Use two different settings: ServerPassword controls whether a player may join, while ServerAdminPassword only authenticates administrator commands after someone has connected. For a private server with admin controls, set both values, keep them different, and check both your launch command and GameUserSettings.ini.
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What each ARK password actually does
ARK: Survival Evolved has separate admission and administration credentials. Treating them as interchangeable is the reason many servers appear to be “password protected” while ordinary players can still enter.
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ServerPassword: the join password
ServerPassword is the value players must provide to connect. It protects admission to the server. If you omit this parameter entirely, the server does not require a player join password.
ServerAdminPassword: the administrator credential
ServerAdminPassword is used to authenticate administrative access through ARK’s in-game console. It does not stop ordinary players from joining. A server with only an admin password can therefore remain open to everyone.
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Why two separate values are safer
Use a player-facing join password and a distinct administrator password. Anyone who knows the join password can connect, so sharing the admin credential as the join password would give every permitted player a route to administrative commands. Separate values also let you rotate access for players without changing the administrator credential.
| Setting | Purpose | Who enters it | What happens if it is removed |
|---|---|---|---|
ServerPassword |
Restricts server admission | Each player when connecting | The server accepts joins without a join password |
ServerAdminPassword |
Authenticates administrator commands | An administrator through the in-game console | Players can still join; administrative authentication is not configured through this setting |
Before changing anything
- Stop the server first. Do not edit a running startup script or configuration file and assume the live process will reload it.
- Choose two non-obvious values. One is for players; the other is reserved for administrators.
- Identify how your server starts. A self-hosted installation may use a Windows executable or a Linux shell script. A managed host may write an INI file and also append command-line arguments from its control panel.
- Record the current configuration. Save a copy of the startup command and
GameUserSettings.inibefore editing so you can restore a known-working configuration.
In ARK’s documented parameter syntax, password values are entered without quotation marks. Replace the angle-bracket placeholders in examples with your actual values; do not type the angle brackets themselves.
Set both passwords in a dedicated-server launch command
Windows example
The Windows setup example uses the following pattern:
ShooterGameServer.exe TheIsland?SessionName=<server_name>?ServerPassword=<join_password>?Port=<port>?QueryPort=<query_port>?MaxPlayers=<max_players>?ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password>Keep the existing map, session name, port, query port and player limit appropriate for your installation. Add ?ServerPassword=... for the password players must enter and ?ServerAdminPassword=... for the administrator credential. The question mark separates each parameter in the launch string.
A concrete structure, with illustrative placeholder names still to be replaced, is:
ShooterGameServer.exe TheIsland?SessionName=<server_name>?ServerPassword=<join_password>?Port=<port>?QueryPort=<query_port>?MaxPlayers=<max_players>?ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password>Do not leave a literal placeholder in production. For example, replace <join_password> with the player password and <admin_password> with the administrator password, while preserving the parameter names exactly.
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Linux shell-script example
On Linux, use the equivalent launch command in a shell script in the server’s Linux binary directory. The setup guide identifies ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux; installations can show that directory beneath an additional ShooterGame/ level. Use the directory that contains the Linux server executable.
#!/bin/sh
./ShooterGameServer TheIsland?SessionName=<server_name>?ServerPassword=<join_password>?Port=<port>?QueryPort=<query_port>?MaxPlayers=<max_players>?ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password>Save the file as server_start.sh, then make it executable:
chmod +x server_start.shStart the script only after you have stopped the old server process. If your existing script already contains additional options, append the two password parameters rather than replacing unrelated settings.
Make the server open again
To remove the requirement for a player join password, delete the entire ?ServerPassword=... segment, including its leading question mark and the parameter name. Removing only the value or leaving an empty parameter can produce a different result from removing the option itself. Leaving ServerAdminPassword in place still protects administrative authentication; it does not make the server private.
Set passwords through GameUserSettings.ini
The server configuration reference defines these entries:
ServerPassword=<join_password>
ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password>Enter the values without quotation marks. The first value is required from players at join time; the second is used for administrator access through the in-game console.
Editing sequence
- Stop the ARK server process.
- Open the server’s
GameUserSettings.inifile using the editor supplied by your operating system or hosting panel. - Add or update
ServerPassword=with the player join password. - Add or update
ServerAdminPassword=with a different administrator password. - Save the file, close the editor, and start the server again.
- Test from a permitted player account before distributing the join password.
Where a control panel manages the file, use its configuration editor if it rewrites the file during a restart. Keep a private copy of the final values so a later rotation does not leave you locked out of administration.
Why an INI edit may appear to do nothing
A hosting control panel can write these settings into GameUserSettings.ini, while a custom startup command can supply the same setting separately. A command-line value may override or outlast the value in the INI file. Clearing ServerPassword in the file is therefore not sufficient if ?ServerPassword=... remains in the provider’s custom launch command.
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- The current
GameUserSettings.inientry. - The complete startup command or panel field that builds command-line arguments.
Authenticate as an administrator after connecting
Setting ServerAdminPassword does not automatically grant administrator status. First connect to the server as a normal player, open ARK’s in-game console, and enter:
enablecheats <admin_password>Replace <admin_password> with the exact value configured for ServerAdminPassword. After successful authentication, administrative commands can be used through the console according to the game’s command system. The join password and admin password are not interchangeable: entering the player password at this step will not authenticate administrative access unless both values happen to be the same, which is an unsafe configuration.
Test the configuration before sharing access
Test the player path
- Start the server after saving the launch command or INI changes.
- Use a permitted account that is not running as the server administrator.
- Attempt to join without entering a password. The server should require the configured join password.
- Enter the player password exactly as saved. Confirm that the account can connect.
- Try an intentionally incorrect password and confirm that the connection is rejected.
Test the administrator path
- Connect using the player join password.
- Open the in-game console.
- Run
enablecheats <admin_password>with the administrator value. - Verify that the intended administrative command is accepted.
- Close the console and keep the administrator value out of player-facing messages.
Test after a restart
Restart the server once more and repeat a join test. This catches panels that regenerate configuration files, scripts that omit newly added arguments, and command-line overrides that are only visible when the service starts.
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Troubleshoot a server that still accepts players
Only the admin password was configured
This is the most common explanation. ServerAdminPassword authenticates commands; it does not gate admission. Add ServerPassword to the launch command or set it in GameUserSettings.ini, then restart.
The join password was removed from the wrong place
If the INI entry is empty but players still encounter an old password—or the server behaves as though a password remains—inspect the custom startup command. A provider’s command-line setting can continue to supply ?ServerPassword=... even after the INI value has been cleared.
The parameter was deleted incompletely
When making the server open, remove the entire ?ServerPassword=... option. Leaving a fragment of the option in the command can prevent the server from interpreting the launch string as intended.
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Confirm that the file and startup script you changed belong to the instance that players are joining. On a managed service, check the active server profile or command-line field rather than a local copy. On a self-hosted machine, verify the process path and the directory from which the executable or script is launched.
The new values were never loaded
Stop the process before editing and start it again afterward. A running server may continue using the credentials loaded at startup. Perform the post-restart test instead of relying on a saved file alone.
Players are using an old credential
After a password rotation, tell players to discard saved connection details and use the new value. Test with a deliberately incorrect old value; if it still succeeds, return to the command-line and INI checks because the old setting remains active somewhere.
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Self-hosting and managed hosting: what changes
The password parameters are the same, but the place where you edit them depends on how the server is managed.
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|---|---|---|
| Startup arguments | You edit the Windows launch command or Linux shell script directly. | A control panel may expose a custom command field that adds or overrides arguments. |
GameUserSettings.ini |
You edit the file on the server machine. | The panel may write the file or provide an integrated editor. |
| Password rotation | Stop the process, edit the script or INI, then restart. | Change the panel setting and restart, while checking for a second command-line value. |
| Backup and recovery | You are responsible for keeping copies of the script and configuration. | Use the provider’s backup and restart workflow where available, but retain your own record of the intended values. |
| Platforms covered by the documented setup | Windows and Linux examples are provided. | Confirm that the service supports the ARK: Survival Evolved edition and exposes the needed password settings. |
For either model, the reliable procedure is the same: identify every source of startup settings, set distinct values, restart, and test both a normal join and administrative authentication.
Practical password-rotation procedure
Rotate the player password when the membership of a private server changes, and rotate the administrator password whenever someone who knew it should no longer have access.
- Tell active players that the server will be restarted.
- Stop the server cleanly.
- Generate two new, non-obvious values or choose replacements that are not reused elsewhere.
- Update
ServerPasswordandServerAdminPasswordin the active launch command, INI file, or both. - Check for duplicate values in a hosting panel’s custom command field.
- Start the server and test the new join password.
- Authenticate with
enablecheats <admin_password>to confirm the new admin value. - Distribute only the player password to players who should be admitted.
If the old player password still works, do not assume the rotation failed randomly. Find the second configuration source that is still supplying it, correct that source, restart, and repeat the negative test.
Common configuration mistakes to avoid
- Using one password for both roles: this gives every person who can join the information needed to attempt administrator authentication.
- Assuming an admin password makes a server private: admission is controlled by
ServerPassword. - Leaving quotation marks around values: the documented parameter syntax uses unquoted values.
- Editing only the INI file on a managed service: a command-line override may take precedence.
- Removing only the text after
ServerPassword=: make the server open by removing the complete?ServerPassword=...option. - Testing only one path: verify both a normal player join and
enablecheatsauthentication after every restart or rotation. - Changing a live process: stop the server first so the next startup loads the intended values.
Quick reference
| Goal | Action |
|---|---|
| Require a password to join | Add ?ServerPassword=<join_password> to the startup command or set ServerPassword=<join_password> in GameUserSettings.ini. |
| Enable administrator authentication | Add ?ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password> or set ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password>. |
| Use administrator commands | After connecting, run enablecheats <admin_password> in the in-game console. |
| Open the server to joins | Remove the complete ?ServerPassword=... option from the launch command, and remove the corresponding INI setting if present. |
| Resolve an old password that still works | Inspect both GameUserSettings.ini and the active provider or custom startup command, then restart. |
Bottom line
Password-protecting an ARK: Survival Evolved server requires the join setting, not just the admin setting. Configure ServerPassword for players, configure a separate ServerAdminPassword for administrators, and remember that either value may be supplied by a launch command, an INI file, or both. A stop-edit-start cycle followed by separate join and console tests is the dependable way to confirm that the protection is working.
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