This article addresses the practical question of “how to import a subscription into Shadowrocket”: it shows you how to import a subscription link into Shadowrocket on iPhone/iPad, and explains why the IP, DNS, and browser environment you see after connecting can affect access results. It is suitable for ordinary users who have just obtained free nodes or a subscription address and want to follow the steps directly.
1. What to prepare before importing a subscription
Shadowrocket is a commonly used proxy client on iOS. A subscription is usually a URL link containing information for multiple nodes. Before importing, first confirm three things: the subscription link is complete, your network can open web pages normally, and the system time is accurate. This site also compiles testable free node resources, but free nodes may become invalid, congested, or change regions, so it is recommended to prepare several backups.
- Make sure Shadowrocket is installed and that adding a VPN configuration is allowed.
- Copy the full subscription address, and do not omit the opening http or https.
- If it is a single node link, it can also be imported in a similar way.
2. Steps to import a subscription into Shadowrocket
- Open Shadowrocket, go to the home page, and tap the “+” in the upper-right corner.
- Select Subscribe/Subscription as the type, and paste the subscription link into the URL field.
- For the remark, you can enter something like “free nodes” or “backup subscription” for easier identification.
- Tap Save in the upper-right corner, then return to the home page and pull down to refresh the subscription.
- After the refresh is complete, choose a node and turn on the connection switch at the top.
- When connecting for the first time, the system will prompt you to add a VPN configuration; just follow the prompts to verify.
If there are many nodes in the subscription, it is recommended to first test nodes with lower latency and clear names. After connecting successfully, you can open a browser and visit an IP lookup website to check whether your current outbound IP has changed.
3. What is the relationship between IP, DNS, and the browser environment?
Many people think that after importing a subscription, everything is fine as long as the switch turns green. In fact, access results are also related to the IP, DNS, and browser environment. IP determines the outbound location seen by the website; DNS is responsible for resolving domain names into server addresses; and the browser environment includes information such as cache, cookies, language, time zone, and WebRTC.
If your IP has changed after connecting, but some websites still show your original region, it may be caused by browser cache or account history. You can try incognito mode, clear cookies, or switch browsers for testing. If there is a DNS leak, you may encounter a situation where “the node is connected but some websites still won’t open.” In Shadowrocket settings, you can enable appropriate DNS options, or switch between rule mode and global mode for comparison.
4. Common troubleshooting for connection failures
- Subscription refresh failed: Check whether the link has expired, then switch networks and refresh again.
- All nodes time out: The nodes may be invalid, or your current network may be restricted. Change the subscription or switch nodes.
- Connected but web pages won’t open: Switch to global mode for testing, then check the DNS settings.
- Only one specific app does not work: Close and reopen that app, or check whether it is using a direct connection rule.
One final recommendation: after importing a subscription, do not frequently switch multiple clients on and off, to avoid conflicts in the system VPN configuration. When problems occur, troubleshoot in this order: “can the subscription be refreshed → can the node connect → has the IP changed → is DNS working normally → is the browser using cached data.” This usually helps pinpoint the cause.