Install ARK Server API (ArkApi) on the server machine, then place each plugin in ShooterGameBinariesWin64ArkApiPlugins. The exact package depends on whether your server runs ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE) or ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA). Install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable first, keep every plugin DLL’s filename identical to its containing folder, and restart the server to load it. Players do not install server API plugins on their own computers.
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This guide covers Windows installations and managed-host panels, including the folder layouts, logs, dependency checks, and update-related failures that most often prevent a plugin from loading.
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What ArkServerAPI does
ArkServerAPI is a server-side framework that loads native plugins into a dedicated ARK server. The official ASA description calls it a framework used to install and load plugins into ARK: Survival Ascended servers. The project maintains separate resources for ASE and ASA, so an API archive or plugin built for one edition should not be assumed to work with the other.
The framework and its plugins run on the dedicated server process. A player joining your server does not need to download the API or copy plugin files into a client installation. Only the machine running the server needs the API, plugin files, and their prerequisites.
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Choose ASE or ASA before downloading
Check the game edition first. ASE and ASA have different API packages, supported Windows baselines, and plugin compatibility requirements.
| Server edition | ArkServerAPI resource label | Documented Windows baseline | Runtime prerequisite | Important layout detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE) | Version 3.56 | Windows 7 or Windows Server 2016 and newer | Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable | The plugin DLL name must match its folder name. |
| ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) | Version 2.03 | Windows 10 or Windows Server 2019 and newer | Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable | The named plugin folder contains both the DLL and PluginInfo.json when supplied by the plugin. |
The version labels above identify the resources documented for this installation guide; they are not a promise that those are the newest releases when you install. After an ARK update, open the relevant official resource and check its current API version and compatibility notes before replacing files.
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Windows server requirements
- ASE: Windows 7 or Windows Server 2016 and newer, plus the Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable.
- ASA: Windows 10 or Windows Server 2019 and newer, plus the Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable.
- A dedicated-server installation with access to the ARK directory, either through local file access or a host-provided file manager/FTP account.
The Visual C++ runtime is a load requirement, not an optional optimization. Install it before starting ArkServerAPI; without it, the API may fail to load even when every file is in the correct folder.
What managed hosting changes
A game host may install the API through its control panel instead of having you extract the base archive manually. The host still needs to provide a way to upload plugin files, normally a File Manager or FTP. Panel labels differ, so use the host’s documented workflow when it offers one.
Manual installation on Windows
1. Confirm the server edition and stop it
Determine whether the installation is ASE or ASA, then stop the dedicated server before changing its files. Do not mix an ASE API archive with an ASA server or the reverse. If you are unsure which package applies, identify the game edition shown by the server installation and select the matching ArkServerAPI resource.
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2. Download the matching ArkServerAPI package
Use the official Ark Server Api resources area for your edition. Download the ASE resource for ARK: Survival Evolved or the ASA resource for ARK: Survival Ascended. Read the resource’s release notes for the API version and any game-build compatibility warning before extracting it.
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3. Install Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable
Install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable on the Windows machine that runs the server. Both the ASE and ASA documentation list this runtime as required for the API to load correctly. If the runtime was installed previously, verify that the installation is still present rather than assuming a server rebuild restored it.
4. Extract the API into the Win64 directory
Open the ARK server’s existing Win64 directory:
ARKShooterGameBinariesWin64
Extract the contents of the ArkServerAPI archive into that directory and allow the extraction to merge with the existing files. Do not create an extra nested folder such as Win64ArkServerAPIWin64; the supplied files must merge into the server’s actual Win64 location.
5. Start once to create API folders and logs
Launch the dedicated server once after the API extraction. This gives ArkServerAPI an opportunity to create its directories and write its initial log. You can let the server finish starting and then stop it before installing plugins if you want the plugin copy to be a controlled, separate file change.
6. Copy the plugin into ArkApiPlugins
Download a plugin that explicitly supports your edition and API version. Extract its package under:
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ARKShooterGameBinariesWin64ArkApiPlugins
Most packages include a folder named for the plugin. The final location should be a plugin-specific subfolder rather than loose files directly in Plugins. For example, an ASE plugin named ExamplePlugin should normally end up with its DLL under ArkApiPluginsExamplePlugin.
7. Preserve the plugin folder and DLL names
On ASE, the official resource documents a strict startup requirement: the plugin .DLL name must match the containing folder name. If the DLL is ExamplePlugin.dll, keep the folder name ExamplePlugin. Renaming the folder prevents the DLL from being read and stops the plugin from starting.
Do not rename a plugin folder merely to make it shorter, remove a suffix, or match a display name. If an archive expands with an extra versioned directory, inspect the contents and move the supplied plugin-named folder into ArkApiPlugins without changing that folder’s name.
8. Check the ASA package layout
ASA plugins can include metadata in addition to the DLL. When the package supplies PluginInfo.json, the expected layout is:
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ShooterGameBinariesWin64ArkApiPlugins[PluginName][PluginName].dllShooterGameBinariesWin64ArkApiPlugins[PluginName]PluginInfo.json
Both files belong inside the same named plugin subfolder. A common extraction mistake is leaving the JSON one level above the DLL or creating an unnecessary nested folder, either of which can prevent ASA from recognizing the plugin correctly.
9. Restart and inspect startup output
Start the server again after the plugin files are in place. Watch the startup console for a successful load or an error, then inspect the API and crash logs described below. If the server update or plugin package includes a compatibility note, resolve that before repeatedly copying files.
Managed-host installation
On a managed service, the panel can replace the manual API extraction step. Host Havoc’s documented workflow illustrates the process and was published June 8, 2026:
- Log in to the game panel.
- Open Non-Workshop Mods.
- Find ARK Server API and click Install.
- After the panel finishes, open File Manager or connect by FTP.
- Browse to
ShooterGame/Binaries/Win64/ArkApi/Plugins. - Upload or extract the plugin’s named folder there, preserving its supplied filenames and layout.
- Restart the server and check the startup output and logs.
Panel installation does not change the server-only model: the API and plugins execute on the host, and players do not install anything. If your host uses different labels, look for its ARK mod or non-workshop-mod section and ask support where the server’s ArkApiPlugins directory is exposed.
Verify that a plugin loaded
Read the ASE API log
For ASE, check:
ShooterGameWin64logsArkApi.log
This log records API activity and is the first place to look for a plugin load message or a file-related error. Also check crash logs in:
ShooterGameSavedLogs
A crash log can distinguish a plugin-triggered startup failure from an API that never initialized.
Check ASA files and startup diagnostics
For ASA, confirm the plugin’s DLL and PluginInfo.json are inside the plugin-named subfolder when that metadata file is part of the package. Then review the server’s startup output for the plugin name, missing files, or dependency errors. ASA update notes describe clearer messages for missing dependencies and missing AsaApiUtils, making the startup output especially useful after an update.
Use ExtendedDebug when the normal output is insufficient
ASA provides an optional ExtendedDebug setting. When enabled according to the current API documentation, it adds more hook, rebuild, and unload logging. Use it when a plugin appears present but does not load, when a hook is rebuilt repeatedly, or when an unload failure is otherwise difficult to identify. Disable extra diagnostics after troubleshooting if you prefer shorter production logs.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The API does not load at all
- Confirm that the package matches ASE or ASA; the two editions use separate resources.
- Install or repair the Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable.
- Verify that the archive was merged into the server’s real
ARKShooterGameBinariesWin64directory rather than an extra nested directory. - Start the server once and inspect the API log or startup console for a specific error.
- Check the API resource’s current version after an ARK update. A game-build mismatch can look like a file-copy mistake.
The API loads, but one plugin is absent
- Confirm that the plugin is under
Win64ArkApiPlugins, not merely underWin64ArkApior the server root. - Keep the plugin’s supplied folder name unchanged.
- On ASE, make the DLL filename and folder name identical, apart from the
.dllextension. - On ASA, place both the DLL and
PluginInfo.jsoninside the plugin’s named subfolder. - Read startup output for a missing dependency or missing
AsaApiUtilsmessage. - Confirm that the plugin author supports your edition and current API/game version.
The server crashes during startup
- Check
ShooterGameSavedLogsfor the crash record and compare its timing with the plugin load message. - Temporarily remove the newly added plugin folder, restart, and verify whether the server starts without it. Restore the folder only after confirming version and dependency requirements.
- For ASA, enable
ExtendedDebugto capture additional hook, rebuild, and unload details when the normal startup output is inconclusive. - Do not assume that reinstalling the same files fixes a compatibility break introduced by an ARK update; check the API resource’s version-specific notes first.
A plugin worked before an ARK update
Recheck both layers of compatibility: the ArkServerAPI release for the updated game build and the plugin’s own compatibility statement. ASA update notes are maintained with version-specific dependency and debug-log changes. If the API resource has changed, update the API in the manner documented for that release and then retest plugins one at a time. A plugin built for an older API may need an updated release even when its folder layout is perfect.
Manual extraction versus a managed panel
| Decision factor | Manual Windows installation | Managed-host installation |
|---|---|---|
| Edition compatibility | You choose and extract the ASE or ASA package yourself. | The panel may offer an edition-specific ARK Server API installer; verify what it installs. |
| Access method | Direct filesystem access and ZIP extraction into Win64. |
Panel installation followed by File Manager or FTP upload to ArkApi/Plugins. |
| Runtime prerequisite | You install the documented Windows baseline and Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable. | The host may provide the runtime, but its support documentation should confirm that requirement. |
| Troubleshooting visibility | You can inspect ArkApi.log, Saved/Logs, and the server console directly. |
You depend on the panel’s console and the log files exposed by the host. |
| Maintenance burden | You check API and plugin compatibility after ARK updates and replace files manually. | The host can simplify API installation, but plugin compatibility and restart checks remain your responsibility. |
Choose manual installation when you administer the Windows machine and need complete control over versions and files. Choose a panel workflow when the host provides a maintained ARK Server API installer and convenient file access. In either route, the plugin folder layout, edition match, runtime prerequisite, and post-restart log check remain the same.
A repeatable update checklist
- Identify whether the server is ASE or ASA.
- Read the matching ArkServerAPI resource for its current version and ARK-build notes.
- Check each plugin’s supported edition, API version, dependencies, and required metadata files.
- Confirm the Windows baseline and Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable on a self-managed server.
- Stop the server before changing API or plugin files.
- Place the API files in
ARKShooterGameBinariesWin64. - Place each plugin under
Win64ArkApiPlugins[PluginName], preserving names. - For ASA, verify the DLL and
PluginInfo.jsonare together in the named folder. - Restart and read the console and logs before allowing players to connect.
- If loading fails, use the exact error message to check dependencies,
AsaApiUtils, folder names, and version compatibility instead of repeatedly re-extracting the archive.
Do players need to install an ARK Server API plugin?
No. ArkServerAPI plugins are server-side components. Install the API and plugin files only on the dedicated server or the managed host running it. Players connect with the normal game client and do not copy the API, DLL, or plugin metadata files into their own ARK installation. The server administrator is responsible for maintaining the API, plugins, dependencies, and compatibility after game updates.
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