The reliable unit of an ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated-server backup is the complete ShooterGame/Saved directory, not just the map file. That directory holds the world, player profiles, tribes, configuration, and logs needed to recreate a working server. Stop the server before copying or replacing it, keep dated generations on separate storage, and verify a restore on a disposable instance before trusting the backup.
Prefer not to run the server on your own PC? Godlike.Host offers hosted ARK: Survival Evolved servers with free DDoS protection and up to three free backups a day.
Hosted services add their own snapshots and panel controls, but those backups differ in age, scope, and portability. The procedures below separate self-hosted files from Nitrado’s documented ARK: Survival Evolved workflow and explain how the equivalent path differs for ARK: Survival Ascended.
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What an ARK backup must contain
An ARK world is more than a single .ark file. A usable recovery copy needs the map state plus the identities and settings that make that state playable. On a self-hosted dedicated server, the ARK Official Community Wiki identifies ShooterGame/Saved and everything inside it as the backup unit. Copying only a map file can leave player profiles, tribes, configuration, or diagnostic information behind.
The folders and files you are protecting
| Location | What it contains | Why it matters during recovery |
|---|---|---|
SavedArks/ |
The world map, player profiles, and tribe files. Typical names include <WorldName>.ark, <SteamID>.arkprofile, and <TribeID>.arktribe. |
Restores the playable world and the ownership and character data associated with it. |
Config/ |
Server settings, including GameUserSettings.ini, Game.ini, and, where present, Engine.ini. |
Preserves rates, gameplay rules, mod settings, and other server behavior stored in INI files. |
Logs/ |
Operational logs generated by the server. | Helps diagnose an incomplete save, a failed upload, or a startup problem after restoration. |
Folder names can vary with the host’s layout, but the principle is constant: preserve the complete saved-data tree rather than selecting one file by hand.
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Backup types and when to use each
Hosts commonly expose several snapshot categories. Their names are not interchangeable, so identify the recovery point and the state it includes before selecting one.
| Backup type | Scope | Typical recovery-point age documented for Nitrado ARK: Survival Evolved | Portability | Recovery method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Map or game-internal backup | Recent world/map state, generally centered on the game save. | Map backups are documented every three hours. | Usually selected in the provider panel; not necessarily a complete downloadable server copy. | One-click or panel restore when the host supports it. |
| Full server backup | Broader server state, including configuration files alongside saved data. | Server backups are documented once per day. | May be downloadable through FTP or retained as a provider snapshot. | Panel restore or replacement of files after stopping the server. |
| Database backup | Provider-managed database information, where the service uses a separate database category. | Schedule and contents depend on the provider. | Provider-specific. | Provider-specific controls; do not assume it contains the ARK map. |
| Manual file copy | Whatever you deliberately copy, ideally the entire ShooterGame/Saved tree. |
Determined by your schedule. | Highest portability: files can be moved to another host or local instance, subject to version and configuration compatibility. | Stop the server, preserve the live directory, upload or replace files, select the matching map, and restart. |
A map rollback is appropriate when a recent in-game event damaged the world but the surrounding server configuration is still correct. A full server restore is safer after a configuration mistake, a mod change, or broader data loss because it returns the settings as well as the save.
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Use this workflow for a dedicated server you administer directly. It creates a portable copy and avoids copying files while the game is actively writing them.
1. Create a clean save and label the recovery point
Trigger a normal save using the administration method appropriate to your server, then record the date and time in UTC. Put that timestamp in the folder or archive name, for example ark-saved-2026-10-14T21-00Z. A precise name lets you correlate a backup with an incident and prevents accidental overwrites.
2. Open a maintenance window
Stop the dedicated server before copying data, or use a maintenance process that guarantees no files can change during the copy. Announce the short interruption to players. A live copy can capture the map, profile, and tribe files at different moments, producing a set that looks complete but does not represent one consistent point in time.
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3. Copy the complete saved directory
- Locate the server installation’s
ShooterGame/Saveddirectory. - Copy that directory and every child folder and file to a different disk or host. Do not select only
SavedArksunless you intentionally want a map-only recovery point. - Confirm that the destination contains the
SavedArks,Config, andLogsfolders when your installation uses those names. - Compare the source and destination sizes and file counts, and inspect the copy for recent timestamps before bringing the server online.
The community wiki’s documented backup instruction is to copy ShooterGame/Saved and its contents to the desired backup location. Keep the copy outside the live server directory so a bad update or disk failure cannot destroy both versions.
4. Keep generations and an off-machine copy
Retain several dated generations rather than replacing one file every time. Keep at least one generation on storage that is not attached to the server, such as an external USB hard drive or another host. Select capacity from the actual size of your saves and the number of generations you intend to retain; no single drive size is universally correct. Protect the drive from accidental deletion and disconnect it when it is not being updated.
5. Include configuration deliberately
Some hosting layouts place INI files under Saved/Config. Ensure that GameUserSettings.ini, Game.ini, and Engine.ini are included when present. Without them, a restored world may start with different rates or rules even though the map itself loads.
6. Record what the copy represents
Alongside the files, keep a small text note with the UTC timestamp, map name, server version, active mods, and any maintenance action taken immediately before the save. This metadata is not a substitute for the files; it helps you choose the correct generation when several look similar.
Automatic and manual backups on Nitrado
Nitrado documents automatic backups for its ARK: Survival Evolved servers. Its guide states that map backups are taken every three hours and server backups once per day. Those intervals describe the service documentation cited here; retention limits, panel labels, and availability can change, so check the live account before relying on a particular snapshot.
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Download a local copy through FTP
- Connect to the server with FTP credentials supplied by the host.
- Open
/arkse/ShooterGame/Saved/. - Download the
Config,Logs, andSavedArksfolders into a local directory named with the UTC date and time. - Keep that download independently of the hosted account. A provider snapshot is useful for rapid rollback, while a local copy remains available if the account, panel, or service is inaccessible.
Download completion is part of the backup operation. Do not treat an interrupted FTP transfer as a valid generation; check that all three folders and their contents are present before archiving it.
Restore a provider snapshot from the panel
- Open the server control panel and choose Tools → Restore Backup.
- Select the dated entry that matches the incident and confirm the restore.
- Wait until the panel reports completion.
- Start the server only after the restore has finished, then check the map, profiles, tribes, configuration, and mods.
The panel’s map and server entries may represent different scopes. Choose a map rollback for a narrowly recent world problem and a server snapshot when configuration or broader state must return as well.
Restore files manually over FTP
- Stop the server.
- Move the current files aside or rename the current saved directory. Preserve it until the restored world has been verified; it is your immediate fallback if the selected generation is wrong.
- Upload the dated
Config,Logs, andSavedArksfolders to/arkse/ShooterGame/Saved/, retaining the expected directory structure. - In the panel, select the map that matches the uploaded save, save the setting, and verify that the upload has completed.
- Restart the server and inspect player profiles, tribes, world state, settings, and logs before inviting players back.
Starting with a different map selected can make a valid upload appear missing. The matching map selection is therefore a required part of this restore path, not an optional cleanup step.
Restoring a self-hosted backup without losing players or tribes
The safest restore is reversible. Never delete the current saved directory first: rename it or move it to a clearly labeled quarantine location so you can return to the pre-restore state.
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Use the UTC names and incident time to select a copy made before the corruption, accidental deletion, or unwanted change. Confirm that its SavedArks contains the expected world file, player profile files, and tribe files. If those profile and tribe files are absent, you have a map-only copy and cannot expect player ownership data to return.
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Replace the saved data as one set
- Stop the server and wait for the process to exit.
- Rename the current
ShooterGame/Saveddirectory, preserving it with the incident timestamp. - Place the dated backup in the original path so the server sees the expected
ShooterGame/Savedlocation. - Check that permissions allow the server process to read and write the restored files.
- Start the server and watch the first startup logs for missing files, version warnings, or mod errors.
Do not mix a map from one generation with profiles, tribes, or configuration from another unless you are intentionally performing a specialist recovery. Mixed dates can produce ownership or settings inconsistencies that are harder to diagnose than a complete rollback.
Validate before discarding the old directory
- Join with a test account or trusted administrator account and confirm the expected character appears.
- Check that a known tribe and its structures are present.
- Travel to a few recognizable locations to confirm the intended map generation loaded.
- Review rates and gameplay rules against the restored INI files.
- Check mod-dependent assets and the startup log for load failures.
Keep the pre-restore directory until these checks pass. If the restored world is not the intended one, stop the server, put the preserved directory back, and investigate using the logs before attempting another generation.
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ARK: Survival Ascended uses a different provider path in Nitrado’s documented guide: arksa/ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/. The broad distinction between game-internal and server backups remains, but the exact root directory and panel labels are version-specific.
Before copying or restoring, confirm all three of these items in the live service: whether the server is running Survival Evolved or Survival Ascended, the displayed installation path, and the map name selected in the panel. Do not apply an Evolved path to an Ascended server, or assume that a panel option has the same scope in both games.
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Test restores on disposable infrastructure
A backup is only useful if it can be read. Periodically restore a dated copy to a disposable instance or maintenance environment and verify the map, player profiles, tribes, mods, and settings. The documented procedures do not establish a universal testing interval, so choose one that matches how often your world changes and how costly a failed recovery would be.
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Keep a simple retention policy
Use more frequent generations around major updates, mod changes, or administrative events, and preserve older generations long enough to discover delayed corruption. The correct number depends on save size, storage capacity, and how far back your community may need to roll; the three-hour and daily Nitrado schedules should not be treated as a universal retention promise.
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- Restrict FTP and panel credentials to administrators who need them.
- Store at least one copy away from the live machine and, where practical, away from the same physical location.
- Do not edit INI files inside an archive and then assume the archive still represents the original recovery point; create a new, clearly labeled generation for deliberate changes.
- Record failed transfers, unusual shutdowns, and mod changes beside the affected backup name.
Troubleshooting common backup and restore failures
The server starts on a new or empty world
Stop the server and verify the path, map selection, and spelling of the world file. On a hosted service, confirm that the upload landed under the provider’s expected ShooterGame/Saved tree rather than one directory deeper. Preserve the current failed state, then retry with the matching map selected.
The map loads but players or tribes are missing
You likely restored only a map file or mixed generations. Inspect SavedArks for the expected .arkprofile and .arktribe files, then restore a complete dated directory that contains them. Do not overwrite the preserved pre-restore copy until ownership data has been confirmed.
Settings reverted after recovery
Check whether the backup included Config and the relevant INI files. A map-only snapshot cannot restore configuration. If the files are present but ignored, verify that they are in the active server’s expected path and that the server process can read them.
The upload or copy is incomplete
Compare destination contents with the source, look for interrupted FTP transfers, and review Logs for save or startup errors. Keep the incomplete copy separate from valid generations; finish the transfer or recopy the complete directory while the server is stopped.
A restore works but mods fail
Check the mod list and versions associated with the selected generation, then inspect startup logs. A valid world backup does not guarantee that a changed or unavailable mod will load. Restore the server configuration and mod state that correspond to the same dated generation whenever possible.
Quick Recap
A practical backup checklist
- Trigger a clean save and write the UTC timestamp.
- Stop the server before copying or replacing files.
- Copy the entire
ShooterGame/Saveddirectory for self-hosted servers. - Confirm
SavedArks,Config, andLogsare present when used by the installation. - Keep several dated generations, including one on separate storage.
- For Nitrado FTP copies, download from
/arkse/ShooterGame/Saved/and retain the folders locally. - For panel restores, use Tools → Restore Backup, wait for completion, and start afterward.
- For manual restores, preserve the current directory, upload the dated copy, select the matching map, and then restart.
- For Survival Ascended, verify the
arksapath and current panel labels first. - Test a restore and keep the pre-restore directory until the recovered world is verified.
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