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Choose the right admin method
ASA has two practical ways to authorize administrators. They solve different problems, so choose before changing files.
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| Method | Best for | What you configure | What the player does | How long access lasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Password | Temporary or occasional access | ServerAdminPassword in GameUserSettings.ini |
Runs EnableCheats <ServerAdminPassword> in the console after joining |
That session; it must be entered again after a later join |
| Whitelist | Regular staff and persistent administrators | One EOS account ID per line in ShooterGame/Saved/AllowedCheaterAccountIDs.txt |
Joins normally; no password command is required | Until the ID is removed and the server is restarted |
For a small server where access changes often, the password is simpler. For a community with several trusted operators, the whitelist avoids repeatedly sharing a password and authenticating every session.
Before you edit anything
- Stop the server or use its configuration editor so the file is not being overwritten while you save it.
- Make a backup of the current configuration and, if present, the existing admin-ID file.
- Confirm that you are configuring ARK: Survival Ascended, not ARK: Survival Evolved. The games use different administrator-ID files and ID formats.
- Plan a restart. Both methods require the server to reload its settings before they take effect.
- Use an account ID supplied by the player, and check its format before saving. ASA uses EOS account IDs, not Steam64 IDs.
Method 1: Add temporary admins with the server password
Set the password in GameUserSettings.ini
- Open the server’s
GameUserSettings.ini. - Find the
[ServerSettings]section. If that section already exists, add the setting there; do not create a second section with the same name. - Add or replace this line, using your own value after the equals sign:
ServerAdminPassword=YourPrivatePassword - Save the file.
- Restart the server. A restart is needed for the running server to read the new value.
The setting belongs in GameUserSettings.ini under [ServerSettings]. A value placed in another configuration file or section will not authenticate players through this method.
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Authenticate after joining
- Join the server with the account that should receive admin access.
- Open the in-game console using the key or control assigned by that platform and server setup.
- Enter the command with the password substituted exactly:
EnableCheats YourPrivatePassword - Submit the command, then run an admin command to verify that the console accepts it. ASA guides commonly show admin commands with the
admincheatprefix, for example:admincheat ListPlayers
EnableCheats is the authentication step; it is not the same as an admin command. Admin status from this method is session-based. After the player disconnects and later joins again, the command must be entered again.
Password method limitations
- Anyone who knows the password can attempt to authenticate, so share it only with people who should administer the server.
- Changing the password in the file and restarting is the way to invalidate the old value for future authentication.
- A successful setting change does not retroactively authenticate a player who is already connected; have that player join again or run the authentication command after the server reloads.
Method 2: Give persistent access with AllowedCheaterAccountIDs.txt
Create the ASA whitelist file
- Navigate to the server’s save directory and open
ShooterGame/Saved/. - Create a plain-text file named exactly
AllowedCheaterAccountIDs.txt. If it already exists, edit that file rather than creating a second copy. - Put one player’s EOS account ID on each line. Do not combine two IDs on one line or add a Steam64 value.
- Save the file and restart the server.
On a correctly configured ASA server, a player whose EOS ID appears in this file receives cheat-command access when connecting. They do not need to enter EnableCheats for each session.
Use the correct identifier
ASA’s whitelist expects a 32-character alphanumeric EOS account ID. It does not use the 17-digit SteamID64 value associated with the older game. A line such as this represents the format, not a usable account:
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1234567890ABCDEF1234567890ABCDEFReplace the example with the actual EOS ID. Keep the value on its own line and preserve every character. If a player supplies a Steam64 ID, ask for the EOS account ID instead; changing punctuation or padding a Steam value will not convert it.
Finding an account ID
One commonly documented approach is to authenticate as an administrator, open the console, and run:
admincheat ListPlayersGuides report that this command displays connected players and their identifiers. Because command output and identifier presentation can vary by server build, verify that the value you copy is the player’s 32-character EOS ID before placing it in the whitelist. If the output does not make the EOS value clear, obtain the ID from the player’s account information or your host’s player-management tools rather than guessing.
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Commands and prefixes in ASA
ASA documentation and server guides use more than one prefix convention. You may see administrative commands written with admincheat and others with cheat. The authentication command is written as EnableCheats. Use the syntax accepted by the particular ASA server build you are running and test it with a harmless command before relying on it during an event.
| Purpose | Example | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Authenticate a password user | EnableCheats YourPrivatePassword |
Must be entered after joining and again in a later session. |
| Run an administrator command | admincheat ListPlayers |
Only works after the player has been authorized by password or whitelist. |
| Allow a player to bypass the player cap | cheat AllowPlayerToJoinNoCheck |
This is a join-list feature, not administrator authorization. |
Do not confuse AllowPlayerToJoinNoCheck with adding an administrator. That command writes to a player-join exception list and is intended to bypass the player cap; it does not grant cheat-command access.
Adding admins on a managed host
Managed hosts expose the same ASA settings through a control panel rather than direct file access. The labels differ, but the underlying values are the same.
Editing the whitelist in a panel
- Open the server’s configuration or file-management area.
- Locate the admin-list editor. Apex Hosting documents a path labeled Server Configuration > Config Files > ARK Admins File; that editor writes to
AllowedCheaterAccountIDs.txt. - Add one EOS account ID per line.
- Save the change and restart the server from the panel.
Nitrado’s ASA guidance likewise places trusted players’ EOS IDs in AllowedCheaterAccountIDs.txt in the server’s save folder. If your panel offers both an “ARK Admins” file and a similarly named join or player-cap list, select the admin file.
Setting a password in a panel
- Open the server settings or configuration page.
- Find the Admin Password or Server Admin Password field.
- Enter the desired value and save.
- Restart the server.
- Have the player join and run
EnableCheatsfollowed by the password.
The panel is only a different interface for the same configuration. A password entered in a panel still provides session-only access, while an EOS ID entered in the admin file remains authorized until removed.
ASA and ASE use different admin-ID files
| Game | Whitelist file described by guides | Identifier | Location or handling |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARK: Survival Ascended | AllowedCheaterAccountIDs.txt |
EOS account ID, 32 alphanumeric characters | ShooterGame/Saved/; restart after editing |
| ARK: Survival Evolved | AllowedCheaterSteamIDs.txt |
17-digit SteamID64 | A different game’s method; do not substitute it for ASA configuration |
A search result describing AllowedCheaterSteamIDs.txt under ShooterGame/Binaries/Win64 refers to the earlier game according to the comparison in the community documentation. Using that filename or a Steam64 value on ASA is a common reason a supposed whitelist appears to do nothing.
Troubleshoot an admin who still cannot use commands
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Password command is rejected | The setting was saved in the wrong file or section, the password differs, or the server was not restarted. | Confirm ServerAdminPassword is under [ServerSettings] in GameUserSettings.ini; save, restart, and re-enter EnableCheats exactly. |
| Whitelist user still has no access | Wrong filename, wrong folder, wrong ID type, or no restart. | Check the exact path ShooterGame/Saved/AllowedCheaterAccountIDs.txt, use the 32-character EOS ID, keep one ID per line, and restart. |
| The player was added but access is inconsistent | The server may be reading a different copy of the file, or the account value was copied incorrectly. | Remove duplicate files, inspect the active save directory, compare every character in the EOS ID, and restart again. |
| An admin command is not recognized | Prefix variation between guides or server builds. | Try the documented admincheat form after authorization; where the build requires it, test the cheat form. |
| A player can join but is not an admin | Join-bypass permission was mistaken for admin permission. | Check whether only PlayersJoinNoCheckList.txt changed. That list controls the player-cap exception, not cheat commands. |
When the whitelist file appears to be ignored
A 2023 Steam discussion reported cases in which ASA admin text files did not load for self-hosted users. The report also described an AdminListURL pointing to a file that worked for one user, while paths containing spaces caused problems. That is an older community report rather than a universal rule, so start with the basic checks: exact filename, active save-folder path, EOS IDs, and a full restart. If those are correct and the server still ignores the file, compare the server build’s current configuration options and host documentation before adopting an alternate URL-based setup.
Verify the result with a low-risk command
After authorization, use admincheat ListPlayers as a check that the console accepts administrator commands. Run it only after the password authentication or whitelist change has been applied; a normal player can connect successfully while still lacking cheat-command permission.
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- Keep a private record of which EOS ID belongs to each administrator so an ID can be removed without guesswork.
- Use one line per person and avoid explanatory text in the ID file unless the server’s own editor explicitly supports comments.
- Remove former staff promptly, then restart so the running server reloads the revised list.
- For short-term help, prefer the password method and change the password after the session rather than permanently adding a temporary operator.
- Back up the file before bulk edits. A malformed or accidentally emptied file can remove access for every whitelisted administrator.
- Test one account first when migrating from password access to the whitelist. This isolates an ID or path problem before you remove the working password.
A practical decision checklist
- Need access only for one session? Set
ServerAdminPassword, restart, and useEnableCheatsafter joining. - Need recurring access for a known operator? Add that operator’s 32-character EOS account ID to
ShooterGame/Saved/AllowedCheaterAccountIDs.txt, then restart. - Running a hosted server? Use the panel’s Admin Password field or ARK Admins File editor, then perform the required restart.
- Coming from ASE? Do not copy the ASE Steam64 whitelist filename or ID format into ASA.
- Still blocked? Recheck path, filename, ID type, restart status, and command prefix in that order.
What “admin” means in this setup
These procedures authorize the account to use ASA cheat or administrator commands. They do not automatically change ordinary survivor permissions, bypass every server rule, or add a player to the join-cap exception list. Keep the authorization method aligned with the role: a persistent EOS whitelist for trusted operators, and a password for controlled, temporary assistance.
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