v2rayN Subscription Groups and Node Filters: Manage Multiple Subscriptions

1. What subscription groups, search, and routing each do

A subscription URL is how you retrieve server configurations; a group is the source label v2rayN assigns to those configurations. A subscription may contain entries using different protocols, such as VMess and VLESS. Putting them in the same group does not change their protocols or merge multiple servers into one connection.

It’s easy to confuse “show only these nodes” with “send only these websites through the proxy.” The first organizes the list; the second is controlled by routing rules. Selecting the “Backup” group does not activate a backup server. You still need to select a specific entry and set it as the active server.

The instructions below use common menu labels from the Chinese-language v2rayN interface. Button placement may differ between the desktop and WPF interfaces; “Subscription Group Settings” may also appear as a separate entry. Before you begin, note the client version in Help > About. A button in a different interface being elsewhere does not indicate a problem.

2. Group subscriptions by source, not by region

Use one source group per subscription URL. Names like “Primary · Monthly,” “Backup · Quarterly,” and “Test · Short-term” make sources easier to trace than labels like “Hong Kong” or “Japan.” Use node names and search to identify regions; there’s no need to add the same URL again for each region.

1. Open group settings

   In the main window, open “Subscription Groups” → “Subscription Group Settings.” If the interface shows a button with that name, click it to open group management.

2. Add a source

   Click “Add.” Enter “Primary · Monthly” under “Alias,” then paste the full URL provided by your service provider into the subscription URL field. Leave the filter fields empty for now so you can verify the unfiltered subscription first.

3. Save and update

   Make sure updates are enabled for the group, save, and return to the main window. Select the group, then use the “Subscription Groups” menu to update the current subscription. For the first update, you can try the option that does not use a proxy.

4. Verify the source

   Check that nodes appear in the list and that the update status reports success. Add “Backup · Quarterly” the same way. Add one source at a time so you can identify which URL has a problem.

5. Test the connection

   In the target group, select an entry, use the right-click menu to set it as the active server, then test the connection. Seeing nodes in a group confirms that import completed; it doesn’t guarantee the servers are working.

If you only want to rename a few frequently used nodes, be aware that a subscription update may overwrite their names or replace the entries. For persistent labels, use the group alias. If you need to keep manually edited configurations, manage them separately from auto-updated subscription entries and record their source.

3. Search first; use subscription filters only when needed

If you just need to find a node in Japan today, use the main-window search. Select the source group first, then search for text that actually appears in node names, such as “Japan” or “JP.” These terms may return different results: providers may use one naming style but not the other. No results doesn’t mean the subscription has no nodes in that region.

The main-window search box may not interpret input as a regular expression. Don’t paste the regex example below into search and use the results to judge whether the rule works. Enter regex only in a subscription filter field explicitly labeled for regular expressions. If your version has no such field, use groups and regular search instead.

Test regex rules against node names

Suppose the original list contains entries named “Hong Kong 01,” “HK 02,” “Japan 01,” and “JP 02,” and you want to keep nodes in Hong Kong and Japan. In the alias filter field that keeps matching nodes, use:

(?i)(香港|日本|\bHK\b|\bJP\b)

• (?i) makes matching case-insensitive, so it matches both HK and hk.
• | means “or”—a name doesn’t need to contain every keyword.
• \bHK\b matches HK as a standalone token; it won’t match a name like HK01.
• If you’re unsure about word boundaries, start with a simple expression like 香港|日本, update the subscription, and check the results one by one. Then add English names as needed.

Filtering is based on names, not a server’s actual location, latency, or exit IP. Labels such as “multiplier” or “remaining traffic” are also supplied by the provider. Don’t judge connection quality by a name, or treat a label like “low latency” as a speed test result.

4. Start with a longer automatic update interval

Automatic updates retrieve configurations; they don’t select the fastest node. Refreshing too often won’t reduce latency on your current connection and may trigger your provider’s rate limits. Check the provider’s recommended update frequency first, then configure the client. If addresses rotate or new nodes are added, update the group manually.

These are example settings, not performance test results or universal requirements. Open “Subscription Groups” → “Subscription Group Settings,” then edit the target group and find “Automatic Update Interval.” If the field is labeled in minutes, enter 720; if your interface uses hours, enter 12. Always follow the unit shown in your interface.

• Primary group: Follow your provider’s recommendations. If none are given, start with the longer interval above and monitor the results.
• Backup group: Keep it reasonably up to date. Update and test it manually when needed—don’t wait until your primary stops working to check it.
• Test group: Disable updates or remove the group when testing is complete to avoid repeated errors from expired URLs.
• Devices that sleep: Don’t assume updates will run in the background while the client is closed or the device is asleep. Check the latest update result when you open the client again.

Also consider whether updates should use a proxy. If a direct subscription request times out and you have a working proxy, use the current subscription update option labeled “via proxy” in the “Subscription Groups” menu. This changes the route used for the subscription request; it won’t fix an expired token or turn an error page into a valid node list.

5. Troubleshoot missing, duplicated, or failed nodes

Change one thing at a time: create the group and confirm the original node count, add a filter, then change the update interval. If you change the URL, filter expression, and proxy route all at once, it’s much harder to find the cause of an empty list. Back up or export your configuration before updating, and treat backup files as sensitive data.

If you see “Parse failed,” check the update log to see whether it received node data, a login page, a maintenance notice, or some other content. A successful response from the subscription URL doesn’t mean the client can interpret the response. If the log identifies an unsupported field or protocol, check your client version and the subscription format provided by the service.

6. Final checks after organizing subscriptions

The goal isn’t to make the list as short as possible, but to make sources, availability, and update status easy to verify. Keeping a few tested backup nodes is usually more useful than hiding every region outside your primary group. If your primary source is temporarily unavailable, a working backup node may also let you update subscriptions through a proxy.

1. Clear search: Make sure no leftover keyword is hiding entries from the full list, and check that each group name identifies its source.
2. Update each group: Update every group separately and note whether it succeeds. Don’t rely only on the final status line from “Update all.”
3. Check filters: Keep at least one expected entry in both the primary and backup groups. Confirm that the rules match both Chinese and English node names as intended.
4. Verify the active server: Test a primary node and a backup node separately, then switch back to your usual server.
5. Keep a management record: Record group aliases, update intervals, and filter rules—but never the full subscription token. This makes it easier to restore settings when you change a rule later.

To change how websites are routed, go to routing settings; don’t keep changing subscription filters. Subscription management determines which nodes are available and where they come from. Routing determines which outbound handles each connection. Keeping these separate makes it much easier to troubleshoot when you change sources or update nodes.