October DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsSlow PC?RecommendedPC slow today? Run a repair scan before it gets worseResolve common Windows issues and optimize system performance.Scan NowOctober DealsAmazon USDeal season is back - check today's better picksAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.See Picks×
Skip to content
World desk9 min

How to Become an Admin on an ARK: Survival Ascended Server

Set ServerAdminPassword in GameUserSettings.ini, restart the dedicated server, then run EnableCheats from the in-game console. This guide explains the exact Windows path, session reauthentication, password differences, command-prefix uncertainty, and fixes for common failures.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

To become an administrator on an ARK: Survival Ascended dedicated server, set an admin password in the server’s GameUserSettings.ini, restart the server, join it, and authenticate from the in-game console with EnableCheats <AdminPassword>. On PC, guides commonly identify Tab as the console key. You must authenticate again each time you reconnect.

The admin password is separate from the ordinary join password: the join password controls who can enter the server, while ServerAdminPassword enables administrative cheat commands. The exact command prefix used after authentication is not consistent across current community guides, so treat cheat and admincheat as alternatives rather than assuming one is universally correct.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

What “admin” means in ARK: Survival Ascended

On a dedicated ASA server, administrative access is controlled by the server setting named ServerAdminPassword. Entering that password through the game console authenticates your current connection for administrative commands. It is not a separate role you toggle in a player menu, and it is not the same credential used to let ordinary players join.

Credential or setting What it does Where it is used
Join password Restricts who may connect to the server. The server’s connection prompt or hosting configuration.
ServerAdminPassword Grants authenticated players access to administrative cheat commands. The [ServerSettings] section of GameUserSettings.ini, then the in-game console.

The procedure below is the method most widely described for Windows dedicated servers. Community guides do not establish that every ASA build, platform, or hosting interface behaves identically. The steps were current on October 14, 2026, but command syntax, console keys, and configuration interfaces can change with patches.

#1 Best Overall
Sale
TOZO A1 Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth 5.3 Light Weight in Ear Headphones | IPX5 Waterproof,2 Mics for AI Calls,Immersive Premium Sound Bass Headset with Charging Case,32 EQ via App Black
  • [Ultra-Lightweight Ear Buds Designed for Small Ears] Each earbud weighs only 3.7g and features a compact, ergonomic in-ear design made especially for small ears. Secure, low-profile, and comfortable for workouts, all-day wear or overnight sleeping.The ultra-slim profile sits flush in your ear with no hard edges poking or rubbing, so you can even sleep on your side without discomfort.
  • [Immersive Stereo Sound with TOZO OrigX Technology] TOZO OrigX tuning delivers clear vocals, balanced mids, and natural stereo sound for music, podcasts, and videos.
  • [Long Battery Life for Daily Use] Get up to 7 hours of playtime on a single charge, with up to 32 hours total using the charging case—ideal for workdays, commuting, and extended listening sessions.
  • [Bluetooth 5.3 & Stable Connection] Bluetooth 5.3 provides fast pairing, stable wireless performance, and reduced dropouts as you move around home or office.
  • [Deep Bass with Clear Vocals] High-performance drivers produce punchy bass while keeping vocals clean and detailed for everyday listening.

What you need before starting

  • Administrative access to the dedicated server’s files or its hosting control panel.
  • Permission to stop and start (or restart) the server.
  • A private admin password that you can enter exactly, including capitalization and punctuation.
  • A player account that can join the server after it restarts.

The documented file path applies to a Windows dedicated server. Guides place the file at ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini. A managed host may expose the same settings in a web editor instead of showing the physical path. If your provider uses a different operating system or a generated configuration system, use its equivalent editor and look specifically for the [ServerSettings] section and the ServerAdminPassword key.

Before changing the file, make a copy of the existing configuration. A backup lets you restore the previous settings if a formatting mistake prevents the server from starting or resets another option.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Set the admin password in GameUserSettings.ini

  1. Stop the server or schedule a maintenance restart

    Editing while the server is running can be overwritten when the process shuts down. Stop it through the service controls or hosting panel before saving the file.

  2. Open the server configuration

    For a Windows dedicated server, open ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini. If the file does not exist, confirm that you are editing the dedicated-server installation rather than a client copy or a different game profile.

  3. Locate the ServerSettings section

    Find the line [ServerSettings]. The admin setting belongs under this heading, not in a player profile or a general Windows configuration file.

  4. Add or edit the key

    Inside that section, add this line, replacing the example value with your own password:

    Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
    Rank #2
    Sale
    Smart Watch for Men Women Compatible with iPhone Samsung Android Phone 1.69 inch Full Touch Screen IP68 Waterproof Bluetooh Fitness Tracker Heart Rate/Sleep Monitor (Black)
    • 【IP68 Waterproof Multifunctinal Smart Watch】Torjalph fitness activity tracker smart watch is IP68 waterproof technology ,you can wear it when swimming,handwashing,it's rain-proof which means that you perform multiple exercise modes outside without worrying about sweat or rain corroding your fitness smart watch,and this watch equipped with a 230 mAh large capacity battery magnetic charging ,and this sports activity tracker watch can be used 5-7 days If fully charged.
    • 【Larger 1.83'' Full Screen Watch & Multi-dial Selection】1.83 inch full HD color touch screen smart watch for men / women provides excellent 240*284 resolution image quality ,This Bluetooth smart watch offers a better touch experience and remarkable immersion and ,more than 200 watch faces for you to choose from App"Da Fit ", you can change the dial style according to your mood to wear keeping the world on your wrist
    • 【Accurate Activity Tracker Smart Watch 】sports watch activity tracker uses sweat and dust resistant breathable silicone strap, our Fitness Tracker Smart Watch for Android iOS Phones supports 12 sports modes,walking,running,bicycle,swimming,badminton,basketball,football,rope skipping. This bluetooth calls smart watch for men women is lightweight and stylish, bringing more convenient and relaxing sports experience while also providing more protection.
    • 【Your 24 Hour Personal Daily Health Monitor】Fitness watch for women men full touch screen IP67 waterproof bluetooth smartwatch for Android iOS Phones with heart rate blood pressure monitor multifunction Andriod smart watch with steps counter sleep monitor sports fitness watch, monitoring blood oxygen saturation allows you to understand your physical condition in real time to track fitness progress ,to know your health status in time.
    • 【More Functions Bluetooth Call Smart Watch】This fitness activity smart watch full screen for iPhone and Android phones includes a bunch of new features including:The bluetooth smart watch can hang up the phone, receive and display WhatsAPP /Text /Facebook /Twitter /Messenger reminder.Support sedentary reminder, alarm clock, stopwatch, timer,weather information,music control, remote camera control compatible with Android 5.0 and above or iOS 9.0 and above smartphones.

    ServerAdminPassword=ChooseAUniquePassword

    If a ServerAdminPassword line already exists, edit its value rather than creating competing entries. Do not include angle brackets, quotation marks, or spaces around the equals sign unless your hosting interface specifically formats the value for you.

  5. Save the file without changing its structure

    Keep the section header in square brackets and preserve the file’s plain-text format. A malformed header, accidental extra characters, or an edit to the wrong file can make the server ignore the setting.

  6. Start or restart the dedicated server

    The change is not expected to take effect until the server process has been restarted. Wait until the server reports that it is online before attempting to authenticate.

The password itself is not displayed to players. Anyone who learns it may be able to run administrative commands, so do not reuse an account password or post the value in a public chat, screenshot, guide, or support ticket.

What’s actually slowing this PC down?

Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Authenticate as admin from the game

  1. Join the server normally

    Connect with the server address and, if configured, the ordinary join password. Being able to join proves only that you passed the connection requirement; it does not prove that administrative authentication is active.

  2. Open the console

    On PC, widely circulated ASA instructions use Tab to open the console. The console key can vary by platform, keyboard layout, or later game update; if Tab does nothing, check the current key binding or platform-specific control documentation rather than changing the password.

    Rank #3
    New Bee Guitar Cable 10ft Electric Instrument Bass AMP Cord
    • [Low Noise High Fidelity] New bee guitar cord with 22AWG oxygen-free-copper center conductors provides enhanced signal transfer, the PVC insulation material and the high-density stranded copper double shield provide noise rejection for quiet operation
    • [Ideal for Choice] New bee 1/4 straight and right angle metal connectors, ensures a secure connection in any instrument, pedal, or amp jack. L shape great fro on stage guitar stands
    • [Wide Compatible] Suitable for mixer, power amplifier, microphone, effector, decoder, equalizer, electoronic organ, electric guitar, electric bass and other electronic equipments. Widely used in the installation of smart home, karaoke speaker, professional stage audio, etc
    • [Easy Disassemble] Making incidental repairs quick and easy! Very nice, flexible cable
    • [Dont Hesite to Order] 24 hours customer services and professional technology team are standing by
  3. Run the authentication command

    Enter the command with the exact value configured in the INI file:

    EnableCheats ChooseAUniquePassword

    Replace ChooseAUniquePassword with your real password. Do not type the angle brackets shown in explanatory examples. Guides commonly report no error message when the password is accepted, so the absence of an error is the expected indication that authentication succeeded.

    Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
  4. Test a command cautiously

    Use a low-risk administrative action in a controlled situation before changing a live play session. Community guides cite commands such as god, fly, SaveWorld, and forcetame, but those examples are not confirmed here against a specific ASA build. A command may require a prefix or may behave differently after an update.

If the authentication command is rejected or administrative commands have no effect, stop and work through the troubleshooting section instead of repeatedly guessing passwords.

Choosing the command prefix after authentication

Current community instructions disagree about whether an administrative command should be entered with cheat or admincheat. For example, one guide may show cheat fly, while another shows admincheat fly. The available evidence does not establish one prefix as universally correct for every ASA server configuration or build.

  • Authenticate first with EnableCheats; the prefix dispute concerns subsequent commands.
  • If a command is ignored, try the other documented prefix exactly as written, provided you are certain you are on your own server and understand the effect of the command.
  • Do not assume that a command failed because the console produced no confirmation text. Check the actual game state and avoid testing destructive commands on a populated world.
  • Keep a record of the syntax that works on your server and recheck it after major ASA updates.

Because no current official Studio Wildcard or ARK wiki page was confirmed for this procedure, treat prefix examples as build-sensitive community guidance rather than a permanent command reference.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Rank #4
BSIMB 15.6" Digital Family Calendar & Chore Chart, No Subscription Fees
  • Digital Family Calendar: BSIMB digital calendar wall touch screen puts an end to your chaotic life. Designed for busy families, the digital calendar keeps you organised and in step with your family. Assign different colours and tasks to each family member to make family scheduling easier and more intuitive.
  • Easy Setup and Auto-Sync: Plug in, connect to WLAN and auto-syn your electric calendar in minutes. Digital wall calendar compatible with Google calendar, iCloud calendar, Outlook calendar, Cozi calendar and Yahoo calendar. Add events directly on the device or through the ecalendar app. Electronic calendar stays current whether you're at work or traveling—no manual updates needed.
  • All-In-One Home Assistant: Smart calendar builds habits and encourage independence with personalised chores. Display daily meal plan to reduce the daily ‘What's for dinner?’ stress. To-do lists keep track of everything you want. Turning chores into valuable achievements with stars and rewards, making life easier and more enjoyable.
  • Manage Anytime Anywhere: BSIMB electronic calendar for family stay connected with the powerful ecalendar app. Access and manage your digital wall calendar anytime, anywhere with free features like stars & rewards, photo screensaver, chore charts, meals plans, to-do lists etc. Electronic planner paid features like Magic Import tailor advanced tools for users with special needs.
  • Stay in Touch with Loved Ones: Share photos or videos from your phone to electronic wall calendar with app, instantly update your life moment, and keep in touch with your family, especially those who are far away; you can also surprise your smart calendar digital wall by sending him a wish card; it's also great for keeping tech-illiterate elders in touch with the youngsters.

Admin authentication lasts only for the current session

Widely described ASA behavior requires you to run EnableCheats again after reconnecting. Authentication does not persist merely because the password remains in GameUserSettings.ini. Plan to repeat the console step after a disconnect, a game restart, or any session change that removes your authenticated state.

This session-based behavior is useful when several people share a server: storing the password in the server configuration makes the credential available to anyone who can access that configuration, but it does not automatically make every connected player an admin.

Alternative startup-parameter form

A community post and a hosting panel describe a startup-parameter variant that resembles ?ServerAdminPassword=. The INI method under [ServerSettings] is the most consistently described approach; the startup form is secondary and not independently verified for the current ASA build.

Use a startup parameter only when your server software or hosting panel explicitly documents it for your installation. Do not add both forms merely as a guess: duplicate or conflicting settings make it harder to determine which value the server actually loaded. If the panel offers a dedicated “admin password” field, check whether it writes the INI key automatically and then restart the server before testing.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Troubleshooting admin access

Most failures described by ASA server guides come from one of three causes: a password mismatch, a missing restart, or command syntax that lacks the prefix expected by that build. Work through the checks in order.

Symptom Likely cause What to check
EnableCheats appears to do nothing The password does not match the server’s loaded value, or the edited file was not used. Reopen the active GameUserSettings.ini, verify the spelling and capitalization of ServerAdminPassword, and confirm that the server was restarted after saving.
You can join, but admin commands do not work Joining succeeded with the ordinary join password, but admin authentication did not. Run EnableCheats after joining. The join password and admin password are separate settings.
The password in the file is correct, but the old password still works or the new one fails The process is still running with the previous configuration, or a different configuration file is active. Perform a full stop and start, not merely a client reconnect. Confirm the path and server instance you edited.
A command is entered but has no effect The command needs a different prefix, is unavailable in that build, or authentication expired. Re-authenticate, then test the documented cheat and admincheat forms one at a time. Avoid destructive tests.
The console will not open The key differs on your platform or has been remapped. Check the current control binding for your platform and keyboard layout. The commonly cited PC key is Tab, not a guaranteed universal binding.
The server stops starting after the edit Configuration syntax or file encoding was changed accidentally. Restore the backup, confirm the [ServerSettings] header and the single ServerAdminPassword=... line, then restart before attempting another edit.

How to verify that you edited the active server

  1. Match the server instance

    Large installations can contain multiple worlds or profiles. Confirm that the directory belongs to the world and port you actually join.

  2. Check the section and key spelling

    The setting must be named exactly ServerAdminPassword and placed under [ServerSettings]. Similar-looking names or a key placed in another section may be ignored.

  3. Restart completely

    Stop the dedicated-server process, wait for it to exit, and start it again through the same service or panel that normally launches it.

    Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
  4. Authenticate from a fresh connection

    Join after the restart, open the console, and run EnableCheats with the configured value. If you were already connected during the restart, disconnect and reconnect so you are testing the new session.

Security and server-management practices

Use a dedicated admin password

Because the admin credential grants command access, generate a value used nowhere else. Avoid player names, server names, dates, or short words that can be guessed from public information.

Limit who can read the configuration

Anyone with access to the INI file or a hosting panel account that displays it may be able to obtain the password. Restrict file permissions and panel accounts to people who administer the server.

Change the password after exposure

If the value appears in a screenshot, log, chat message, or shared panel, replace it in GameUserSettings.ini, restart the server, and have every administrator authenticate with the new value.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Test on a safe save

Commands such as god, fly, SaveWorld, and forcetame can alter play or world state. Test unfamiliar syntax on a backup or a low-stakes session and make sure players know when administrative commands are being used.

What is and is not established for current ASA builds

The configuration key, Windows path, restart requirement, EnableCheats authentication step, and per-session reauthentication are consistently described by multiple third-party guides. However, the available guidance does not provide a confirmed official reference for the current build, and most publication dates are not shown. The command prefix conflict and platform-specific console behavior remain the main practical uncertainties.

For that reason, treat this as a reliable starting procedure rather than a promise that every future patch will preserve identical syntax. After an ASA update, verify the active configuration path, confirm that ServerAdminPassword is still accepted, and retest authentication in a controlled environment before using administrative commands on a shared world.

Quick operating checklist

  • Back up the current server configuration.
  • Stop the dedicated server before editing.
  • Open ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini on a Windows server, or the equivalent configuration editor supplied for your platform.
  • Under [ServerSettings], add or update ServerAdminPassword=YourUniquePassword.
  • Save the file and perform a full server restart.
  • Join the server; use the ordinary join password only if one is configured.
  • Open the console (commonly Tab on PC) and run EnableCheats YourUniquePassword.
  • For later commands, account for the unresolved cheat versus admincheat prefix difference.
  • Repeat EnableCheats after every reconnect or session reset.
  • Change the admin password immediately if it has been disclosed.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Free tools Windows power users keep installed

One-click scans. No signup required.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More from the Wire

  1. World desk4 min
    How to Spot an AI Voice Scam Before Sending MoneyDon’t rely on how a caller sounds. Pause, call back through a known number, and verify the emergency with another trusted person before sending money.
  2. Mountain View desk4 min
    Google’s SynthID Detector: How to Check AI-Generated Images, Video and AudioGoogle’s SynthID Detector looks for an embedded watermark in supported images, video and audio. Here is what its results do—and do not—show.
  3. Redmond desk20 min
    How to create a link to File or Folder in Windows 11Windows 11 gives you several ways to point to a file or folder without moving or duplicating it. You can create a desktop shortcut,…
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?Free scan - under a minute
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You DownFree scan - exact matches

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.