This article explains how to import a subscription into Shadowrocket and why you might still be unable to open webpages afterward. It also covers how this relates to your IP, DNS, and browser environment. It’s for users who already have a subscription URL or node link, or have found free nodes on this site, but aren’t sure how to use them in Shadowrocket.
1. What to prepare before importing a subscription into Shadowrocket
Shadowrocket is a popular proxy client for iOS. Before importing a subscription, make sure of three things: first, that Shadowrocket is installed on your phone; second, that you have a working subscription URL, which usually starts with https://; and third, that your current network can access the subscription URL. If the URL itself won’t open, Shadowrocket won’t be able to update the nodes either.
Keep in mind that a subscription is a list of nodes, not a single node. After adding a subscription in the client, you can tap “Update” to fetch the latest nodes. The free nodes on this site may be provided as a subscription or as individual nodes. When using them, copy the complete link to avoid missing any characters.
2. How to import a subscription into Shadowrocket: step by step
- Open Shadowrocket and go to the home screen. Tap the “+” in the upper-right corner.
- Select “Subscribe” or “订阅” as the type. Don’t select a manual node protocol.
- Paste your subscription link into the URL field. You can enter “Free Nodes” or a custom name in the remarks field.
- Tap “Done” in the upper-right corner to save, then return to the home screen.
- Tap the subscription group you just added, then select “Update” or pull down to refresh. Wait for the node list to appear.
- Select a node and turn on the connection switch at the top. The first time you connect, follow the prompts to allow a VPN configuration to be added.
If no nodes appear after importing, first check that you copied the entire link, especially any trailing parameters, capitalization, and special characters. Many failed imports aren’t caused by the client but by a missing part of the link.
3. After a successful import: checking your IP, DNS, and browser environment
After connecting with Shadowrocket, start by checking whether your IP address has changed. Visit an IP lookup website and see whether the displayed location matches or is close to the selected node. If your IP hasn’t changed, the system VPN may not be routing your traffic. Try turning the switch on again, or remove the VPN configuration and authorize it again.
Next, check DNS resolution. Sometimes your IP has changed, but webpages still won’t load because of a DNS cache or DNS leak. Try changing the DNS policy in Shadowrocket’s settings, or temporarily enable global routing to test. Once everything works, switch back to rule-based proxying.
Your browser environment can also affect the results. For example, Safari and Chrome may retain cached data, cookies, or old DNS results. If something seems wrong, close the browser in the background, clear the cache for the affected website, or try another browser. Don’t assume a node is broken just because one webpage won’t load.
4. Common ways to troubleshoot connection failures
- Subscription update fails: Paste the subscription link into a browser to test it. If it won’t open, there’s a problem with the link or network.
- You can select a node, but it won’t connect: Try other nodes in the same subscription to check whether only that node is temporarily unavailable.
- It says you’re connected, but you can’t access the internet: Switch to global mode first, then test your IP and webpage access.
- Some apps work, but the browser doesn’t: Check the browser cache, proxy rules, and DNS settings.
- Frequent disconnections: Switch between Wi-Fi and cellular data to rule out an unstable local network.
Finally, after importing a subscription, we recommend using global mode for an initial connectivity test. Once your IP, DNS, and browser are all working properly, switch to rule-based mode. This makes it easier to identify whether the problem is with the subscription, node, DNS, or browser environment.