How subscription links work with clients
How do you use a subscription link? Sign in to the user panel, copy the link for your client, import it, update the route list, and enable the connection. A subscription link is not an installer or a web login page. Pasting it into a browser does not connect your device to a route.
When a client accesses a subscription link, it retrieves configuration such as route names, server addresses, and authentication details. The response may contain only a node list, or it may also include proxy groups, routing rules, and DNS settings, depending on the subscription format. The client parses this information and routes traffic according to the selected mode.
Keep subscription formats separate from connection protocols. Shadowsocks, VMess, Trojan, VLESS, Hysteria2, and TUIC are different proxy protocols or protocol families, not interchangeable subscription file formats. A client that supports a protocol may not be able to parse every subscription format; the protocol, configuration format, and client core all need to be compatible. These are general examples and do not mean VPNEF offers every protocol.
Check the format before importing. Use the option provided in the panel for your client whenever possible. A successful import only confirms that the configuration can be read; you still need to check that the route connects and app traffic follows the expected path.
Get your subscription link from the user panel
VPNEF subscriptions are available after you sign in. Go to the client and subscription section of the user panel and follow the options and instructions shown there. No email address is required; create an account with a username and password. Don’t use the marketing homepage, account login page, or plans page as your subscription link.
- After signing in, check your plan status and remaining traffic. Being able to sign in does not necessarily mean your account currently has an active route allowance.
- Check the name and platform of the client you use. If the panel offers multiple formats, choose the one for your client instead of guessing from how the link looks.
- Use the copy function in the panel to get the full link. Don’t remove anything after the question mark or edit its authentication fields.
- Open the client’s subscription or configuration manager and choose the relevant option, such as importing from a URL or adding a remote configuration.
- After fetching the configuration, check the route list and enable the connection as directed in the panel. Keep any error messages for troubleshooting, but don’t share the full link.
If the client offers clipboard import, first make sure the clipboard contains the subscription link you just copied, not another configuration. When sharing a link between your devices, use a trusted private channel and clear any transfer history you no longer need.
How to import and enable a subscription on each platform
Button labels vary between clients, but the general process is to add a remote configuration, update it, select it, and enable the proxy. Don’t stop after adding it: a configuration appearing in the list does not mean it is active.
| Platform | How to import | What to check after enabling |
|---|---|---|
| Windows / macOS | Add the subscription URL in configuration management, update it, then select it for use | Make sure system proxy or virtual network adapter mode is enabled, and rule out interference from other proxy software |
| iOS | Get the client from an official link provided in the panel, then import the subscription as instructed | Allow the system to connect through the configuration, then check its status in the client |
| Android | Add a remote subscription or use an import option supported by the client | Approve the system connection and check per-app proxy settings and background restrictions |
| Linux | Load the configuration according to the requirements of the graphical client or the core in use | Check startup logs, proxy environment variables, or how the client takes over routing |
For platforms other than iOS, sign in to get the client. On iOS, the panel controls the download link based on your active plan status. Use the download link in the panel; don’t get the app from unofficial reposting sites. Replacing the app without migrating its subscription configuration will not restore your previous route list.
On desktop, the system proxy usually affects only apps that follow system proxy settings. Command-line tools, background services, and some apps may need a separate proxy setting or the client’s virtual network adapter mode. Mobile clients may also have per-app proxy settings, so a browser might connect while another app still uses the regular network. When troubleshooting, check the traffic path before switching routes repeatedly.
When to update: respond to changes, don’t refresh on a schedule
Updating a subscription fetches the remote configuration again; it isn’t something you need to do every time you visit a website. If routes are working and the configuration hasn’t changed, there’s usually no need to refresh manually. If your client supports automatic updates, enable the feature as instructed. Unless the panel specifies an interval, don’t treat a schedule you set yourself as a service requirement.
Consider updating when the panel announces route changes, the client list differs from the panel, an old route keeps failing, or you’ve just changed the subscription link. After changing your plan, check its status in the panel first, then update as instructed. Refreshing repeatedly won’t fix an inactive account, depleted traffic, or an incompatible client protocol.
- ✅ After the first import, confirm the configuration was fetched successfully and select the one you just added.
- ✅ When you’re notified about a configuration or route change, update it manually and check that your current selection still works.
- ✅ Save your own rule changes before updating, and check whether the remote configuration will overwrite local settings.
- ❌ Don’t use “Update subscription” to renew a plan, reset traffic, or fix every connection issue.
VPNEF monthly plan traffic resets each month on the activation date, not when you refresh the client. Traffic packs remain valid until used and never expire; updating a subscription does not add more traffic. If you upgrade mid-cycle, the price difference is converted into remaining days. Plan billing and client configuration updates are separate; check prices and traffic allowances on the plans page.
Troubleshoot import failures separately from connection failures
The link can’t be fetched or the configuration can’t be parsed
First, identify when the error occurs. A connection timeout may mean the subscription link is temporarily unreachable. If authentication fails, check in the panel whether the link has changed and whether your account is active. If parsing fails, check that the format matches your client. Don’t conclude that the entire service is unavailable based only on a phrase in an error message.
An incomplete copy, extra spaces, or using a web page URL instead of the subscription link can all cause an import to fail. If the client reports an unknown field or unsupported protocol, check its version and core support, then update the client or choose a compatible format as directed by the panel. Don’t disable certificate verification to get around an error.
Routes are available, but an app still can’t connect
Check in order that the configuration is selected, the proxy is enabled, route authentication is working, and the target app’s traffic is routed through the proxy. Then check whether a rule sends the target domain direct and whether DNS resolution matches the current configuration. Encrypted DNS in the operating system, secure DNS in the browser, and the client’s DNS settings can interact, so check them against the mode in use.
A DNS leak occurs when DNS requests expected to follow a particular route are sent through another resolver or network path. A changed exit IP alone doesn’t prove DNS is being handled as expected; conversely, local resolution specified by a rule isn’t automatically a problem. Use network checks to help verify the exit, then review resolution and routing in the client logs. Remove authentication details before sharing logs.
What to do if your subscription link is exposed
Anyone with a valid subscription link may be able to read its route credentials and use your account traffic. Even if there’s no device limit, that doesn’t mean the subscription can be shared publicly. If the full link appears in a public screenshot, group chat, or code commit, treat the credentials as exposed instead of merely deleting the local client configuration.
- Remove publicly visible copies and check images, version history, and shared files. Deleting visible content may limit further sharing, but it won’t invalidate a link that someone has already copied.
- Look in the panel for an option to reset your subscription or manage related credentials. If there’s no clear option, request help through a panel ticket and confirm how to invalidate the old credentials.
- Once you have a new link, replace the old subscription on all your own devices and update them. Changing the subscription’s display name won’t change its remote authentication details.
- Check for unusual traffic and review your account status. If your account password was also exposed, change it separately; don’t assume that changing your password will revoke the old subscription too.
Fetching the old link again won’t revoke it. Whether it stops working depends on whether the server-side credentials have been replaced and whether any exported node credentials have also been revoked. If you’re unsure, check through a panel ticket. Don’t post the full subscription link publicly and ask others to test it.
Good subscription hygiene means keeping configurations valid and credentials private. Choose a format that works with your client, update when something changes, and troubleshoot by following the traffic path. If a link is exposed, address the server-side credentials rather than just deleting a local record.