Four Ways to Import a Shadowrocket Subscription: Subscribe, Add Server, QR Code, and Clipboard

At a Glance

This guide is for users who already have a subscription or server details from their provider. First, distinguish server subscriptions in Home from remote configurations in Config. Then choose an import method based on what you have: a URL, server parameters, a QR code, or copied text. Finally, check the list, update status, and connection result. These are four ways to enter data; not all of them create a subscription that can be updated automatically.

First, Understand Home Subscriptions and Config Files

In Shadowrocket, Home is where you manage servers and connections, Config is for rule configurations, and Settings controls app behavior. Server subscriptions from a provider are usually added in Home—not by putting every HTTPS link into Config. Choose the right destination based on what the link returns, not just how it begins.

Subscribe in Config is for remote configuration files, which may include rules, DNS, and other settings. To add a server subscription, go to Home → + in the top-right corner → Type → Subscribe. Both can use HTTPS URLs, but they import different things. If your provider gives you both links, check what each one is for before importing.

4 methods

Import options: Subscribe, manual entry, QR code, and clipboard

2 types

Remote content: server subscriptions and rule configurations

3 pages

Main pages: Home, Config, and Settings

Method 1: Add a Subscription with an Updateable Source

Use a server subscription when you need to fetch changes to the server list from the same URL later. The example below shows only the URL format and cannot be used to connect. Real URLs may include credentials in the path or query parameters, so don’t delete anything after the question mark.

https://example.com/sub?token=xxxx

Check the URL

Get the server subscription URL from your provider. Make sure you copied the complete URL—not an account page, help page, or remote rule configuration URL.
Open Add Server

Go to Home, tap + in the top-right corner to open Add Server, and set Type to Subscribe. This adds a server subscription, not a Config file.
Enter the Details and Save

Paste the original subscription URL into URL, enter a recognizable name in Remarks, and tap Done. Don’t add quotation marks or manually change any encoded characters in the URL.
Check the List

Return to Home and wait for the results. Pull down to refresh if you need to fetch the list again. Make sure server entries appear under the subscription group—not just the subscription name.

If you have a remote configuration URL, go to Config, choose Subscribe from the add menu, and enter the URL. After it downloads, review the configuration and select the one you want to use. Don’t keep importing it into Config just to make servers appear: a successful rule configuration download doesn’t mean Home has received a server list.

A server subscription keeps its source URL so you can fetch the list again when you refresh. A single-server share link usually imports just one entry; it may not update when your provider changes the address or credentials. For a list you’ll maintain over time, keep the original subscription group and update it from there.

Method 2: Enter Server Details Manually in Add Server

If you have a server address, port, and authentication details but no subscription URL, go to Home → + → Add Server. Choose the Type first, then enter the fields required for that protocol. Subscribe is also an option under Type, but for a single server entered manually, choose its actual protocol—not Subscribe.

Shadowsocks: Check the Parameters

Type: Shadowsocks
Address: The server hostname or IP address provided by your service provider
Port: The port specified by your provider; don’t guess based on a website’s port
Method: The encryption method configured for the server
Password: The server password, not your provider account password

For Address, enter only the hostname or IP address—no https:// prefix or web page path.

Trojan: Check the Parameters

Type: Trojan
Address: The hostname or IP address of the server you’ll connect to
Port: Enter the value specified by your provider; 443 is only one possible port
Password: The authentication password for the server
SNI: The TLS server name specified by your provider

SNI and Address may differ. Don’t disable certificate verification instead of checking the parameters.

VMess, VLESS, Hysteria2, and WireGuard use different authentication and transport parameters. Don’t put a password for one protocol into another protocol’s identity field, and don’t assume that changing Type converts the settings. Check with your provider about any fields they haven’t specified; don’t guess ports or transport options and hope the connection works.

First, check that Address doesn’t contain spaces, line breaks, or a full web page path.
Next, check Port. If your provider specifies 8443, enter 8443; don’t change it to 443.
Finally, verify the authentication, TLS, and transport settings. Save the entry, return to Home, and select it.
A manually added entry has no server subscription source. If the parameters change, you’ll need to edit or import the entry again yourself.

Methods 3 and 4: QR Codes and Clipboard Change Only How You Enter the Data

A QR code and the clipboard are ways to enter data, not proxy protocols. A QR code may contain a single-server share link or a subscription URL. Identify what it contains after scanning: a successful scan means the data was read, not that the service works or the subscription has been updated.

Choose an Import Method Based on the Source

Import by QR Code

Open the scanner from the top of Home. The first time you use it, allow camera access when prompted by the system.
Scan the QR code from your provider, then check the protocol, address, and import destination.
If the QR code is displayed on another device, keep all its edges visible; don’t crop to just the center pattern.
If the content is an ordinary web page URL, confirm what it’s for. Don’t save a web page as a server.

Import from Clipboard

Copy the complete single-server share link, return to Home, and follow the import prompt when the link is detected.
If the system asks for permission to paste, confirm the source of the current clipboard contents before allowing it.
If no import prompt appears, paste the subscription URL directly into the URL field under Type → Subscribe.
If you have individual parameters rather than a share link, use Add Server to enter them manually.

Whether updates remain available depends on whether you import a subscription URL or a single-server entry—not whether you scan or copy it.

Common single-server share links include ss://, vmess://, vless://, and trojan://. These prefixes identify the format, but the right prefix doesn’t guarantee that the rest of the data is complete. Preserve the encoded content when copying, and don’t include explanatory text, quotation marks, or trailing punctuation from a chat message.

Subscription URLs usually start with https://, but regular sign-in pages use the same prefix. If pasting the URL doesn’t trigger recognition, don’t keep trying different import options. Check your provider’s instructions to confirm whether it’s a server subscription, a single-server share link, or a remote configuration for Config.

After Import: Check Updates, Connections, and Rules Separately

Once an entry appears in the list, select a server in Home and turn on the connection switch. The first time you connect, follow the system prompt to allow Shadowrocket to add a VPN configuration. System permission grants only the access needed to connect; it doesn’t authenticate your subscription or fill in missing server details.

Check the list: Make sure the entry belongs to the expected subscription group and that an older, manually added server isn’t still selected.
Check connectivity: Run Connectivity Test in Home and try loading a web page. A test result doesn’t guarantee that every site is accessible.
Check routing: Review Home → Global Routing. Proxy, Direct, Config, and Scene are different routing modes, not subscription types.
Check the configuration: In Config mode, make sure the expected configuration is selected in Config. For Scene, also check the selected scene’s settings.

Direct connects without a proxy, so it can’t tell you whether the server you just imported works. For troubleshooting, Proxy can temporarily reduce variables caused by rule-based routing; restore your usual settings after testing. Config routes traffic according to the selected configuration, and updating a subscription won’t automatically fix its rule policies.

For example, the rules below send example.com and its subdomains to DIRECT, while FINAL sends all other traffic to PROXY. With this configuration, visiting that domain won’t test proxy connectivity—even if the right server is selected. Rules are matched in order; back up your current configuration before making changes.

[Rule]
DOMAIN-SUFFIX,example.com,DIRECT
FINAL,PROXY

Settings → On Demand controls on-demand connection behavior. It doesn’t import subscriptions or restore an expired subscription URL. If the connection keeps restarting during troubleshooting, check On Demand first, then test the manual connection so you don’t mistake an automatic connection for something triggered by the import.

Common Issues: Empty Lists, Failed Updates, and Duplicate Entries

Saved Successfully, but Where Are the Servers?

First, make sure you used Home → + → Type → Subscribe, not the remote configuration option in Config. Then edit URL and check that you copied the complete address, including its token. A successful save only means the record was stored. If the URL returns a sign-in page, an error, or no content, it won’t produce a usable list.

Subscription Update Timed Out: What Should I Check First?

First, confirm your current network is working, then pull down to refresh in Home. If the subscription URL must be reached through an existing proxy, connect to a server that already works and check Settings → Subscribe → Update via Proxy. Turning this option on by itself won’t help if there’s no working connection. Ask your provider to check the URL status.

The QR Code Imported Only One Entry. Is That Normal?

If the QR code contains a single-server share link, importing one entry is expected. To get a full list that can be updated, ask your provider for a server subscription URL and add it using Type → Subscribe. A single-server share entry can’t be refreshed as a subscription group.

Which Entries Can I Delete After Importing More Than Once?

First, check which group each entry belongs to and which one is selected. Keep subscription entries you’ve confirmed work. Delete a duplicate only after you’ve confirmed it’s a manually added copy, so you don’t accidentally remove the original subscription group. Provider updates may overwrite entries in a group. Save any parameters you need before editing, and protect passwords and credentials.

When asking for help, note exactly where things fail: unable to save, empty list after saving, an error on refresh, or an entry that won’t connect. Include the error text and the steps you took, but redact tokens in subscription URLs, server passwords, and complete QR codes. Don’t post raw links containing credentials in public discussions.