Shadowrocket Interface Guide: Home, Config, Proxy, Direct, Data & Settings

1. Home, Config, Data and Settings: Know the four main sections

When following a guide, first check whether an English label refers to a screen or an option within a screen. For example, “open Config” usually means go to the configuration file screen, while “set Global Routing to Config” means change the routing mode. The same word appears in both instructions, but the controls and results are different.

A server listed in Home is not necessarily selected, and selecting one does not turn the connection on. Likewise, saving a file in Config does not make it the active configuration. When following a guide, check the screen, the selected item and the connection state—not just whether a label appears.

2. Home → Add Server: Type, Subscribe and server entries

In Add Server, Server means a server entry; it is not a place to buy a service. Type specifies what kind of information you are entering: choose the matching protocol to add a server manually, or select Subscribe to import an existing subscription. Shadowsocks, VMess, VLESS, Trojan, Hysteria2 and WireGuard are protocol names. Choose the one that matches your existing server parameters.

1. Open Home

   Open Home and check whether your server or subscription group is already listed. Avoid adding the same subscription more than once.

2. Open Add Server

   Tap “+” in the upper-right corner of Home to open Add Server. You are editing an entry to add; no connection has been established yet.

3. Choose a type

   To import an existing subscription, select Subscribe under Type. To add a single server manually, select the protocol that matches your provider’s parameters.

4. Enter details and save

   Enter your full subscription URL in the Subscribe URL field. The address https://example.com/sub?token=xxxx is shown only as a format example; it is fake and cannot be used to connect. Save, return to Home and check whether the server list has loaded.

5. Select and connect

   Select the server you want to use in Home, then turn on the connection. If a system VPN configuration permission prompt appears for the first time, verify the app name and follow the system instructions.

Subscribe is an updateable subscription source; server entries are the individual connection destinations parsed from it. Updating refreshes the list, while connecting uses the selected entry to carry traffic. These are separate actions. After an update, check that the selected entry is still present. If an entry was removed or its parameters changed, the old selection does not confirm that the refreshed list is usable.

3. Global Routing: Proxy, Direct, Config and Scene explained

Global Routing determines how traffic is handled; it is neither a protocol selector nor a server list. Proxy routes traffic through a proxy, Direct connects directly, Config follows the rules in the active configuration file, and Scene applies behavior according to configured scene conditions. Proxy is not a specific protocol: the selected server’s protocol is determined by its own parameters.

To check whether the routing mode affects access, run two controlled tests to the same URL: note the result under Config, then temporarily switch to Proxy and try again. If only Proxy works, check which rule matched in Config and what policy it specifies. This narrows down the issue but does not prove that all DNS or server settings are correct. Restore the routing mode you need when finished.

4. Config: Configuration files, rule keywords and policies

The Config screen manages configuration files; it is not another name for the subscription server list. A typical .conf file contains sections: [General] holds general settings, while [Rule] contains routing rules. A subscription provides server entries, but does not necessarily mean the active configuration contains the rules you need. Check these separately.

The snippets below illustrate rule syntax; they are not a complete configuration file or a server setup. The first three use the format “type, condition, policy”; FINAL has no additional match condition. The domains and addresses are documentation examples. Check your intended destinations and existing configuration before using rules.

[Rule]
DOMAIN-SUFFIX,example.com,PROXY
IP-CIDR,192.0.2.0/24,DIRECT
GEOIP,CN,DIRECT
FINAL,PROXY

DOMAIN-SUFFIX,example.com,PROXY matches the domain suffix and uses PROXY. In IP-CIDR,192.0.2.0/24,DIRECT, /24 is the network prefix length, not a port number. Rules are usually evaluated from top to bottom, so put FINAL after the specific rules you need to check. The interface labels Proxy and Direct are related in meaning to the rule keywords PROXY and DIRECT, but their placement and spelling differ. Preserve the exact keywords when editing rules.

5. Data: Review activity without treating statistics as proof of connectivity

Data helps you review traffic and connection activity. If access fails, note the test time and destination domain, then check the corresponding log for the destination, policy or error shown. Available fields vary by platform and log type; refer to the current screen rather than expecting every entry to show the same details.

• Traffic does not mean a webpage loaded successfully: DNS lookups, connection attempts and background requests can all generate traffic. Check whether the destination page actually loaded.
• DIRECT does not automatically mean something is wrong: Direct mode in Global Routing or a DIRECT rule in Config can both result in a direct connection.
• PROXY does not mean the remote server responded: Policy selection and a successful connection are separate steps. Check for timeouts, authentication errors and other details.
• If there is no entry for the destination, check the basics: Verify the connection switch, test time and current log range. Make sure you are not mistaking an old entry or another app’s request for the current test.

For example, suppose a destination does not open under Config, the log shows DIRECT, and the same destination works after temporarily switching to Proxy. Return to Config and check which rule selected DIRECT. If both modes fail, continue by checking the selected server, destination service and DNS; repeatedly switching modes is not a substitute for troubleshooting. Before sharing logs, remove subscription URLs, authentication details and any access information you do not want to disclose.

6. Settings → On Demand: Connection triggers and routing are separate

Settings is the app’s settings screen. On Demand controls when a connection is triggered; Global Routing controls how traffic is routed once the app handles it. They operate at different levels. Before setting up automatic connections, first confirm that you can select a server and connect manually, then go to Settings → On Demand and check the network conditions and associated actions.

1. Select a server in Home, turn on the connection manually, and run a basic test with a known destination.
2. Go to Settings → On Demand and check whether it is enabled and what actions are configured for conditions such as Wi-Fi and Cellular.
3. Change one condition at a time and check the connection status on the corresponding network. Do not change the server, rules and network all at once.
4. If the connection starts again after you turn it off manually, review the conditions in On Demand and check the corresponding configuration in system VPN settings.

On Demand cannot fill in a missing subscription or fix an incorrect server password. Scene and On Demand can both involve network conditions, but Scene selects routing behavior, while On Demand controls connection triggers. Troubleshoot in order: first find out why a connection starts, then check how traffic is routed. This avoids making unrelated changes across multiple screens.

7. Common questions about interface labels: Find the right screen for the issue