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This guide covers an ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated server installed with SteamCMD. Do not apply its Workshop IDs, paths or launch parameters to ARK: Survival Ascended; Ascended uses a different mod ecosystem. Check the mod author’s current Workshop instructions and your server branch before changing a live server.
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Have administrative access to the machine or hosting control panel, permission to stop and start the server, and access to the ARK configuration files. You also need SteamCMD, an ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated-server installation, the target mod’s Steam Workshop page, and its numeric Workshop ID.
- A working server installation: SteamCMD uses app ID
376030for the ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated server. - The exact mod ID: Copy the number from the Workshop item URL rather than relying on its display name.
- Backups: Save a copy of
ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArksand the server configuration directory before installing or updating the conversion. - Maintenance access: You must be able to stop the process cleanly, edit
GameUserSettings.iniandGame.ini, and read the server log. - A matching client: Every player needs the same conversion and a compatible content version before joining.
A total conversion can alter maps, assets, creatures, items and progression. Treat it as a server-wide content change, not as a small add-on that can be dropped into an already running session without a rollback plan.
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Confirm the ARK edition and server branch
First verify that the server is ARK: Survival Evolved (often abbreviated ASE), not ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA). The procedures, mod delivery systems, directory layout and configuration keys are not interchangeable. A Workshop ID that works for ASE should not be assumed to work on ASA.
Also read the conversion’s Workshop description. The dated Steam guide commonly used for ASE explains a manual client-to-server copy process, while the official configuration reference documents an automated ModInstaller route. Your server branch or host may support one method but not the other. If the author specifies a required map, exclusive mode, parameter or load order, follow that instruction over a generic example.
Install or update the dedicated server with SteamCMD
If the server files are not installed, or you need to bring them up to date, run SteamCMD against the ASE dedicated-server app. Log in anonymously, select an installation directory, and use:
app_update 376030 validateThe validate option checks the downloaded files. It can take considerable time and may replace files changed by an earlier manual edit, so keep configuration and saved-game backups outside the installation tree.
Launch once to create the configuration tree
Start the dedicated server once before adding the conversion. The first launch creates the default configuration files and directories. Wait until the server has finished its initial startup, then stop it cleanly. Do not copy mod files or edit the conversion settings while the server process is still writing its configuration.
Find the Workshop ID and read its installation rules
Open the conversion’s Steam Workshop page and copy the numeric ID from the page URL. For example, use the number itself, not the title or a shortened name. Keep a note of the author’s required map, exclusive status, launch argument and load order.
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Do not assume that a total conversion can be loaded exactly like an ordinary stackable mod. The ASE server guide warns that overhaul and total-conversion projects may not be clean or stackable. Some are intended to replace the normal game rules and should be the only conversion enabled. Others document a specific relationship with ordinary mods. If the author says the conversion is exclusive, remove conflicting conversion settings before testing.
Choose the supported configuration method
ASE has more than one configuration path in circulation. Use the method documented for your server branch and mod; do not enter every possible key at once.
ActiveTotalConversion in GameUserSettings.ini
The official configuration reference documents the following setting in GameUserSettings.ini:
ActiveTotalConversion=<ModID>Replace <ModID> with the numeric Workshop ID. On Linux, the cited server layout places the file under:
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ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.iniThe folder name is branch-specific. If your host presents a different configuration location, use the path shown by that host rather than creating a second, unused copy of the file.
The ModInstaller section in Game.ini
The official reference also documents a [ModInstaller] section in Game.ini for Workshop mod, map and total-conversion IDs. Use the exact key and syntax required by your branch or hosting panel. If the mod’s instructions provide a complete section, copy that structure rather than inventing additional entries.
The -TotalConversionMod launch parameter
Some ASE setups and third-party instructions report a launch parameter in this form:
-TotalConversionMod=<ModID>This parameter is not a universal replacement for the documented configuration key. Treat it as branch-specific: confirm that your server build and the mod author support it before adding it to the startup command. If the server ignores the argument, remove it and use the supported configuration method instead.
Install the mod content
Prefer the server branch’s supported automated Workshop or ModInstaller mechanism. Automation can fetch the item into the server’s expected location and reduces the chance of copying a mismatched file. A managed host may expose the same function through a control panel, but verify that it supports the exact ASE branch and total conversion.
Manual Steam Workshop copy
If you must use the manual method described in the ASE Steam guide, perform it while the server is stopped:
- On an ARK client, subscribe to the Workshop item.
- Wait for Steam and ARK to finish downloading and installing the item. Do not copy while the client is still updating it.
- Open the client’s ARK installation and locate
ShooterGame/Content/Mods. - Find the numbered directory that matches the Workshop ID and the matching
.modfile. - Copy both the numbered directory and its
.modfile into the server’sShooterGame/Content/Modsdirectory. - Check that the numeric name and file name correspond to the same Workshop ID; a directory without its matching metadata file can produce a mod-load error.
Copying files from a client that has an older or partially downloaded build can leave the server with content that clients cannot use. If in doubt, let the client complete an update, then copy the complete pair again.
Set the conversion and any ordinary mod load order
After the files are present, edit the chosen configuration file and save it while the server remains stopped. For ordinary stackable mods controlled by ActiveMods, IDs are comma-separated with no spaces and load from left to right:
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ActiveMods=123456789,987654321Use the Workshop author’s order when one is specified. Do not put a total conversion into an ordinary list merely because it has a Workshop ID; the conversion may require ActiveTotalConversion, a ModInstaller entry or an exclusive launch option instead.
Keep one authoritative copy of each setting. Duplicate or conflicting entries in different startup scripts and configuration files make it difficult to tell which value the server actually reads. Record the previous value in your backup so you can restore the pre-conversion setup.
Restart and verify before inviting players
Start the server and watch the console or log from the beginning of the boot. A successful test should satisfy all of these checks:
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- The process reaches a normal, ready state without a mod-load or missing-file error.
- The log shows the expected numeric mod ID and does not report a missing
.modfile. - The selected conversion’s map, rules or content appears in the server/session as intended.
- A test client with the same conversion and compatible version can join.
- The saved-game and configuration backups still exist outside the active server directory.
Use a test survivor or a copied save when possible. A conversion can change the meaning of existing assets; testing on a disposable session limits the impact of a wrong setting.
Help clients connect to a converted server
Players need the same mod and a compatible version. Clients may begin downloading a large conversion only after they attempt to connect, so the first join can take longer than a normal connection. Repeated attempts while content is installing can be necessary, but an immediate retry will not fix a genuine version mismatch.
Tell players the exact conversion name and Workshop ID, and ask them to let ARK and Steam finish updating before joining. If the server updated its files while a client still has the previous build, the client must complete its own update before the versions match.
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Updating safely when the Workshop item changes
Workshop updates can reach clients before the server has downloaded the new files. That produces a version mismatch even though the configuration still contains the correct ID. A game update can also break a conversion until its author publishes a compatible build.
- Announce maintenance and stop new connections.
- Stop the server cleanly.
- Back up
ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArksand the complete configuration directory. - Update the dedicated server with the appropriate SteamCMD command.
- Update or reinstall the mod content using the supported Workshop/ModInstaller method, or recopy the complete numbered directory and
.modfile. - Check the author’s compatibility notes and required load order.
- Start the server, inspect the log, and test with a client that has finished updating.
- If the conversion fails, stop the server and restore the previous files and configuration from the backup.
Keep the old mod files until the new build has passed a join test. A rollback is only possible if the previous content and saved data were preserved.
Troubleshoot the most common failures
The server will not start
- Confirm that the installation is ASE, not ASA.
- Check the server branch and use the configuration key documented for that branch.
- Verify that the Workshop ID contains digits only and has no copied punctuation or spaces.
- Check that the numbered mod directory and matching
.modfile are both present. - Remove an unsupported
-TotalConversionModargument or conflicting conversion entry and test the documented method alone. - Review the mod author’s required map, exclusivity rule and load order.
The server starts but the conversion is not active
Recheck which configuration file the server actually reads. On the cited Linux layout, that is the file under ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/. Confirm the setting is spelled exactly as documented and that the server was fully stopped before the edit. Then inspect the startup log for the expected ID.
Players receive a version or mod mismatch
Compare the client and server content versions, not just their numeric IDs. Workshop delivery can update one side first. Have the affected player finish the download, restart Steam or ARK if its local installation is stuck, and retry after the server has been updated to the same build. If the mod author has paused support for the current game version, wait for a compatible release or restore the last working server and mod backup.
Players time out during the first connection
Large conversions can take time to download and initialize. Check whether the client is still installing content before treating the timeout as a network failure. If the download is complete, check firewall rules, port forwarding and the host’s configured ports. The cited Linux guide lists these common ASE ports:
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| Function | Port and protocol listed by the guide | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Query | UDP 27015 | Common value; confirm the server’s current setting. |
| RCON | TCP 27020 | Relevant only when RCON is enabled and configured. |
| Game client | UDP 7777 | Adapt to the host’s current game-port setting. |
| Raw socket | UDP 7778 | Adapt to the host’s current configuration. |
Do not open ports that your server does not use. Match the firewall and router rules to the actual values in the startup command or host panel.
Manual deployment versus automated installation
| Decision area | Manual SteamCMD and file copy | Automated ModInstaller or managed host |
|---|---|---|
| Control | Direct shell and file access; you choose exactly what is copied. | Control-panel workflow with fewer low-level file operations. |
| Updates | You monitor Workshop and server versions and schedule the update. | The system may fetch Workshop content automatically; verify timing and compatibility. |
| Backups | You create and retain snapshots of saves and configuration. | The host may provide backups, but confirm retention and restoration access. |
| Compatibility | You can inspect the branch, files and logs directly. | Support varies; confirm explicit ASE total-conversion support. |
| Recovery | Rollback depends on your copied files and saved backups. | Recovery depends on the provider’s snapshots and access to logs and configuration. |
Choose the manual route when you need shell-level control and can own the update and backup schedule. Choose automation only when it explicitly supports your ASE branch, the conversion’s installation method and a recoverable backup process.
A repeatable maintenance checklist
- Edition confirmed as ARK: Survival Evolved.
- Server branch and mod author instructions checked.
- Numeric Workshop ID copied directly from the item page.
- Saved-game and configuration backups created.
- Server stopped before editing or copying files.
- Supported conversion key selected:
ActiveTotalConversion,[ModInstaller]or a documented branch-specific launch parameter. - Numbered mod directory and matching
.modfile installed when using manual deployment. - Ordinary
ActiveModsentries kept comma-separated with no spaces and placed in the author’s required order. - Server log checked after restart.
- Test client updated to the same mod version before production players reconnect.
The Bottom Line
The reliable ASE workflow is: back up the server, stop it, install the exact Workshop content, use the conversion setting documented for your branch, restart, inspect the log, and test with a fully updated client. Keep the previous files until the new conversion proves compatible so a failed Workshop or game update can be rolled back.
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