Shadowrocket Subscription Import: Subscribe, Add Server, QR Code, and Clipboard

1. Tell server subscriptions and remote configurations apart

In Shadowrocket, a “subscription” generally means a remote update relationship; it does not mean every subscription belongs on the same page. Home manages servers and connections, Config manages configuration files and rules, and Settings manages app preferences. If nothing changes in the list after importing, first check that you’re on the right page. That’s usually more useful than repeatedly pasting the link.

A server subscription is usually an HTTPS URL that returns a server list the app can recognize. A remote configuration can also use an HTTPS URL, but its contents may include sections such as [General] and [Rule]. The two can look alike, so an https:// prefix alone doesn’t tell you what a link is for. Check the description from the source of your existing subscription and the content it returns.

2. Subscribe: Handle server subscriptions separately from Config

To add multiple servers, open the Add Server page from Home and set Type to Subscribe. Don’t treat a server subscription as a rules file. The example https://example.com/sub?token=xxxx illustrates URL structure only; it is not a working subscription. Copy the complete address you already have, including any query parameters after the question mark.

1. Check the content

   Make sure the source identifies it as a server subscription, and keep the full URL intact. Don’t copy the page title, explanatory text, or quotation marks surrounding the link.

2. Choose the type

   Go to Home → + in the top-right corner to open the Add Server editor, then choose Subscribe under Type.

3. Enter the address

   Paste your subscription URL into the appropriate address field and add a note that will help you identify it. Before saving, check for line breaks, spaces, or non-ASCII punctuation.

4. Save and update

   After saving, return to Home and check the subscription group and its entries. To fetch the content again, update the subscription and check the list when the update finishes.

If you’re looking at Subscribe in Config or its remote configuration subscription manager, first confirm that you’re working with a configuration file. Rules such as DOMAIN-SUFFIX, IP-CIDR, GEOIP, and FINAL belong to the rules system; they are not server addresses, passwords, or other server parameters. A successful remote configuration download does not mean a connectable server has appeared in Home.

3. Add Server: Use manual entry when you have all the parameters

Add Server is the editor for adding servers, and Subscribe is one of the available Type options. To enter a single server manually, select its actual protocol, such as Shadowsocks, VMess, VLESS, Trojan, Hysteria2, or WireGuard. Don’t choose Subscribe just because you have an address.

Manual entry requires complete parameters. A domain name and Port alone usually aren’t enough to connect. Depending on the protocol, you may also need a password, UUID, key, TLS settings, or transport parameters. Fields are interdependent; don’t fill in unknown values based on another server’s settings.

• Address and Port: Enter the server’s domain name or IP address, then enter the Port provided by the source. TLS doesn’t always mean the Port is 443; enter each value as provided.
• Authentication fields: Keep passwords, UUIDs, and keys distinct. Don’t enter a token from a subscription URL in the server password field.
• TLS and server name: If the original parameters include an SNI or server name, enter it exactly as provided. If certificate validation fails, check the name and your device’s date and time first.
• Transport parameters: Values such as Path and Host may be case-sensitive, and slashes in a path are part of the parameter. Check the source of your existing configuration if a value is missing.
• Check the result: After saving, return to Home and confirm that the expected server appears—not just a subscription group that hasn’t fetched any content yet.

If you already have a complete ss://, vmess://, vless://, or trojan:// share link, let the app recognize the entire link, then check the parsed result. Manually decoding and splitting the contents can leave out parameters. Seeing an entry means parsing succeeded; you still need to test whether the connection works.

4. QR code and clipboard: Different input methods, same content types

QR code scanning works well when the code is displayed on another screen. Open the scanner from Home and allow camera access if prompted the first time. Fit the entire QR code in the viewfinder. Once it’s recognized, check whether it contains a server share link, a subscription URL, or an ordinary web address before confirming the import.

Clipboard import is useful when you receive a text link on the same iPhone or iPad. Copy the complete content, then return to Shadowrocket. If a clipboard recognition or import prompt appears, check the entry before confirming. When iOS asks whether to allow pasting, grant permission for this action as appropriate. If no prompt appears automatically, paste the link manually on the relevant add page; that alone doesn’t mean the link is invalid.

Subscription URLs and QR codes may contain access credentials. Hide the full token, password, and QR code in troubleshooting screenshots. To describe the issue, include the error text, the page or entry point used, and when it occurred. Don’t submit a real subscription to an unfamiliar conversion site just to inspect its contents.

5. Choosing between a subscription and manual entry

If you already have a server subscription and need to keep its list updated, retaining the Subscribe relationship is easier to maintain. For a single server or to check an individual field, manual entry is more direct. This comparison covers server entry settings in Shadowrocket, not service quality.

Scanning a QR code to import one server doesn’t create a subscription update relationship; clipboard import works the same way. To tell whether an entry can be updated, check whether you saved a subscription URL or an individual server—not which input method you used to add it.

6. Import troubleshooting: Check the stage where it failed

Record “can’t import,” “update failed,” and “can’t connect” as separate issues. The first usually occurs while the content is being recognized, the second while remote content is fetched or parsed, and the last after a server entry already exists. Each calls for different checks, so trying another import method repeatedly may not help.

Minimum checks after import

1. Return to Home, select the server you want to use, and confirm that the selection indicator appears beside it.
2. Check Global Routing. Config routes traffic according to the active configuration rules; Proxy uses the proxy route, and Direct connects without a proxy. Scene involves scene settings, so check which one is active during the test.
3. Turn on the connection switch in Home. The first time you connect, follow the system prompt to allow adding a VPN configuration.
4. Run Connectivity Test and note the result. A successful test only means the specified test destination was reachable at that time; it doesn’t guarantee that all requests are working.
5. If the connection reconnects automatically, check Settings → On Demand to make sure an automatic reconnection isn’t being mistaken for an import issue.

At this point, subscription retrieval, content parsing, and connection testing have been checked separately. To continue troubleshooting, keep the error message and sequence of steps, and change one variable at a time—for example, switch networks or check just one parameter. Changing the subscription, rules, and connection settings all at once makes it harder to find the cause. See the rules manual for rule syntax.