v2rayN Subscription Groups and Server Filtering: Manage Multiple Subscriptions

Subscription Groups, Server Filters, and Routing: What's the Difference?

In v2rayN, subscription groups organize servers by source. A group stores a subscription URL and related update settings; updating it imports the servers returned by that URL into the client. Keep subscriptions from different providers in separate groups. Pasting all your share links into one manually managed list makes it difficult to tell where a server came from or which subscription should update it.

Groups don't determine which websites use a proxy. Searching the server list only changes which entries are visible; subscription filters may affect what gets imported during an update; routing rules determine whether an app's requests use a proxy, connect directly, or are blocked. Each operates at a different stage, so creating a “work” group is no substitute for routing rules by domain.

Create two groups for separate sources, then update each

Start with two clearly identified sources. For example, name your everyday subscription “Primary-A” and the other “Backup-B.” These labels are for your own organization; they don't enable automatic failover. If you have multiple plans from the same provider, keep them in separate groups based on their subscription URLs to avoid updating the wrong one later.

1. Open “Subscription Groups” → “Subscription Group Settings,” add a group, and enter “Primary-A” and its subscription URL. Before saving, make sure the URL is the client subscription link provided by your service—not the account sign-in page.
2. Add “Backup-B” the same way. For the initial setup, leave import filters at their defaults so you can see the provider's original server names.
3. After saving, switch to “Primary-A” and choose Update Current Subscription from the subscription group menu. If the menu also offers “Update All,” update the current group first to make it easier to pinpoint any failures.
4. Check that servers appear in the list, then switch to “Backup-B” and repeat. If an update fails, check the update log first instead of repeatedly creating new groups.
5. For each group, note a few representative server names, location labels, and protocol types. Check that the subscription URLs weren't swapped or added twice.

Subscription URLs often contain account tokens, so treat them as credentials. When sharing screenshots, hide the full URL, QR code, and account identifiers. To troubleshoot, share only the error type, where it appeared, and a redacted server name—never a usable subscription URL. Before moving a configuration, check whether its export includes this information.

Filter Servers by Keyword: Search First, Then Consider Import Filters

Server names don't follow a standard. The same location might appear as “Japan,” “JP,” or “Tokyo,” and providers may add traffic multipliers, route types, or expiration notices. Switch to the group you want, then try keywords one at a time in the server list's search or filter box. Testing real names is easier to verify than starting with complex rules.

• Location: Try “Japan” first. If there are no results, clear the search and try JP or Tokyo. No results only means the current search didn't match anything; it doesn't prove the subscription has no servers in that location.
• Use case: Search for terms such as “dedicated route” or “streaming” only if they actually appear in the provider's server names. A label in the name doesn't replace testing the service you want to use.
• Traffic multiplier: If a name includes 0.5x or 2x, confirm with the provider what it means for billing before deciding which servers to keep. The number isn't a promise of speed.
• Information entries: Entries named “traffic remaining” or “expiration date” may display subscription details. Don't test them alongside regular servers or set them as the active server.

Don't assume the search box supports regular expressions or that spaces mean “match all.” Basic keyword search and regex filters in subscription settings may work differently. If JP|Japan returns nothing, the interface may be treating the pipe as a literal character. First test a single keyword, then check the documentation for that field in your version.

If your version has a subscription filter field, first check whether it keeps matching entries or excludes them. Save the original condition before making changes. Import filters usually require another subscription update to affect the list. Manually deleting an imported server may only remove it until the next update. To keep the list smaller over time, use clear, reviewable filters rather than repeatedly deleting entries by hand.

Test Servers by Group: Narrow the List Before Comparing

Don't test every server in every subscription as soon as you import them. Running many tests at once uses local bandwidth and may trigger server-side connection limits, making results harder to compare. First filter down to a short list, then explicitly select the rows you want to test and run the appropriate test from the server menu or context menu. Don't assume that every visible row is selected.

The figures below are suggested for organizing your tests, not benchmark results. Use the same network and test target for each round, and avoid downloading files at the same time. When comparing results across different times, record when each test was run rather than noting only a latency number.

1. Check port connectivity first: TCP latency mainly indicates whether the server port is reachable. Even if the server uses port 443, a successful connection doesn't confirm protocol authentication, TLS settings, or access to the destination.
2. Then test a real request: If the client offers a real connection latency test, note its target. Results depend on the proxy handshake, remote access, and destination response, so don't compare them directly with TCP latency as though they were the same metric.
3. Test download speed only if needed: Speed tests use traffic. Start with a few servers and check your provider's billing rules before running them. Don't repeatedly test an entire group just to sort the list.
4. Verify the service you need: Set a server as active, open the relevant website or app, and check that you can sign in, load content, and keep using it.

Subscription Update Strategy: Keep Sources and Check the Results

Subscription updates fetch the data currently provided by your service; they don't preserve every local edit. Server remarks, addresses, ports, and other settings may be refreshed. If you need to keep a customized configuration, create a separate manually maintained group and note that it won't be updated automatically from the original subscription.

• Before updating: Note the group and name of the active server. Don't run a batch update and switch servers in the middle of an important meeting or file transfer.
• During the update: Update the affected group first. If both direct updates and updates through a proxy are available, choose based on whether the subscription URL is reachable. A server failing to connect doesn't necessarily mean the subscription URL is unreachable directly.
• After the update: Check the success or failure log, clear the search, and confirm that servers were imported. Then verify that the active server is still listed and works.
• Routine maintenance: If your version supports scheduled updates, set the interval based on how often the provider changes its servers and your actual needs. Unless changes are frequent, there's no need to poll every few minutes.

Entries with the same name aren't necessarily duplicate servers. Compare at least the source, server address, port, protocol, and transport settings. Two groups can have identically named servers but belong to different accounts; conversely, the same subscription URL added twice is a management duplicate worth addressing. Don't deduplicate by name alone, or you could remove a valid server with different settings.

Troubleshooting: Missing Servers, Unchanged Updates, and Failed Group Tests

Once everything is organized, routine maintenance follows a simple sequence: confirm the source, update the current group, clear search filters, shortlist servers, and verify the active server. To route specific domains directly or through a proxy, see the routing guide under Advanced Configuration. Groups keep server management organized; routing sends requests to the right outbound.