This article answers the common question, “How do I import nodes into sing-box?” It covers importing subscription links and configuration files, checking your IP and DNS after connecting, and reviewing your browser environment. It’s written for first-time sing-box users to follow step by step.
1. What to prepare before importing nodes
sing-box is a proxy core, and different platforms have different graphical clients, such as the sing-box clients commonly used on Windows, Android, iOS, and macOS. Before you begin, make sure of three things: the client is installed, your node details are valid, and your system clock is set correctly. Nodes usually come in two forms: a subscription link or an individual node link or JSON configuration file. This site also curates free node resources that you can use to test the import process. However, free nodes can become less reliable over time, so judge them by whether they connect successfully.
- Subscription link: Usually a URL beginning with https, suitable for updating multiple nodes at once.
- Individual node: May be a link beginning with vless://, vmess://, trojan://, or a similar protocol.
- Configuration file: Usually a .json file that requires a client with file-import support.
2. General steps for importing nodes into sing-box
The names of interface options vary slightly between clients, but the process is much the same. In a typical graphical client, follow these steps:
- Open the sing-box client and go to the “Configuration,” “Profiles,” or “Subscriptions” page.
- Select “Add,” “Import,” or “Import from URL.”
- If you have a subscription link, paste it into the URL field. You can name it “freevpn” or choose a custom name.
- Click Save, then select “Update subscription” or “Download configuration.”
- Return to the node list, select a node, then click Start, Connect, or Enable proxy.
- Open a browser and visit an IP lookup site to confirm that your exit IP has changed.
If you have an individual node link, select “Import from clipboard” or “Add manually.” For a JSON file, select “Import from file.” After importing, avoid changing too many settings at once. First, test whether you can access websites using the default proxy mode.
3. How IP, DNS, and your browser environment are related
Many users assume that connecting to a node means everything is working, but you should also check whether your IP, DNS, and browser environment are consistent. Your IP indicates the apparent location from which you access websites. DNS resolves domain names; if your DNS requests still go through your local network, you may have a DNS leak. Your browser environment includes information such as your language, time zone, and WebRTC settings.
A simple check is to connect to sing-box and visit an IP lookup page to see whether your IP has changed. Then visit a DNS leak test page to check whether the DNS servers roughly match your proxy’s exit location. Finally, check whether WebRTC is enabled in your browser and exposing your local IP. Most users don’t need to make every setting match exactly, but they should at least avoid a situation where their IP appears to be overseas while their DNS clearly belongs to a local ISP.
4. What to do if you can’t connect after importing
Connection failures are not always caused by sing-box itself. Troubleshoot them in this order:
- Subscription won’t update: Check that the link is complete, contains no extra spaces, and that your network can access the subscription URL.
- Node times out: Try another node. Free nodes may have expired or be congested.
- Your browser can’t open webpages: Confirm that the system proxy is enabled or that the client is in TUN/VPN mode.
- Only some websites have problems: Try switching to global mode to determine whether the issue is with the routing rules.
- DNS problems: Use the default settings in the client’s DNS configuration, or switch to a commonly used public DNS server and test again.
If you’ve just installed the client, it’s best to start by importing a subscription rather than manually editing a complex configuration. Once you’ve confirmed that the connection works, you can adjust routing rules, DNS, or browser privacy settings as needed. This makes troubleshooting clearer and helps you identify whether the problem lies with the node, the client, or your local network environment.