This guide answers the question “How do I import nodes into sing-box?” It’s for users who have just installed a sing-box client and aren’t sure how to add VLESS, VMess, Trojan, or Shadowsocks nodes. Using common graphical clients as examples, it explains how to import subscriptions and individual nodes, and how to check your IP, DNS, and browser environment after connecting.
1. What to prepare before importing
sing-box is a proxy core. Many users use graphical clients based on sing-box, such as sing-box clients for Android, Windows, macOS, or iOS. Before importing a node, make sure you have one of the following:
- A subscription link: usually starts with https:// and imports multiple nodes at once.
- A share link: such as vless://, vmess://, trojan://, or ss://.
- A configuration file: usually in JSON format and requires a client that supports local imports.
If you don’t have any nodes yet, you can copy an available subscription or individual node link from the free nodes page on this site. Free nodes may stop working, so try several after importing them rather than relying on just one connection.
2. How to import subscription nodes into sing-box
- Open the sing-box client and go to “Configuration,” “Subscription,” or “Profiles.” The exact name varies by client.
- Tap “Add Subscription,” “Add Subscription,” or the plus icon in the upper-right corner.
- Paste the subscription link into the URL field. For the name, enter something like “freevpn-x” or another label that’s easy to recognize.
- Save it, then tap “Update Subscription” or “Update” and wait for the node list to refresh.
- Return to the home screen, choose a node, then tap Start or Connect.
If the subscription update fails, first check that you haven’t copied any extra spaces and that your phone’s network can open web pages. You can also try again on a different network. Some clients need VPN permission before they can route system traffic.
3. How to manually import a single node
If you have a share link, copy the entire link, then select “Import from Clipboard” in the client. If the client recognizes it, it will create the node automatically. If it doesn’t, go to “Add Manually” and enter the fields for the protocol, such as address, port, UUID, password, transport, TLS, and SNI.
For most users, importing a subscription is the better option because it makes updating, deleting, and switching nodes easier. Manual entry is useful for testing a single node or when a subscription can’t be parsed.
4. Check your IP, DNS, and browser environment after connecting
A node showing “Connected” doesn’t necessarily mean you can access your target websites. Check the following in order:
- Check your IP: Open an IP lookup site and confirm that your exit IP has changed to the node’s region, rather than showing your local ISP’s IP.
- Check DNS: If web pages won’t load but chat apps work, you may have a DNS leak or a DNS resolution failure. Try enabling remote DNS, FakeIP, or system proxy mode in the client.
- Browser environment: Disable browser proxy and ad-blocking extensions, then try again to avoid conflicts between proxy rules.
- System time: An incorrect time on your phone or computer may cause TLS certificate verification to fail. Turn on automatic time synchronization.
If you only want your browser to use the proxy, make sure the client is in system proxy mode. To route traffic from all apps through the proxy, enable VPN/TUN mode. Different modes can affect how your IP and DNS appear.
5. Troubleshooting common connection failures
If a sing-box node imports successfully but won’t connect, try these steps in order: update the subscription and try two or three different nodes; check that your local network is working; make sure the client isn’t outdated; then confirm that the client supports the node’s protocol. If the logs show “timeout,” the node is likely unavailable or the connection is being blocked. If you see terms like “TLS,” “certificate,” or “reality,” the issue is usually related to security settings, system time, or SNI.
In general, when importing nodes into sing-box, use a subscription first, a share link second, and manual entry as a last resort. After connecting, don’t rely only on the status button—also check your IP, DNS, and browser extensions to help pinpoint problems faster.