How to Import V2Ray Subscription Links: Add Subscription Sources in v2rayN and v2rayNG, with vmess/vless Share Link Formats

First distinguish subscription links from single-node share links

Check the beginning of the link. An address starting with https:// that returns a batch of node records is usually a subscription URL. Content starting with vmess://, vless://, or trojan:// usually describes a single node. The two types use different import paths, and pasting one into the wrong place commonly results in “saved successfully, but the list is empty.”

A subscription URL is a data source that can be requested repeatedly. The client stores the URL, label, and update options, then fetches the node list again whenever you run “Update subscription.” A single-node share link directly carries the server, port, user identifier, transport, and TLS parameters; after import, it does not automatically follow changes to a remote node list.

Add and update a subscription in v2rayN

The steps below use the v2rayN 7.x desktop interface. Start the client and open the main window. If menu labels differ slightly, follow the three-level structure—subscription groups, add URL, update subscription—and do not paste a subscription URL into the manual VMess server dialog.

1. Open subscription groups

   From the main window, open “Subscription groups” → “Subscription group settings,” then click “+” to create a group. Name it after its purpose or provider.

2. Paste the URL

   Paste the complete HTTPS subscription URL into the URL field. Make sure there are no spaces at either end, then save the group.

3. Check the core

   Go to “Settings” → “Parameter settings” → “Core type.” Choose the Xray core for configurations that include VLESS, XTLS, or REALITY.

4. Run an update

   Return to the main window, open “Subscription groups,” and select “Update all subscriptions.” When it finishes, check the status bar for added, removed, and failed counts.

5. Select a node

   Select a node in the server list and set it as the active server, then enable the system proxy if needed. Importing nodes alone does not automatically change the system traffic entry point.

After a successful update, the server list shows the protocol, alias, address, and port. Filter by group first, then run a latency test on one node. A latency value only shows that the test target responded; it does not represent actual download speed. If 50 nodes import within about 2–5 seconds but the latency column is empty, check whether the core started instead of repeatedly adding the same subscription.

Common local ports in v2rayN include SOCKS port 10808. Use the local listener settings under “Settings” → “Parameter settings” as the source of truth. When a browser or command-line tool uses a manual proxy, the protocol and port must match; sending an HTTP proxy request to a SOCKS port fails immediately.

• Save the subscription group before updating; an unsaved URL will not enter the update queue.
• If the list contains duplicates, first check whether two groups use the same URL instead of deleting nodes one by one.
• If old nodes remain after an update, check the option to remove old configurations in the group settings.
• When the log shows a timeout, first test whether the subscription URL is reachable, then decide whether to update through the current proxy.

Add an Android subscription in v2rayNG

The subscription entry in v2rayNG is under group management, not the single-node import menu in the lower-right corner. The steps below use v2rayNG 1.10.x. Before importing, copy the subscription URL to the system clipboard and confirm that you copied the URL—not a plan name or expiration date from the webpage.

1. Open settings

   Open the side menu and select “Subscription group settings.” Tap “+” in the upper-right corner to add a new subscription source.

2. Enter the subscription

   Enter an identifiable name in the label field and paste the complete subscription URL into the URL field. Enable automatic updates if needed, then tap Save in the upper-right corner.

3. Update the group

   Return to the main screen, open the upper-right menu, and select “Update subscription.” Wait for the bottom message confirming completion, then check the configuration count.

4. Switch configurations

   Tap the target node to make it the current configuration. Tap the connect button and confirm that the status bar shows a connected state before testing access.

5. Check the log

   When the connection fails, open “Log” and inspect the first error. Prioritize DNS resolution, connection timeouts, certificate names, and refused ports.

If you have a single vmess://, vless://, or trojan:// link, do not create a subscription group. Copy the complete share link first, then use “+” → “Import from clipboard” on the main screen. After importing, open the configuration details and verify the address, port, transport, TLS, SNI, and path.

Groups, updates, and node synchronization across both clients

The desktop and Android clients can save the same subscription URL, but they do not transfer local configurations directly to each other. Synchronization means that both clients request the same remote subscription source separately. After nodes are added or removed remotely, update each client once for the lists to match.

Organize groups by source or purpose rather than creating many duplicate subscriptions by protocol. If one subscription includes both VMess and VLESS, keep it in a single group; the protocol column already distinguishes them. Adding the same URL repeatedly creates identical node names from different sources, making update troubleshooting harder.

Automatic updates are not real-time push notifications. Clients usually request the subscription at startup or at the configured interval; sleep, lost connectivity, or background restrictions can delay scheduled tasks. When the remote list changes, a manual update is the clearest option. Record the current node name before updating; if it is removed, select an active configuration again from the new list.

vmess, vless, and trojan share link formats

A VMess share link commonly consists of vmess:// followed by Base64 text. Decoding it usually yields a JSON object containing the address, port, user identifier, transport network, path, and TLS fields. Base64 only represents text; it is not encryption and does not indicate whether a node is usable.

VLESS and Trojan usually use a standard URI structure. The server address and port appear in the host portion, while transport, security, SNI, fingerprint, and Flow parameters appear in the query fields after the question mark. Text after the hash is the node label. Omitting query fields during copying can leave the address correct but cause the handshake to fail.

vless://[email protected]:443?type=tcp&security=reality&flow=xtls-rprx-vision&sni=www.example.com&fp=chrome&pbk=AbCdEfGhIjKlMnOpQrStUvWxYz0123456789abc&sid=1a2b3c4d#VLESS-Reality

trojan://[email protected]:443?security=tls&type=tcp&sni=www.example.com#Trojan-TLS

The addresses above only illustrate field positions. Real VLESS links must obtain the UUID, Reality public key, and short id from the configuration source; authentication data in Trojan links must also remain complete. Manually changing security, type, or flow does not convert one server configuration into another protocol.

After decoding, a traditional Base64 subscription usually becomes multiple share links, one node per line. The client first fetches the subscription body, then decodes it and identifies the protocol on each line. If the body is a login page, error message, or expiration notice, the client may show “0 configurations detected” even when the HTTP request succeeds. Check the content returned by the subscription URL instead of changing the local port.

• vmess://: verify id, add, port, net, host, path, tls, and sni.
• vless://: verify UUID, security, type, flow, sni, fp, pbk, and sid.
• trojan://: verify the authentication data, server address, port, security, and sni.
• The label after # only changes the display name; it is not used for connection authentication.

Troubleshoot failed subscriptions, empty node lists, and connection errors

Troubleshoot in four layers: can the subscription be fetched, can the nodes be parsed, can the core start, and does traffic enter the proxy? Do not delete every configuration at the outset. Keep the original group and logs; the error message usually shows which layer failed.

A connection refused log usually means the target address is reachable but the specified port is not accepting connections; a timeout may indicate a network path, DNS resolution, or unreachable remote service. For a TLS name error, check SNI. For a Reality handshake error, verify the public key, short id, fingerprint, and server name. Different errors cannot all be fixed by switching the local proxy port.

If v2rayN imports successfully but v2rayNG does not, first confirm that both clients copied the same complete URL, then compare their versions and core support. VLESS configurations with newer Xray parameters should use the Xray core in v2rayNG. If a compatibility configuration requires the V2Fly core, use v2flyNG, but select Reality and XTLS parameters according to the core’s capabilities rather than changing only the protocol name.