This guide addresses the practical question of how to import nodes into sing-box. First, distinguish between a node link, a subscription link, and a configuration file; then import it using a method supported by your client, and finally check your exit IP, DNS, and browser environment. Menu names may vary across operating systems and client versions, so follow the labels in your current interface.
1. Check what you have before importing
sing-box is a proxy core, and graphical clients do not all support the same import features. Support for the sing-box core does not mean a client can import every subscription format directly. Check the client’s configuration management page and subscription instructions before deciding how to proceed:
- Links beginning with vless://, vmess://, trojan://, and similar prefixes are usually single-node sharing links. The client must support parsing the relevant link format.
- Links beginning with https:// may be subscription URLs or merely download pages. Check what configuration format they return.
- A JSON file or text may be a sing-box configuration, but a JSON file containing only a node snippet may not work on its own.
- Clash YAML is a different configuration format. Simply changing its file extension does not make it usable as a sing-box configuration.
2. Import using a method supported by your client
- Install a client suitable for your operating system from the project’s official channels. On first launch, open the “Configuration,” “Profiles,” or similar page.
- If you have a complete sing-box JSON file compatible with your current version, select “Import from file.” If the client supports clipboard import, you can also copy the full contents and add them that way.
- If you have a subscription link, look for “Remote configuration,” “Add subscription,” or a similar option, then paste and save the URL. This works only if the subscription’s format is compatible with the client.
- Download or update the configuration and check for parsing errors, then select the configuration you just added. Some clients also require you to open the proxy page and select a specific node.
- Connect, grant VPN permissions or enable the relevant proxy mode when prompted, then test by visiting a regular website. For the first test, try to run only one proxy client.
If the interface has no option to import a single node, do not paste the sharing link directly into a JSON configuration field. Ask the node provider for a compatible configuration, or use a client that explicitly supports that protocol’s links. Do not submit content containing passwords, UUIDs, or subscription tokens to untrusted online conversion sites.
3. How to check your IP and DNS after importing
“Configuration added” only means the content was saved; it does not mean your traffic is going through the proxy. After connecting, use an IP lookup page to check your exit address. With rule-based routing, domestic and international sites may use different exit routes, so one page alone cannot tell you whether the proxy is working.
If a webpage reports a domain resolution error, first check that the configuration downloaded completely and look for DNS errors in the client logs. DNS determines how domain names are resolved, while your exit IP depends on the route your traffic actually takes; these are not the same thing. Avoid changing your system DNS, browser secure DNS, and client DNS settings all at once. Change only one setting at a time and test again.
4. Troubleshoot connection failures in this order
First, confirm that your local network is working. Then manually update the subscription and check that the configuration version is compatible and the node is still active. If you can connect but your browser cannot open websites, check whether system proxy or VPN mode is enabled, then temporarily disable other proxy tools and browser proxy extensions and try again. If only one website is having issues, test it in an incognito window to rule out cache, cookies, or account-region settings; incognito mode does not change your IP.
Free nodes on this site should also be imported in the format specified for them, and availability is subject to testing. If you need help, provide your operating system, client version, and a redacted error message. Do not publicly share your full subscription URL or node credentials.