Shadowrocket Subscription Setup: Subscribe, Add Server, QR Code & Clipboard

1. Identify Your Details Before Importing

A subscription URL and a website URL may both start with https://, but they serve different purposes. A server subscription returns server entries the app can parse; a remote configuration contains sections, rules, or policies; a provider account page returns a webpage. Pasting an account page into Subscribe usually will not produce a usable server list. Check your provider’s description of each link rather than judging by its appearance.

Home is mainly for viewing, selecting, and connecting to servers; Config is for configuration files, and Settings is for app preferences. Distinguish Config’s Subscribe option from Home → “+” → Type → Subscribe by the kind of information you have: the former is for configuration subscriptions, while the latter adds a server subscription. Importing a server list does not also install a rules file, nor does it switch Global Routing to Config.

2. Subscribe: Import a Subscription and Check for Updates

If you have a server subscription URL, add it as a Subscribe entry rather than entering each server manually. This lets you refresh the list through the same subscription when your provider changes server addresses, ports, or the number of entries. Updating a subscription fetches the latest details; it does not test connection speed or extend your service period.

1. Verify the details

   Copy the server subscription URL for Shadowrocket from your provider’s account page. Make sure you have not copied instructions, line breaks, or extra spaces along with it.

2. Choose the type

   Go to Home → tap “+” in the upper-right corner to open Add Server, then set Type to Subscribe. Do not enter a subscription URL in the Server field for a standard protocol.

3. Save the subscription

   Paste the full address in the URL field. You can add a recognizable name in Remarks, then save. The name is only for identification on your device and does not change what the subscription returns.

4. Fetch the entries

   Return to Home and use the subscription’s update option. If the list supports pull-to-refresh, you can also pull down to refresh. Wait for the request to finish, then check whether server entries appear in the subscription group.

5. Check the configuration

   If your provider also gives you a configuration URL, import it through Config → Subscribe or the remote configuration option. Once the configuration loads, select it for use. Do not use a server subscription URL in place of a configuration URL.

Fewer entries after an update does not necessarily mean the import failed; your provider may have removed or changed entries. Check the account’s service period and subscription notes, then look for any error messages. Manually edited server entries generated by a subscription may be overwritten during the next update. Keep a separate record of changes you need to retain rather than assuming a one-time edit will persist.

3. Add Server: Enter Protocol Details Manually

Use Home → “+” → Add Server when your details are provided as separate fields such as Server, Port, and Password—not as a subscription or share link. Choose Type first, then fill in each field. A matching server address and port do not identify the protocol. Choosing the wrong Type may still let you save the entry, but it will not create a valid connection.

For example, if your provider specifies Server as example.com, Port as 443, and a different domain for TLS Server Name, preserve each value in its corresponding field. Port 443 alone does not mean you can omit TLS, authentication, or transport settings. Do not disable certificate verification as a substitute for checking the domain and certificate.

• Before saving, check capitalization, spaces, and punctuation in every field—especially Password, UUID, paths, and keys.
• Manually added entries generally do not update with a provider subscription. If the provider changes an address or credential, you will need to edit the entry yourself.
• If any details are missing, ask the original provider instead of guessing default values.

4. QR Code and Clipboard Import: Check the Encoded Content

QR scanning and clipboard import are two ways to enter information, not additional protocols. A QR code may contain a single share link or just a webpage address. Clipboard contents can likewise include a webpage title, instructions, or multiple incomplete snippets. After recognition, check whether the result is an individual server, a subscription group, or configuration details.

Import by QR code

1. Find the QR code icon in Home and open the scanner. If prompted the first time, grant camera access in the system dialog.
2. Scan a QR code provided by your own provider, keeping the full code in view. If it is displayed on another device, avoid glare and make sure all four corners are visible.
3. If the QR code is saved in your photo library, use the scanner’s photo-library option. If that option is unavailable, copy the text link for the same details instead.
4. Review the detected Type, Server, Port, and other details before saving. If the result is only a regular webpage URL, it has not imported a server.

Import from the clipboard

1. First, copy a complete, single share link, such as one starting with ss://, vmess://, vless://, or trojan://.
2. Return to Home and choose Import from Clipboard in the “+” menu. If the app asks to access the clipboard, allow it for this import.
3. Review the detected entry before saving. If that menu is not available in your current interface, paste the details into the corresponding field in Add Server or use a QR code from your provider.
4. For an https:// subscription URL, go to Type → Subscribe → URL and paste it there. This makes clear that the link is a subscription and avoids treating a regular URL as a single share link.

5. Check Global Routing and the Connection After Import

A server appearing in Home only means its details were saved. Next, select a server you already have and turn on the connection. When creating a VPN configuration for the first time, follow the system prompt to authorize it. Then check Home → Global Routing. Different modes handle requests differently, so do not judge by the switch alone.

Scene in Global Routing applies settings according to configured scene conditions; it is not a protocol type. Before checking the conditions and their associated behavior, do not treat Scene as a fixed Proxy or Config mode. For an initial test, use one clearly defined mode, then configure automatic switching.

• Run Connectivity Test from Home and note whether every entry fails or only one. Test results and actual access to the target website are separate pieces of evidence; check both.
• When using Config, confirm the intended configuration is selected in Config and review the rule order. DOMAIN-SUFFIX matches domain suffixes, IP-CIDR matches address ranges, GEOIP matches using an IP-location database, and FINAL provides the fallback.
• For initial troubleshooting, connect manually. Settings → On Demand triggers connections based on conditions; it does not import subscriptions or fix incorrect authentication details.

6. Troubleshoot Subscription and Import Issues in Order

First identify where the failure occurs: subscription content was not downloaded, downloaded content could not be parsed, or entries are present but the connection fails. Repeatedly deleting and re-adding entries can erase useful troubleshooting clues. Keep the error message, and check the URL, network, and returned content without exposing tokens or authentication details.

After your first import, keep a short record that contains no sensitive credentials: the type of details, the import method, the Global Routing mode, and any error message. If a problem occurs later, update the details and repeat the same test before changing the configuration. Change one setting at a time so you can identify what affected the result.