Keep each subscription tied to its source, update them separately, and then deal with duplicate entries. This guide is for users who already have subscriptions from their own providers. It covers identifying groups in Home, naming and sorting them, updating one group, checking before deletion, and distinguishing same-name servers from duplicate imports. Afterward, you should be able to identify each group’s source, the currently selected default server, and whether an update affected your selection.
1. Understand the Difference Between Subscriptions, Servers, and Config
In Shadowrocket, a subscription URL retrieves server entries; Home displays servers and subscription groups; Config manages configuration files and routing rules. These are separate objects. Updating a subscription does not switch Config, and moving a group to the top does not automatically make it the route for all traffic.
This guide assumes you already have a provider and a valid subscription. This site does not provide, sell, or recommend servers or subscriptions. A token in a subscription URL is usually an access credential. When recording a source, note only the provider’s abbreviation, purpose, and an identifying label. Do not paste the full URL into chats or public screenshots.
2. Import Subscriptions Separately and Create Identifiable Groups
First check whether Home already has a group from the same source. If an existing subscription just has outdated entries, update it instead of adding the URL again. Re-importing can put the same servers in multiple groups, and they may reappear in each group after future updates.
- Open Home and note the existing group names. Expand each group to see whether its entries came from a subscription or were added manually.
- To add a new source, go to Add Server, choose Subscribe under Type, and enter your own subscription URL. Do not enter a subscription URL in the Address field for an individual server.
- Use labels that are easy to recognize, such as “01-Provider A-Daily” and “02-Provider B-Backup.” A label helps identify the source; it does not change the protocol, routing, or connection priority.
- After saving, return to Home and wait for the source’s content to load. Confirm that the new group appears separately from the existing ones before adding another source.
The two cards below illustrate a way to keep local records; they are not connectable services. example.com and xxxx in the addresses are fictional values. When importing, use the complete URL supplied by your provider, and do not replace its parameter names.
Source Record A
- Label
- 01-Provider A-Daily
- Type
- Subscribe
- Example address
https://example.com/sub?token=xxxx- Managed in
- Corresponding subscription group in Home
Update the existing group; do not repeatedly create subscriptions with the same URL.
Source Record B
- Label
- 02-Provider B-Backup
- Source
- A second provider you already use
- Address storage
- Store the complete original URL privately
- Update scope
- Operate on the second subscription group only
“Backup” is just a label; it does not mean the group will switch automatically.
3. Sort Groups and Servers Separately
Before sorting, confirm what you are changing. Subscription group order makes sources easier to find; server order within a group makes individual entries easier to locate. Neither changes Global Routing. Do not treat “at the top of the list” as proof that a server is selected by default.
- Name groups by source: Add a two-digit prefix to subscription labels to keep them in order when sorting by name, such as “01,” “02,” and “03.” The prefix is part of the name, not a connection weight.
- Reorder groups: Check for available sorting controls in Home’s edit mode or group menu. If a drag handle is shown, drag the group and finish editing. If the interface does not offer dragging, do not assume that long-pressing a title will move it.
- Reorder entries within a group: When using the available name or test-result sorting options, first confirm which list they affect. Sorting by latency reflects the results of that test only; it does not indicate bandwidth or long-term reliability.
- Account for updates: After a subscription update, entry names, counts, and order may change based on the content returned by the provider. Keep important source labels in the subscription notes rather than relying on a server’s name to identify its source.
In short: use labels to identify sources and the selection state to identify the active server
After sorting, return to Home and check which server is selected. If Config contains rules that reference a specific server or policy group, check those references too. List position is no substitute for either check.
4. Update One Subscription at a Time, Then Verify Before Updating More
When troubleshooting a source, start by updating just one group. Refreshing all groups at once changes multiple sources, making it harder to tell which URL timed out, returned no content, or changed entry names. Here, “update” means fetching subscription content, not updating the app.
- Find the target subscription group in Home and note the number of entries and the currently selected server name. The count is for comparison, not a measure of service quality.
- Open the subscription’s action menu and select Update. Use the controls shown in the current interface. Update only the target subscription; do not select an action that applies to all subscriptions.
- Wait for the operation to finish, then check for error messages and review the group. If the update succeeds but the count is unchanged, the provider may simply have returned the same content. Do not assume it failed based on the count alone.
- If the request times out, first confirm that the device is online, then check whether the subscription URL is still valid. If the provider reset the URL, edit the existing subscription’s URL instead of keeping the old one and repeatedly adding new groups.
- If the previously selected server was removed, choose an existing entry in Home and run Connectivity Test. Keep the original record of the server until you have confirmed that the update produced the expected result.
5. Check the Source Before Comparing Duplicate Servers
Two entries with the same name are not necessarily duplicates. Different providers may use the same region name, while one provider may offer different protocols or ports for the same region. Conversely, entries with different names may point to the same server endpoint. Compare the details field by field instead of deleting entries in bulk based only on their display names.
| What you see | What to check | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Two groups have different names but nearly identical contents | Do the subscription URLs come from the same source? Was the same subscription added twice? | After confirming the group you intend to keep updates correctly, delete the extra subscription. |
| Same name, different ports: 443 and 8443 | Type, Address, Port, and protocol-specific fields | Different ports mean different connection parameters; do not deduplicate based on the name alone. |
| Same name, different protocols: VMess and VLESS | Protocol type and the authentication and transport settings each requires | Keep and compare them separately; they are not the same configuration. |
| The same entry appears in both a manual list and a subscription group | Was a server from the subscription copied manually? | Choose whether to keep the subscription-managed entry or the manual copy; avoid using both indefinitely. |
| A deleted entry reappears after an update | Is the entry still included in the content returned by the subscription? | Handle duplicates at the source separately from local deletions. |
Ports 443 and 8443 in the table are examples for comparison, not values to standardize on. To determine whether two configurations are equivalent, you may also need to compare fields such as UUID, Password, TLS, SNI, transport, and path. Check these details only on your own device; do not publish complete authentication information when asking for help.
In short: remove the extra source when a subscription was imported twice
If two groups really come from the same subscription, keep one that updates correctly and remove the other. Deleting only the extra group’s server entries will not prevent them from being recreated during the next update.
6. Before Deleting a Subscription, Check the Default Server and Rule References
Deleting an entire subscription is different from deleting an individual server. Removing a subscription group also affects the entries it manages; deleting just one entry may not stop it from reappearing after the next update. Read the confirmation prompt carefully and verify that it applies to the target group, not the entire list.
- Privately save any source information you still need. Check the name and URL of the group you plan to delete to avoid removing the wrong group when names match.
- If the current default server belongs to the group you are removing, first select another tested, working entry in Home. If maintenance requires disconnecting, turn off the connection switch first.
- If Config uses the name of a server you are deleting, check the related policy groups and rule references. Do not assume that removing a group automatically replaces those references with another server.
- Open the target subscription’s action menu, select Delete, and review the confirmation prompt. After deleting it, check that the other groups are still present.
- Recheck Global Routing and the default selection, then test the destinations you need to access. Passing Connectivity Test is not enough; also verify that the relevant app or request works as expected.
Proxy, Direct, Config, and Scene in Global Routing are routing choices, not subscription sorting methods. When using Config, account for the configuration’s rules and policies. When troubleshooting with Direct, do not treat a direct connection as proof that a particular server passed its test. Note your original settings before maintenance and restore them afterward according to your needs.
7. Multiple Subscription FAQs
Why did a server I deleted come back after updating the same subscription?
A subscription update fetches its content again from the source. First check whether you deleted an individual entry or an entire duplicate subscription. If you deleted an entry locally but it is still included in the source, it may reappear after an update. If the same source was added twice, remove the extra subscription after confirming the group you are keeping works correctly.
How can I update only the second subscription without changing the other groups?
In Home, open the action menu for the second subscription group and select Update. Avoid the option that updates all subscriptions. Note the group’s entries before updating, then check only that group afterward. Once it looks right, move on to other sources.
Will moving the backup group to the top automatically switch to it?
Changing the list order alone will not switch the active server. Check the default server in Home. If you use Config, also check the policy groups and rules that reference it. To select servers automatically, verify the relevant mechanism in your configuration; a group label or its position is not an automatic switching condition.
The subscription updated successfully, but a new server cannot connect. What should I check next?
Select the specific entry in Home and run Connectivity Test. Check the device’s network connection, server settings, and Global Routing. A successful update only confirms that content was retrieved. If entries from just one source fail, ask your provider to confirm service status and share only the necessary error details—never the full subscription URL.