How do I make myself admin on my ARK: Survival Evolved server?

Set an admin password in GameUserSettings.ini, then type enablecheats and that password into the game’s console. To skip the password for good, put your Steam ID in AllowedCheaterSteamIDs.txt and the server makes you admin every time you join.

Set the admin password

1. Stop your server from the Game Panel. ARK writes some of its settings back into its ini files when it shuts down, so edits made while it’s running can be lost.
2. In your Game Panel’s file manager, open ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini (it’s WindowsServer instead of LinuxServer on a Windows machine).
3. Under the [ServerSettings] heading, add or change this line. Don’t put quotes round the password.

ServerAdminPassword=pick-something-long

4. Save the file and start your server.

This password also unlocks RCON if you switch it on, so don’t hand it round the tribe.

Turn on admin in game

1. Join your server and press Tab to open the console.
2. Type enablecheats followed by your password, for example enablecheats pick-something-long, and press Enter.

That makes you admin for your own character. Anyone else who knows the password can do the same, which is another reason to keep it to yourself.

Make it permanent with your Steam ID

ARK keeps a list of admins who never need the password. Players on it get admin rights automatically, as if they’d typed enablecheats themselves.

1. Find your Steam ID. Join the server, press Tab twice to open the larger console and type whoami. The 17-digit number is your Steam ID (SteamID64). Epic players see two different numbers and need the one labelled ARK ID.
2. In the file manager, open ShooterGame/Saved/AllowedCheaterSteamIDs.txt, or create it if it isn’t there.
3. Put your ID on its own line. Add any other admins underneath, one ID per line.
4. Save the file and restart your server from the Game Panel so it picks the list up.

Once the list works, the admin password becomes optional. The ARK wiki says whitelisted admins keep their rights without one, but RCON still needs it, so leave it set if you use RCON.

Using admin commands

On a server, admin commands start with cheat (or admincheat). A few useful ones:

• cheat SaveWorld saves the world to disk straight away.
• cheat ListPlayers lists everyone online with their IDs, which is handy for adding other admins.
• cheat Broadcast Restarting in 5 minutes sends a message to every player.
• cheat fly lets you fly, and cheat walk puts you back on your feet.
• cheat god makes you invulnerable until you type it again.

Commands aren’t case-sensitive. You can run several in one go with |, but each needs its own prefix, as in cheat fly | cheat god.