Set the ARK: Survival Evolved welcome message in ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini (or the equivalent saved-configuration path for your operating system). Add a [MessageOfTheDay] section with Duration in seconds and a single-line Message; use n where the message should break onto a new line. Stop the server before editing, save the file, restart, and reconnect to verify it. On Nitrado, the same values are available in Settings → General, with direct file editing available in Expert Mode.
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What ARK’s Message of the Day does
ARK’s Message of the Day (MOTD) is the text shown to players when they join a dedicated server. It is useful for a short welcome, building rules, Discord instructions, wipe information, or a reminder about server-specific settings. Nitrado describes the feature as a message “broadcasted to players when they join your server” in its ARK Server Message of the Day – Guide, published February 25, 2023.
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Messagecontains the text players see.Durationcontrols how long the message remains visible, measured in seconds.
The ARK Official Community Wiki’s server-configuration reference documents a default duration of 20 seconds. You can replace that value with another integer to keep the notice on screen for a shorter or longer period.
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Before you edit: stop and back up the server
A running dedicated server can rewrite configuration files during shutdown or while settings are being saved. Stop it cleanly before changing the MOTD so your edit is not lost. Make a copy of GameUserSettings.ini before opening the original. A backup gives you a quick recovery path if a typo affects another setting in the same file.
- Use the server’s normal stop or shutdown control rather than terminating the process abruptly.
- Keep the backup outside the active configuration folder, and give it a recognizable name such as
GameUserSettings.ini.backup. - Edit only the MOTD section unless you intentionally need to change another server option.
Self-hosted server: edit GameUserSettings.ini
For a self-hosted Windows dedicated server, the usual path is:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.iniIf your server runs on another operating system, use that platform’s equivalent saved-configuration directory. The file name and section remain the important parts: GameUserSettings.ini and [MessageOfTheDay].
Step 1: Stop the dedicated server
Stop the server and wait until its process has fully closed. Editing while it is still running risks having the server write its previous contents back over your changes.
Step 2: Open the configuration file
Open the backed-up copy first if you want to prepare or review the change, then open the live GameUserSettings.ini in a plain-text editor. Do not use a word processor that adds rich-text formatting. INI settings rely on ordinary text, section headers, equals signs, and line endings.
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Step 3: Locate or create the MessageOfTheDay section
Search for this header:
[MessageOfTheDay]If the header already exists, edit its Duration and Message entries. If it is absent, add the section once, normally on its own lines near the other server settings:
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Duration=20
Message=Welcome to our ARK server!Do not create multiple [MessageOfTheDay] sections. Keeping one section avoids uncertainty about which duplicate value the server will read.
Step 4: Set the display duration
Enter an integer after Duration=. The number is seconds, not minutes. For the documented default, use:
Duration=20For a different display time, replace 20 with the number of seconds you want. Keep the value on the same line as the key and do not add a unit such as “sec” or “seconds.”
Step 5: Write the message on one INI line
The Message value is a single-line string in the configuration file. To show a line break to players, insert the two-character escape sequence n inside that value:
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- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game. Run too far and not only will you be exhausted, but you will also quickly get hungry and thirsty. Weather effects are based on real-world climates, and so you'll need to hide out from rain and snow, while making the most of sunny days
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[MessageOfTheDay]
Duration=20
Message=Welcome to our ARK server!nRead the rules in Discord before building.In this example, the file still has one physical line for Message; n tells ARK where to start the next displayed line. Do not press Enter in the middle of the value and do not replace the backslash-n sequence with an unescaped line break.
Step 6: Save without changing the file type
Save the file as GameUserSettings.ini. Confirm that your editor has not appended an extra extension such as .txt. If your editor offers an encoding choice, preserve the existing file format rather than converting the entire configuration unnecessarily.
Step 7: Start the server and reconnect
Start the dedicated server after saving. Join with a player account, or disconnect and reconnect if you were already online. The practical verification is a fresh join followed by checking both the wording and the time it remains visible.
Complete self-hosted example
This compact configuration gives a 20-second welcome with a second line directing players to your rules:
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[MessageOfTheDay]
Duration=20
Message=Welcome to our ARK server!nRead the rules in Discord before building.To change only the text, leave Duration=20 in place and replace the value after Message=. To change only the timing, leave the message untouched and replace the integer after Duration=. Keeping unrelated settings unchanged makes troubleshooting easier.
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- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety, and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes, and styles
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout
Nitrado-hosted server: use the control panel
Nitrado exposes the MOTD through ordinary server settings, so you do not have to open the file manager for a routine change. Stop the server first, then follow this path in the web interface:
- Stop the ARK server.
- Open Settings.
- Select General.
- Edit Message of the Day (MOTD) and its duration field.
- Click Save changes.
- Start the server.
- Join or reconnect to confirm the message and timing.
The panel fields represent the same two concepts as the INI entries: the message text and its duration. If you need direct control over the underlying configuration, Nitrado’s Expert Mode exposes GameUserSettings.ini; edit the [MessageOfTheDay] section there using the same syntax shown above.
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The choice is mainly about how you want to reach the same settings. Self-hosting gives direct access to the file; a managed panel can present separate fields and a built-in restart workflow.
| Task | Self-hosted dedicated server | Nitrado web interface |
|---|---|---|
| Where you edit the MOTD | GameUserSettings.ini in the server’s saved configuration directory |
Settings → General → Message of the Day (MOTD) |
| How duration is entered | Integer value after Duration=, measured in seconds |
Dedicated duration field alongside the MOTD setting |
| Direct INI access | Built in, because you manage the file | Available through Expert Mode |
| Change sequence | Stop, edit, save, start, reconnect | Stop, edit, save changes, start, reconnect |
Other hosting providers may use different labels, menu paths, or file managers. The verified Nitrado labels above should not be assumed to be identical elsewhere. Look for a general server-settings page, a message-of-the-day field, or an Expert/advanced configuration editor, and always stop the server before changing the file.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to format a useful MOTD
A MOTD is most effective when the first line tells a joining player where they are and the next line gives one actionable instruction. For example:
[MessageOfTheDay]
Duration=20
Message=Welcome to North Island PvE!nRead the rules in Discord before building.Use n to separate short lines rather than attempting to insert physical line breaks into the INI value. Keep the message focused on information a player needs at login: rules, support instructions, event timing, or a concise welcome. If you change the text frequently, retain a dated backup so you can restore the previous wording without reconstructing it.
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Troubleshooting when the MOTD does not appear
The old message still appears
- Confirm that you edited the live server’s
GameUserSettings.ini, not a local client file or a backup. - Check that the server was stopped before the edit and restarted afterward.
- Reconnect with a player account; changing the file does not retroactively update a message already shown in an existing session.
- Search the file for
[MessageOfTheDay]and remove accidental duplicate sections, keeping one authoritative section.
The message appears as one long line
Check that each intended break is written as the two-character sequence n inside the single-line Message value. Pressing Enter in the value creates a malformed multi-line entry instead of the documented line-break escape.
The duration is not what you expected
- Make sure
Durationcontains an integer and no unit text. - Remember that the value is seconds;
20means twenty seconds. - Restart the server after saving, then test with a fresh join.
The panel change did not take effect
On Nitrado, use Save changes after editing both fields, then start the stopped server. If you edited Expert Mode directly, verify the [MessageOfTheDay] section and use the same stop-save-start-reconnect sequence as a self-hosted installation.
Limits you should not assume
The available configuration references establish the section name, the two settings, the seconds unit, the documented 20-second default, and the n line-break escape. They do not establish a universal character limit, color-code syntax, hyperlink policy, or identical control-panel labels for every host and platform. Treat those behaviors as platform-specific rather than promising that any arbitrary formatting will work.
Verification checklist
Use this short checklist after every change:
- The server was stopped cleanly.
- A backup of
GameUserSettings.iniexists. - There is one
[MessageOfTheDay]section. Durationis an integer representing seconds.Messageis on one INI line.- Each intended displayed line break uses
n. - The file was saved with its
.ininame. - The server was started after saving.
- A player rejoined to check the text and timing.
Sources and configuration reference
The ARK Official Community Wiki’s current server-configuration reference documents [MessageOfTheDay], the Message and Duration keys, the seconds unit, the n line-break escape, and the 20-second default. Nitrado’s ARK Server Message of the Day – Guide, published February 25, 2023, documents the Settings → General workflow, the save-and-restart sequence, and Expert Mode access to GameUserSettings.ini.
Quick Recap
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