch. If your VPN connection unexpectedly drops, Internet Kill Switch blocks all internet traffic, keeping your data safe. Disabling Internet Kill Switch will leave your internet traffic exposed if your VPN unexpectedly disconnects.

Internet Kill Switch is enabled by default.

To disable it, enter the following command:

expressvpnctl set networklock false

To re-enable Internet Kill Switch, run the command:

expressvpnctl set networklock true

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for assistance.

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Sign out of your account

To sign out of your ExpressVPN account on the ExpressVPN app for Windows, run the following command:

expressvpnctl logout

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for assistance.

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