To require a password when players join an ARK: Survival Ascended dedicated server, set ServerPassword in the server’s [ServerSettings] configuration section, save it, and restart the server. On Nitrado, stop the server, enter the value in Settings → General, save, and restart. ServerAdminPassword is a separate credential for administrator access; it does not prevent ordinary players from joining.
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Which ARK password controls player access?
ARK: Survival Ascended has two settings that are easy to confuse:
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match| Setting | What it does | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
ServerPassword |
Requires a password before a player can join the server. | Every player you allow to enter. |
ServerAdminPassword |
Provides the credential used to obtain administrator access after connecting. | Server owners and trusted administrators. |
Use ServerPassword when your goal is to keep a server private or limited to a group. Use ServerAdminPassword only for admin commands. Setting an admin password alone will not stop unknown players from joining.
What you need before changing the setting
- Access to the active ARK: Survival Ascended server, either through a managed control panel or the machine that hosts the dedicated server.
- Permission to stop and start the server. Configuration changes normally take effect only after a restart.
- The join password you intend to distribute. Share it privately with the players who should have access.
- A way to identify the active configuration file if you edit files directly. A host can have more than one server installation or save location.
The available configuration documentation does not establish password-length, character, or validation rules. Do not promise players that a particular format is required or accepted beyond what your host and server actually confirm.
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Set the join password in the Nitrado panel
Nitrado’s web interface exposes common ARK: Survival Ascended settings without requiring you to locate the underlying file. Follow these steps for the specific server you want to protect.
- Sign in to the Nitrado panel and open the ARK: Survival Ascended server.
- Stop the server. Editing while it is running can leave the old configuration active or allow the service to overwrite your change.
- Open Settings → General.
- Find the server-password field and enter the exact value players must type to join. This field corresponds to
ServerPassword, not the administrator-password field. - Save the settings.
- Start or restart the server. Wait until the panel reports that it is running before testing a connection.
- Give the join password only to the intended players. They should enter it when the game prompts for the server password.
If the panel presents both server and administrator password fields, label your own notes clearly so the two credentials are not exchanged. The server-password field is the one that gates entry.
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Edit GameUserSettings.ini directly
Direct editing is useful for a self-hosted installation or a host that gives you file access. The dedicated-server configuration file is:
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ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.iniOn Nitrado, the documented directory begins with …/arksa/, followed by that same ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer path. A different host or installation can place the server elsewhere, so use the path supplied for your installation and make sure you are editing the active instance.
Procedure
- Stop the dedicated server cleanly.
- Open the active
GameUserSettings.inifile in a plain-text editor. - Find the
[ServerSettings]section. If it is absent, create that section on its own line. - Add or edit the setting so it appears under that section:
[ServerSettings]
ServerPassword=ReplaceWithYourJoinPassword- Replace
ReplaceWithYourJoinPasswordwith the value players should enter. Do not leave the example text in place. - Save the file as plain text, preserving the
.iniextension. - Start or restart the dedicated server.
- Test from a player account that is not using administrator credentials. The connection should request the join password.
If ServerPassword already exists, change its value rather than adding several copies. Keeping one active entry makes it clear which value the server should read.
How to confirm the setting is in the right place
A password can appear to be configured while the server continues accepting unprompted connections when the wrong file, section, or server instance was edited. Check each of these points in order:
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- Correct server: Verify that the panel or folder belongs to the server players are joining, not another map, profile, or installation.
- Correct file: Use the active
GameUserSettings.iniunderShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer, or the host’s documented equivalent. - Correct section: The line must be under
[ServerSettings]. A line placed in another section may not be read as a server setting. - Correct spelling: Use
ServerPasswordexactly.ServerAdminPasswordserves a different purpose. - Saved change: Reopen the file or panel after saving and confirm that the value is still present.
- Restart completed: Stop and start the server after saving. A running process can continue using its previous configuration.
Troubleshoot a server that still lets anyone join
The admin password was set instead
This is the most common mistake. ServerAdminPassword authenticates administrative access; it is not a lobby or connection password. Add or correct ServerPassword and restart.
The panel change was made on a running server
Stop the server before editing, save the setting, and restart it. If the panel has separate save and restart controls, perform both actions rather than assuming that leaving the page applies the change.
The wrong configuration file was edited
Hosts can expose several directories, and a machine can contain multiple server instances. Compare the server name, profile, port, or other identifying details with the instance your players actually use. Apply the setting through that instance’s panel or active file.
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The line is outside the server-settings section
Move the entry below [ServerSettings]. Keep the section header and setting on separate lines, for example:
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ServerPassword=YourPrivateJoinPasswordThe old process is still running
A restart that only refreshes a web page is not enough. Confirm that the server process has stopped and then started again. Test after the server is fully online.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot connection failures after enabling a password
Players do not know which credential to enter
Tell them to use the join password represented by ServerPassword. Do not send the administrator credential. Keep those values different so a shared player password cannot also grant admin access.
The password was changed but an old value is being used
Distribute the new value through your private group channel and stop sharing the old one. A player who continues entering the previous value will not authenticate with the replacement.
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The server does not prompt as expected
Recheck the active file or panel field, then perform a full stop and restart. If the setting is present and the restarted instance still behaves differently, consult the host’s configuration and startup documentation; the exact layout and launch process vary between providers.
A player can join but cannot administer the server
That is expected when only ServerPassword is configured. Administrative access requires the separate ServerAdminPassword credential and the appropriate in-game admin procedure.
Change or remove the password
Change it
- Stop the server.
- In Nitrado, open Settings → General; in a self-hosted installation, open the active
GameUserSettings.ini. - Replace the existing
ServerPasswordvalue with the new value. - Save the panel setting or file.
- Restart the server and send the new value only to the intended players.
Remove the join requirement
- Stop the server.
- Remove the
ServerPasswordentry from the[ServerSettings]section, or clear the corresponding panel field if the host documents that as the removal method. - Save and restart.
Removing the option means the server has no configured join password. It does not remove ServerAdminPassword; that administrator credential is managed separately.
Managed panel or direct file editing?
| Consideration | Managed panel | Direct file edit |
|---|---|---|
| Where you work | Web interface, typically under Settings → General. | The server’s active GameUserSettings.ini. |
| Finding the path | The provider identifies the configuration location. | You must locate the correct installation and instance. |
| Restart process | Stop and start controls are provided in the panel. | You must stop and launch the dedicated server correctly. |
| Control over other settings | Convenient for options exposed by the provider. | Full access to settings represented in the file. |
| Best fit | Owners who want guided changes and managed infrastructure. | Administrators who control the host and need direct configuration access. |
Neither method changes what the setting means: ServerPassword gates player entry, while ServerAdminPassword grants administrative access.
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Security practices for a private ASA server
- Use a join password that is not the same as the administrator password.
- Share the join password through a private channel rather than a public server listing or open chat.
- Change the join password when someone who should no longer have access knows it.
- After every change, restart the server and test with a normal player account.
- Keep a record of which server instance and configuration file you changed, especially when one machine hosts multiple servers.
- Back up the configuration before making direct edits so you can restore the previous settings if another change causes a startup problem.
Quick verification checklist
ServerPasswordis present, not onlyServerAdminPassword.- The entry is under
[ServerSettings]. - The value is the password you intend to distribute.
- The panel change or file edit was saved.
- The correct server instance was stopped and restarted.
- A test player receives the join-password prompt and can connect with the current value.
- An administrator uses the separate admin credential only when admin access is required.
The Bottom Line
Put ServerPassword=YourJoinPassword under [ServerSettings] in the active GameUserSettings.ini, or set the equivalent server-password field in Nitrado’s Settings → General page. Save, restart the server, and keep that credential separate from ServerAdminPassword.
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