Set the ServerAdminPassword value, restart the ARK server, join it, open the in-game console, and run enablecheats <admin_password>. The administrator credential is separate from the ordinary player join password. On Nitrado, edit Settings → General → Base settings → Admin password, save, restart, then use the same command in game.
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What the ARK admin password does
ARK has two different password concepts that are easy to confuse:
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| Setting | Who uses it | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
ServerPassword |
Players joining a password-protected server | Controls entry to the server. It is optional. |
ServerAdminPassword |
The account that needs administrator access | Authenticates the in-game admin console after you run enablecheats. |
Changing the join password does not grant administrator privileges, and changing the admin password does not replace the password players use to connect. Treat the administrator value as a private credential: do not paste it into public chat, screenshots, support posts, or scripts shared with other players.
Set the password on a self-hosted dedicated server
On a server you operate yourself, add ServerAdminPassword to the server launch arguments or change the matching value in the configuration you already use. The value is a string and is entered without quotation marks.
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Windows launch command
A Windows batch file can use this pattern:
ShooterGameServer.exe TheIsland?SessionName=<server_name>?ServerPassword=<join_password>?Port=<port>?QueryPort=<query_port>?MaxPlayers=<max_players>?ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password>Replace each placeholder with the value for your server. For example, <admin_password> is the password you intend to type after enablecheats; it is not the player join password.
Linux launch command
A Linux shell script uses the same query-string options after the executable:
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches./ShooterGameServer TheIsland?SessionName=<server_name>?ServerPassword=<join_password>?Port=<port>?QueryPort=<query_port>?MaxPlayers=<max_players>?ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password>The map name, session name, ports, and player limit in these examples are parameters, not fixed requirements. Keep the values already used by your installation and add or replace only the administrator setting when that is all you need to change.
Running without a join password
ServerPassword is optional. If the server should not require a password for ordinary players, remove the entire ?ServerPassword=<join_password> option. Do not leave an empty option and assume it means “disabled”; remove the option itself while keeping ServerAdminPassword.
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ARK: Survival Ascended argument order
For ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA), the setup guidance includes an important ordering rule: when you use question-mark append syntax, ?ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password> must be the last argument. If another launch option follows it, ASA may parse that later text as part of the administrator password. Move the administrator option to the end of the query string, then restart before testing.
Changing an existing INI or script
If your server is already managed through an INI file, a startup script, or another local configuration, edit the existing administrator field rather than creating a second competing setting. Use the exact name ServerAdminPassword, enter the value without quotes, save the file, and restart the server. A running process will continue using the value it loaded at startup until it is restarted.
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Defining the value on disk or in a launch command is only the first part. The account playing on the server must authenticate in the client.
- Stop and start the server, or restart it, after saving the new value.
- Join that server with the account that should receive administrator access.
- Open the in-game console using the control for your platform and current game version.
- Enter
enablecheats <admin_password>, replacing the placeholder with the exact value configured on the server, and submit it. - Run an administrator command appropriate to your ARK edition and version to confirm that the console accepted the credential.
Do not include angle brackets when entering the password. If the configured value is ExamplePrivateValue, the command would be enablecheats ExamplePrivateValue. Use the exact capitalization and characters you saved; the command is not a request to enter the ordinary player password.
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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
- 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!)
- Gather Resources, 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 style of everything from the walls of your home, to your character's armor, weapons and more
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Opening the console on common platforms
| Platform | Documented console or admin access control | What to enter |
|---|---|---|
| PC | Press Tab to open the console. | Type enablecheats <admin_password>. |
| PlayStation 4 | Press L1 + R1 + Square + Triangle. The documented admin-bar flow may show a password field and a Request Admin action. | Follow the current client prompt; the PS4 instructions describe entering only the password in the admin bar before selecting Request Admin. |
| Xbox One | Press LB + RB + X + Y. | Enter enablecheats <admin_password> in the console. |
Key combinations and labels can vary with the platform and game version. If the listed combination does not open a console, use the controls shown by the current client rather than changing the server password repeatedly. The authentication value remains the one configured as ServerAdminPassword.
Set the admin password on a Nitrado-hosted server
Nitrado exposes the administrator value in its web control panel instead of requiring you to edit a local launch file.
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- Open Settings and choose General.
- Under Base settings, locate Admin password.
- Replace the generated value with a strong, private password.
- Select Save changes.
- Start or restart the server so it loads the saved setting.
- Join the server, open the in-game console, and enter
enablecheats youradminpassword, substituting the value you saved.
The panel’s Admin password field corresponds to the dedicated-server administrator credential. It is not the same field as the normal server or player join password. Saving without restarting leaves the already-running server using its previous configuration, so test only after the restart has completed.
Using an Admins or Steam64-ID allowlist instead
Nitrado also documents an Admins setting where you can add Steam64 IDs. Users on that allowlist are authorized directly and, according to the provider’s instructions, do not need to enter the admin password. Save the ID configuration and restart the server before testing it. This approach is useful when you want named accounts authorized without distributing a shared password; it does not remove the need to keep any configured administrator password private.
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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
Self-hosted versus managed-panel workflows
| Decision point | Self-hosted dedicated server | Nitrado-managed server |
|---|---|---|
| Where the value is edited | Launch command, batch/shell script, or the existing INI configuration; use ServerAdminPassword. |
Web panel: Settings → General → Base settings → Admin password. |
| Who applies the change | You edit the configuration and restart the server process. | You save the panel field and start or restart the server from the panel. |
| Argument-order concern | On ASA question-mark syntax, put ServerAdminPassword last. |
The panel presents a field, so there is no launch-string ordering to edit manually. |
| Allowlist option documented here | Not established by the cited setup instructions. | An Admins setting can accept Steam64 IDs; listed users do not need to enter the password. |
| In-game activation | Join the server, open the platform’s console, and authenticate with enablecheats <admin_password>, unless an allowlisted account is being authorized through the provider workflow. |
|
The documented material describes configuration and access procedures, not pricing, server performance, or update guarantees. Choose the workflow that matches who controls the files and restarts: local operators manage those tasks on a self-hosted server, while a managed panel supplies the fields and controls.
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Why enablecheats does not work
Work through these checks in order. Each one addresses a different failure point, so changing several settings at once can make the cause harder to identify.
You changed the player password instead of the admin password
Verify that the edited field or launch option is ServerAdminPassword. ServerPassword only protects server entry. On Nitrado, return to Settings → General → Base settings and use Admin password, not the ordinary join-password field.
The server was not restarted
Saving a script, INI value, or panel field does not retroactively change the running process. Stop and start, or restart, the server after the edit. Then join a fresh session and test the command again.
The value was entered with quotes or a typo
The configuration reference treats ServerAdminPassword as a string without quotes. Compare the saved value character by character with the text after enablecheats. Remove quotation marks from both the launch setting and the command if you added them while copying.
The ASA launch string has another option after the password
Inspect the complete question-mark argument string. On ASA, move ?ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password> to the final position. Restart after correcting the order; otherwise the server can interpret subsequent options as part of the password.
The console is not actually open
Use the control for the platform and version you are playing. PC uses Tab; the documented PS4 combination is L1 + R1 + Square + Triangle; Xbox One uses LB + RB + X + Y. On PS4, the client may show an admin bar where you enter only the password and choose Request Admin, rather than typing the full command in a text console.
An Admins/Steam64-ID entry was not applied
If you are relying on Nitrado’s allowlist, confirm that the correct Steam64 ID was saved in Admins and restart the server. An unsaved ID or a server that has not reloaded the setting will not receive the documented direct authorization.
You are testing the wrong server or account
Complete the sequence with the account that should receive access and confirm that the joined session is the server you restarted. The password is validated by the server process that loaded the setting; entering it while connected elsewhere cannot grant access to the intended instance.
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Safe operating practices
- Keep the administrator credential different from the player join password.
- Use a strong private value and limit it to people who actually administer the server.
- Do not publish the value in screenshots, public posts, shared scripts, or chat logs.
- When sharing a startup example, replace the real value with a placeholder such as
<admin_password>. - After changing the value, restart the server and verify access with the account and platform that will administer it.
- If you use the Nitrado Steam64-ID allowlist, maintain the saved IDs deliberately and restart after changes.
Quick reference
| Task | Correct action |
|---|---|
| Define administrator access on a dedicated server | Set ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password> in the launch/configuration value, without quotes. |
| Define it on Nitrado | Use Settings → General → Base settings → Admin password, then save and restart. |
| Authenticate in game | Run enablecheats <admin_password> after joining the server. |
| Disable the ordinary join password | Remove the complete ?ServerPassword=<join_password> option; keep the admin option. |
| Fix ASA parsing problems | Make ServerAdminPassword the final question-mark launch argument. |
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