Change the value named SessionName. For a server started with launch arguments, put the new name in the session URL; for a file-based setup, edit GameUserSettings.ini. The correct file is under LinuxServer or WindowsServer, depending on the operating system. Restart the server and check the browser after it has registered again.
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What ARK uses as the server name
ARK: Survival Evolved does not use a separate “display name” switch for the server browser. The displayed name is supplied through the SessionName setting. Where that setting lives depends on how the server is launched:
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- A command-line or startup-script server receives
SessionNameas part of its map/session argument. - A conventional file-based server reads it from
GameUserSettings.ini. - A rented server may expose the same value through a control-panel field, or may require an advanced configuration editor.
If more than one of these layers sets a value, the setting that is actually passed when the process starts can override the value you edited in the file. Always identify the server’s start method before changing anything.
Choose the method that matches your server
| Server setup | Where to change the name | Persistence consideration | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted Linux or Windows process launched with arguments | The launch command containing SessionName= |
The startup script, service unit or command generator must retain the new value | Quick, explicit changes and scripted deployments |
| File-based dedicated server | GameUserSettings.ini |
A launch script can still override the file on startup | Servers whose settings are maintained in INI files |
| Systemd-managed Linux server | Usually GameUserSettings.ini; also inspect the unit for a command-line override |
The unit and any drop-in can replace file values | Linux services managed as a background daemon |
| Rented server with a control panel | A server-name field in basic mode, or the configuration editor in advanced mode, if supplied by that panel | Panel templates may regenerate files or commands | Hosts that do not provide direct shell access |
The exact labels and layout of hosting panels vary. If the panel has no field explicitly described as the server name, use its advanced configuration view and look for SessionName.
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Method 1: change the launch parameter
The dedicated-server documentation’s verified pattern places the name in the map/session argument:
TheIsland?listen?SessionName=<server_name>?ServerPassword=<join_password>?ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password>
Replace <server_name> with the text you want players to see. The other placeholders represent the existing join and administrator passwords; keep them if your server already uses them. The same argument can be extended with Port, QueryPort and MaxPlayers parameters when those are part of your current launch configuration.
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Step-by-step on a manually launched server
- Locate the command, script or shortcut that starts the dedicated server. Search it for
SessionName=, or for the map/session string beginning withTheIsland?listen. - Replace only the existing name value. Do not remove the question marks that separate parameters, and do not change password, port or player-limit values unless you intend to change them.
- If the command is entered through a shell, quote the complete argument when your chosen name contains spaces or shell punctuation. The quoting syntax depends on whether the server is launched from a Windows command shell, PowerShell or a Unix shell.
- Save the script or shortcut and start the server through that same entry point. Editing a temporary command in a terminal will not persist unless the command is also updated in the script, service or panel that normally starts the server.
- After the server finishes starting, search for the new name in the ARK browser or connect using the server’s normal direct-join process. Browser results can lag behind the process restart.
Linux launch example
The official-community wiki shows the Linux pattern with the dedicated-server flags -server -log appended to the startup command. In abbreviated form, the relevant structure is:
ShooterGameServer TheIsland?listen?SessionName=My_ARK_Server?ServerPassword=join_password?ServerAdminPassword=admin_password -server -log
Treat this as a pattern, not a replacement for your distribution’s executable path or existing arguments. Preserve the map, passwords, ports and other options already required by your installation. The important part for the name is SessionName=My_ARK_Server.
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Method 2: edit GameUserSettings.ini
The configuration file is inside the server’s ShooterGame/Saved/Config directory. The operating-system-specific locations are:
| Operating system | Relative path |
|---|---|
| Linux | ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini |
| Windows | ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini |
The path is relative to the directory that contains your server installation. A host panel may present the same file through a file manager rather than showing the full filesystem path.
Safe editing procedure
- Identify the installation directory used by the running server, then open the matching
GameUserSettings.ini. - Make a backup copy before editing. Give the copy a date or other identifying name so you can restore the previous configuration if the server fails to start.
- Search the file for
SessionName. If it already exists, change only the text after the equals sign, for exampleSessionName=My ARK Server. - Pay attention to the section header immediately above the setting. Documentation snippets disagree about whether this key appears under
[ServerSettings]or[SessionSettings]. Keep an existing installation’s section structure rather than blindly moving the line or creating duplicate entries. - Save the file without changing its filename or extension. If the server is managed by a panel or service, use the panel’s save function or the service’s documented configuration workflow so the edit is not discarded.
- Start the server through its normal launcher and verify the name in the browser after startup.
The dedicated-server wiki describes general server options as normally appearing in a [ServerSettings] section, often near the bottom of GameUserSettings.ini. Another guide places SessionName under [SessionSettings]. Because that placement is not consistent across the available documentation, the existing file and the server’s own generated configuration are the safest references. If the name is not recognized after an INI edit, use the launch-parameter method or inspect the startup command for an override instead of adding several competing copies.
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Systemd and other service-managed servers
On Linux, a systemd unit can start the server without an interactive shell. The wiki recommends using GameUserSettings.ini for settings in this arrangement, but the unit may also include a command-line argument. Check both places:
- Open the service definition and any drop-in configuration, then search for
SessionName=or theTheIsland?listenargument. - Check the service’s working directory so you edit the
GameUserSettings.inibelonging to that instance rather than a second installation. - If the unit explicitly supplies a name, change that value as well as the INI value, or remove the unwanted override according to your service design.
- Restart the service through your normal systemd procedure and review its startup log for the command actually used.
A file edit can appear to “not work” when the service starts with an older SessionName argument. Conversely, changing only a unit file can be undone by a panel or deployment script that regenerates it. The source that constructs the final startup command is the one that must retain the new name.
Changing the name in a hosting panel
Some rented-server panels provide a basic settings page with a server-name field; others expose an advanced editor in which you change SessionName directly. The available modes are host-specific, so the following workflow is conditional:
- Open the server’s configuration or startup settings, not the profile name for your billing account.
- Look for labels such as “Server name,” “Session name” or “Startup parameters.”
- If a basic field exists, enter the new value and use the panel’s save/apply action.
- If there is only an advanced editor, locate
SessionNamein the generated command or INI file and edit that value. - Restart from the panel, then confirm that the startup task completed successfully before checking the browser.
One host-specific warning is worth keeping in mind: very long names or descriptions can prevent a custom command line from saving in some panels. If a panel rejects the change, try a shorter plain-text name first, then consult that host’s limits rather than repeatedly submitting a malformed command.
How to verify the new name
Do not rely on the text displayed in an old browser result. Use a clean verification sequence:
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- Read the startup output or service log and check that the command or configuration being loaded contains the intended
SessionName. - Refresh the ARK server browser and search using a distinctive part of the new name.
- If the listing does not appear immediately, wait and refresh again. A guide describes a delay of a few minutes as possible, but that timing is only an approximation and depends on browser and server registration.
- Connect using a known direct method, if available, to distinguish a naming problem from a query-port, firewall or general availability problem.
Troubleshooting when the old name remains
The INI edit was ignored
- Check that you edited
LinuxServerfor Linux orWindowsServerfor Windows, not a similarly named local or single-player configuration. - Search every startup script, shortcut and service definition for another
SessionName=. A launch argument can override the file value. - Review the section header in the existing file. Because documentation differs between
[ServerSettings]and[SessionSettings], avoid duplicating the key in both sections. - Use the command-line pattern as a diagnostic. If the name changes when supplied at launch, the problem is file selection, section placement or an override rather than the name itself.
The command-line change disappeared
- Make sure you changed the script, service unit or panel template that normally launches the server, not a one-time command copied into a terminal.
- Check whether an update, restart task or hosting panel rebuilds the startup command from saved settings.
- Inspect the actual command in the service log after restarting; the running process is the authoritative source.
The name is truncated, rejected or the server will not start
- Temporarily use a short name made of ordinary letters, numbers, spaces or underscores to isolate quoting and panel-length issues.
- Check that every launch parameter is separated by a question mark and that the name does not accidentally consume the following password or port parameter.
- Restore the backup of
GameUserSettings.iniif the server stopped starting after a file edit, then reapply one change at a time.
The browser still shows an older listing
First establish that the newly started process loaded the new value. If the log and direct connection identify the new name, the remaining issue is registration or cached browser data. Refresh the list and allow several minutes for the listing to update before changing configuration again. A stale browser result alone does not prove that SessionName failed.
Important limits and version cautions
The available guides do not establish a single ARK build, platform release or hosting-panel version for every syntax example. Key names, generated-file sections and panel labels can therefore differ between installations. Confirm the spelling used by your installed server, especially after an engine update, and keep a backup before changing generated configuration.
Also distinguish settings that are naturally file-based from settings that a launch command may control. Talk-page commentary reports that some users could not make MaxPlayers take effect from the INI and succeeded only by putting it on the command line. That is user commentary rather than an official rule, but it is a useful warning: if a launch-type option is being ignored, inspect the command that starts the process instead of assuming every option is read from the same INI section.
A reliable change checklist
- Find the launcher type: command line, INI, systemd or hosting panel.
- Change the single authoritative
SessionNamevalue. - Use the OS-specific
GameUserSettings.inipath when editing a file. - Respect the section already present in your installation; do not create conflicting duplicate keys.
- Update any script, service unit or panel template that can overwrite the setting.
- Restart through the normal launcher.
- Verify the startup command or loaded configuration, then refresh the browser and allow for registration delay.
Bottom line for administrators
For the most deterministic change, put the desired value in the startup argument as SessionName=... and make sure the script or service preserves it. For a configuration-managed server, edit the correct OS-specific GameUserSettings.ini, retain the file’s existing section structure and check for launch-time overrides. The new name is confirmed only after a restart and a fresh browser or direct-connection check.
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