ARK: Survival Evolved admin commands are entered in the in-game console. In multiplayer, authenticate first with enablecheats <ServerAdminPassword>, then run commands such as listplayers, saveworld, broadcast, kickplayer, banplayer, destroywilddinos, doexit, dorestartlevel and setservertime. Single-player games do not require the authentication step.
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Command syntax is not completely consistent across ARK server versions, hosting panels and guides. Some multiplayer servers require the admincheat prefix, others accept cheat, and some commands work without a prefix. Treat the examples below as a practical, high-confidence core list, then confirm the exact syntax in your server console before using a command on a live world.
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What ARK admin commands do
Admin commands give an authenticated player or server operator control over players, creatures, world state and server operation. They can be used to investigate a player dispute, announce maintenance, save before a risky change, remove wild creatures so they respawn, or shut down and restart a server cleanly.
They are different from normal engrams and inventory items: commands can change the world immediately and may affect every connected player. Use them on a test world first when the syntax is unfamiliar, and save the world before destructive or large-scale changes.
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- Build a fire or shelter, then craft customizable clothing & armors to help protect against damage and extreme temperatures on your way to unlocking advanced technologies and equipment
- Chop down trees and mine metal and other precious resources to build massive multi-leveled structures composed of complex snap-linked parts
Open the console and authenticate
PC
- Join the single-player game or multiplayer server.
- Press
Tabto open the command console. - On a multiplayer server, enter
enablecheats <ServerAdminPassword>, replacing the placeholder with the password configured asServerAdminPassword. - Press Enter. Run the desired command on a new line.
The password supplied to enablecheats must match the server’s ServerAdminPassword setting. A typo, wrong server password or incorrect capitalization can leave you unauthenticated.
Consoles and Stadia
On game consoles, open the console from the pause screen using that platform’s button combination. The exact combination depends on the console and game build. The cited command reference notes that enablecheats is not compatible with gaming consoles, so console servers may use a different authentication flow or restrict commands. On Stadia, the console is opened with the backtick key (`).
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Single-player games do not need enablecheats; open the console and enter the command directly.
Prefixes, IDs and syntax differences
Before copying a command, identify three variables: whether your server needs a prefix, which player ID format it returns, and which spelling your build accepts.
| Issue | What the sources report | Safe practice |
|---|---|---|
| Multiplayer prefix | The Fandom command reference marks some commands as requiring admincheat in multiplayer. Other guides use cheat, while some commands are shown without a prefix. |
Try the syntax documented for your server version. If an unprefixed command is rejected, try admincheat, then cheat if your host uses that form. |
| Player identifiers | listplayers is described as returning ARK IDs by one source and Steam IDs by another. The player-management commands are generally documented with Steam IDs. |
Run listplayers, copy the identifier exactly as displayed, and verify it against the command syntax accepted by your server. |
| Whitelist names | Guides use both allowplayertojoinnocheck/disallowplayertojoinnocheck and whitelistplayer. |
Use the spelling supported by your server build or control panel; do not assume the two forms are interchangeable. |
| Time commands | One guide gives setservertime a value from 0 to 24. Another uses settimeofday with a clock value such as 12:00. |
Check whether your server expects a numeric hour or HH:MM before applying a time change. |
Core server and world commands
The following commands are the most useful starting point for routine administration. Add the prefix required by your server when necessary.
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- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
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- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout
| Command | Example | Effect and cautions |
|---|---|---|
listplayers |
listplayers |
Lists connected players and their IDs. Because guides disagree on whether the output is an ARK ID or Steam ID, use the value shown by your own server. |
saveworld |
saveworld |
Forces an immediate save of the world to disk. Run it before maintenance, restarts or commands that could have unintended consequences. |
broadcast |
broadcast Server restart in five minutes |
Sends a message to all players. The message appears in the middle of the screen, making it suitable for warnings and maintenance notices. |
doexit |
doexit |
Shuts the server down. Warn players first and save the world so recent progress is written to disk. |
dorestartlevel |
dorestartlevel |
Restarts the current level. Treat it as a disruptive operation and announce it before use. |
destroywilddinos |
destroywilddinos |
Removes wild dinosaurs from the map. Wild creatures respawn afterward; tamed creatures are not the target of this command. The respawn process can take time and may alter the available wild-spawn population. |
setservertime |
setservertime 12 |
Sets server time in guides that accept a value from 0 through 24. Confirm the accepted range and whether your build instead requires settimeofday. |
settimeofday |
settimeofday 12:00 |
Sets the clock in guides that use a time string. It is an alternative spelling or syntax on some versions, not a guaranteed replacement everywhere. |
Manage connected players
Find the correct player ID
- Run
listplayers. - Locate the player’s name and the identifier printed beside it.
- Copy the identifier without extra spaces.
- Use that value with the player-management command and verify the result in the console.
Names are not always safe identifiers: duplicate, accented or unusual names can cause a command to target the wrong person or fail. Prefer the ID returned by listplayers whenever the command accepts one.
Remove or restrict a player
| Command | Example form | Use |
|---|---|---|
kickplayer |
kickplayer <ID> |
Disconnects a player from the server. It does not necessarily create a permanent ban. |
banplayer |
banplayer <SteamID> |
Bans a player. Sources describe the argument as a Steam ID, so confirm that your server’s output and command parser use that identifier. |
unbanplayer |
unbanplayer <SteamID> |
Removes a ban for the specified player ID. |
Whitelist variants
Whitelist command names vary. One documented pair is allowplayertojoinnocheck and disallowplayertojoinnocheck; another guide uses whitelistplayer. Because these forms are not consistent between servers, check the command help or hosting panel before relying on one for access control. Test with a non-administrator account before announcing that the whitelist is active.
Send server messages and chat
Broadcast to everyone
broadcast <message> displays a message in the center of every connected player’s screen. Include the action and time in one short sentence, such as broadcast Server restart in five minutes.
Send a server chat message
serverchat <message> posts a chat message as the server. Use it for routine notices that do not need a center-screen alert.
serverchattoplayer <player name> <message> targets one player by name. If the name is duplicated, contains special characters or is otherwise unreliable, use the SteamID-based variant supported by your server instead of relying on name matching.
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- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game. Run too far and not only will you be exhausted, but you will also quickly get hungry and thirsty. Weather effects are based on real-world climates, and so you'll need to hide out from rain and snow, while making the most of sunny days
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Gather Resources, Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes and style of everything from the walls of your home, to your character's armor, weapons and more
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout. Make your way to the final boss and figure out why you've been dropped into this Jurassic-era experience
Set a join message
setmessage <message> sets a message of the day shown when players join. Keep it informational—rules, maintenance windows and contact instructions are better uses than temporary combat commands.
Player and creature cheats
Movement and damage
godenables god mode, protecting the player from most damage. Drowning remains an exception in the cited descriptions, so god mode is not a substitute for oxygen or safe positioning.flyenables flying movement.ghostenables movement through terrain or other collision in guides that support it.
Movement cheats can strand a character inside geometry or place it outside the intended play area. Disable them when finished and return to a safe, solid location before logging out.
Unlock engrams
giveengrams unlocks all engrams for the current player. This can bypass normal progression and may be inappropriate on a competitive or shared survival server. Decide whether the change belongs only on an administrator’s test character or on the live world.
Spawn creatures
summon <CreatureBlueprintPath>creates a wild creature.summontamed <CreatureBlueprintPath>creates a tamed creature.gmsummon <CreatureBlueprintPath> <level>creates a tamed creature at a specified level, such as150.
These commands require the correct creature blueprint path, which is not included in this core list. A wrong path can produce an error or no visible creature. Spawn away from bases and crowded areas to reduce collision and performance problems.
Give items by numeric ID
giveitemnum <ItemID> ... gives an item by its numeric identifier. Item IDs are maintained in separate command and item references; confirm the ID, quantity, quality and blueprint options for your game version before executing a grant. Giving the wrong ID can produce a different item than intended.
Rank #4
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety, and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes, and styles
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout
Understanding setcheatplayer
Use setcheatplayer true to enable the setting and setcheatplayer false to disable it, but do not assume one universal result. Published descriptions conflict: one describes cheat commands for the current player, mounted dinosaur and world; another describes an administrator debug overlay that exposes tribe TeamIDs; other guides describe a client cheat HUD or an admin indicator.
Because the behavior is unresolved across versions and server environments, test it on a disposable character or test server. If it produces an unexpected overlay or does not change command access, turn it off with setcheatplayer false and use the explicit command you actually need.
Using commands through RCON or a hosting panel
Hosted-server administrators may be able to run commands without joining the game. The commands reported as working over RCON include saveworld, broadcast, listplayers, kickplayer, banplayer and destroywilddinos. Many control panels expose these in a Console tab.
- Open the server’s authenticated console or RCON interface.
- Confirm that it is connected to the intended ARK: Survival Evolved instance, not a different map or an ARK: Survival Ascended server.
- Run
listplayersfirst when a player ID is needed. - Send a warning with
broadcastbefore a kick, wipe or restart. - Run
saveworldbefore a disruptive operation. - Check the console response and server log for success or an unknown-command error.
RCON support and required prefixes are hosting- and version-dependent. A command that works in the in-game console may be blocked, renamed or formatted differently by a panel.
Safe operating procedure
- Confirm the game: These commands concern ARK: Survival Evolved. Guides often mix Survival Evolved and Survival Ascended, whose command availability and syntax can differ.
- Authenticate once, then verify: On multiplayer, run
enablecheatswith the exact server password and test with a low-risk command such aslistplayers. - Save first: Use
saveworldbefore creature wipes, restarts, shutdowns or large item grants. - Announce disruption: Use
broadcastorserverchatso players can stop building, fighting or transferring items. - Copy IDs, not names: Use the identifier returned by
listplayers, while remembering that sources disagree about whether it is an ARK ID or Steam ID. - Test uncertain syntax: Prefix rules, whitelist names, time commands and
setcheatplayerbehavior vary. Try them on a test server first. - Record administrative actions: Note the command, time, target ID and reason so a rollback or player-support decision can be explained later.
When a command fails
“Unknown command” or no response
Check capitalization and spelling, then try the prefix required by your server: unprefixed, admincheat or cheat. Confirm that you are in the correct game edition and that the command is supported by that server build.
Authentication appears unsuccessful
Re-enter enablecheats with the exact ServerAdminPassword. On a hosted server, verify that the password belongs to the selected instance and that the control panel has finished restarting after a password change.
A player command targets nobody
Run listplayers again. The player may have disconnected, or your server may expect a Steam ID while you supplied an ARK ID (or the reverse). For names with duplicates or special characters, use the ID-based form.
The command works but the result differs
That is most likely a version or platform difference. Time syntax, whitelist names, prefixes and setcheatplayer behavior are specifically reported as inconsistent. Stop repeating the command, inspect the console help output and test on a non-production world.
How to obtain the complete command reference
No single verified list in the available material establishes every command for every ARK: Survival Evolved version. For exhaustive coverage, use the command-help output provided by your server or the ARK console-command reference maintained on the Fandom wiki, and filter the results by your platform and game edition. Treat third-party lists that combine Survival Evolved and Survival Ascended as convenience indexes, not proof that every entry works on your server.
Quick Recap
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