Set the schedule with AutoSavePeriodMinutes in GameUserSettings.ini, inside the [ServerSettings] section. Enter the interval in minutes, save the file, and restart the server so the running instance loads it. On a Nitrado server, the documented file path is arkse/ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini; the provider also offers a custom setting editor in its control panel.
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What controls ARK’s automatic save interval?
The setting that controls recurring world saves is AutoSavePeriodMinutes. Its value is measured in minutes and belongs in GameUserSettings.ini under [ServerSettings]. A valid entry looks like this:
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[ServerSettings]
AutoSavePeriodMinutes=15.0The key is case-sensitive in practice because configuration tools and templates may look for the exact spelling. Do not put it in Game.ini or under [SessionSettings]; those are different configuration locations.
The ARK Official Community Wiki’s server-configuration reference lists 15.0 as the reference default. A Nitrado official template shows AutoSavePeriodMinutes=30.000000 instead (Nitrado’s template page). Those values do not establish one universal default for every host or installation. Treat the value already present in your active configuration as the starting point.
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Before changing the file
Changing an INI file while the server is actively writing it can cause your edit to be overwritten or leave you unsure which value the process loaded. Follow the host’s normal administration workflow first.
- Stop the server or take it safely offline. Use the stop/restart controls supplied by your host, or the normal service-management procedure for a self-hosted installation.
- Identify the active instance. If you run multiple maps, profiles, or installations, make sure you are editing the configuration used by the instance players actually join.
- Keep a copy of the original file. Save the unedited
GameUserSettings.inisomewhere outside the server’s configuration directory. This gives you a known rollback point if a panel or startup script rewrites the file. - Record the current value. Knowing whether the server started at
15.0,30.000000, or another value makes later troubleshooting much easier.
An autosave interval is not a substitute for a backup plan. A recurring world save writes the current state to the server’s save data; it does not by itself create an off-site copy with independent retention.
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Self-hosted installations can use different operating systems, launch scripts, SteamCMD layouts, and management tools, so the exact absolute path is installation-dependent. The reliable target is the saved configuration directory for the running ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated server, with GameUserSettings.ini edited under [ServerSettings].
- Stop the dedicated server. Use the service manager, container/orchestration tool, or launch script that normally controls your instance. Wait until the server process has exited before editing.
- Open the active configuration directory. Locate the instance’s
ShooterGame/Saved/Configtree. Windows installations commonly use aWindowsServersubdirectory; Linux layouts use the directory created by that installation and launch tooling. - Open
GameUserSettings.ini. If the file already contains a[ServerSettings]heading, edit that section. If the heading is absent, add it once, then place the setting below it. - Add or change the key. Enter one line in the exact form
AutoSavePeriodMinutes=<minutes>. For example,AutoSavePeriodMinutes=15.0. Remove duplicate copies of the key so there is only one value for the active section. - Save the file as plain text. Preserve the
.iniextension and avoid accidentally creatingGameUserSettings.ini.txt. Keep the surrounding section headers and unrelated settings intact. - Start or restart the server. The running process must load the edited file. If your management tool provides a scheduled-save or restart workflow, allow it to complete before players reconnect.
- Confirm persistence. After startup, reopen the file or management panel and check that the value is still present. Watch the server’s ordinary save messages or save timestamps over a normal interval before relying on the new schedule.
The dedicated-server setup reference describes INI-based server configuration and notes that server-management tools can provide scheduled save backups. Those backup functions are separate from the in-game autosave timer.
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Set the interval on a Nitrado server
Nitrado documents two ways to change ARK: Survival Evolved settings: its custom setting editor and the file browser. The panel is convenient when you want the provider to handle section placement and syntax; the file route is useful when you need to inspect the actual INI.
Use the custom setting editor
- Open the ARK: Survival Evolved server in the Nitrado control panel.
- Open the provider’s custom setting editor for the server configuration.
- Find the server-settings entry for
AutoSavePeriodMinutes, or add it under the server-settings area if the editor permits custom keys. - Enter the interval in minutes, such as
15.0, and use the panel’s save control. - Restart the server from the panel. Nitrado’s documentation identifies the restart as the step that loads configuration changes.
- Return to the editor after startup and verify that the value remains unchanged.
Edit the INI through the file browser
Nitrado’s documented path is:
arkse/ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini- Stop the server in the Nitrado panel.
- Open the file browser and navigate through
arkse,ShooterGame,Saved,Config, andWindowsServer. - Open
GameUserSettings.iniand locate[ServerSettings]. - Add or edit
AutoSavePeriodMinutes=15.0, replacing15.0with the interval you have chosen. - Choose Save changes in the panel.
- Restart the server and wait for it to become available.
- Reopen the file or panel to ensure the setting survived the restart.
These navigation labels and the restart requirement come from Nitrado’s ARK configuration guide. If your panel layout differs, use the equivalent configuration editor and confirm that it writes to the active server profile.
Choose an autosave interval without guessing at performance
A shorter interval narrows the amount of progress that could be lost if the process crashes between saves, but it causes save operations more often. A longer interval reduces how frequently the server writes while increasing the possible rollback window. The available documentation does not publish a universal performance benchmark or a safe minimum that applies to every ARK build, map, mod collection, player count, and host.
| Configuration value | Where it is documented | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
15.0 |
ARK Official Community Wiki server-configuration reference | Reference default listed by the wiki; use it as a starting point, not a guarantee for every provider. |
30.000000 |
Nitrado official save-game server-setting template | Provider/template value that demonstrates why defaults can differ between installations. |
Start with the value already present in your own configuration unless you have a clear reason to change it. If you do change it, alter one variable at a time, restart, and observe the server under its normal player and mod load. Check logs, save timestamps, and player-reported stability rather than assuming that a particular number is optimal.
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- Prioritize a smaller rollback window when recovering lost progress would be especially disruptive and your observations show the server remains stable.
- Favor less frequent writes when your own monitoring shows save operations coincide with unacceptable stalls, while accepting that more progress can be lost between saves.
- Keep the change reversible. Record the old value and restore it if the new schedule produces instability or does not match your operational needs.
Do not describe an interval as universally “safe” without testing the exact server environment. The number alone cannot account for map size, mods, storage performance, concurrent activity, or host configuration.
How to verify that scheduled saves are working
Seeing the key in an editor proves only that a file contains the value. Verification should establish that the active process loaded it and is performing normal saves.
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- Check the post-restart file. Reopen the active
GameUserSettings.inior panel and confirm the key is still under[ServerSettings]. - Confirm the correct profile. Match the map, server name, instance identifier, and configuration directory with the one used by the launch command or host panel.
- Observe normal save evidence. Use the server console, log output, or save timestamps available in your setup. Look for the ordinary save activity recurring at approximately the configured cadence; it may not occur at an exact wall-clock second.
- Test during a controlled session. Make a harmless change in a safe area, allow the expected save opportunity, and then perform the normal reconnect or restart check used by your administration process.
- Monitor after players return. A setting can persist while another startup component later overrides it. Check the file and logs again after the next routine restart or maintenance cycle.
Use normal operational evidence rather than forcing a crash or abrupt shutdown as a test. A controlled verification avoids creating the data loss the autosave is intended to reduce.
Troubleshoot an interval that does not stick
The key is missing after you add it
- Confirm the line is in
GameUserSettings.ini, notGame.ini. - Confirm it is below
[ServerSettings], not[SessionSettings]. - Check the spelling and capitalization:
AutoSavePeriodMinutes. - Remove duplicate entries and leave one authoritative line.
- Save the file through the host’s own save control when using a panel editor.
The value is present but behavior does not change
- Restart the server after saving. Nitrado explicitly documents restart as the load step.
- Verify that the edited file belongs to the active map, profile, and server instance.
- Check whether a startup script, container environment, configuration-management tool, or panel override regenerates the INI at launch.
- Inspect logs or save timestamps over a long enough period to distinguish a missed observation from a real scheduling problem.
The value reverts after a restart
A reverting value usually indicates that another system is writing the file. Compare the file immediately before shutdown, immediately after startup, and after any scheduled maintenance. Review provider templates, startup arguments, automation scripts, and panel overrides. On a managed service, make the change in the provider’s supported editor or identify which source has priority before repeatedly editing the generated file.
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- 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
The server will not start after the edit
- Restore the backup copy of
GameUserSettings.iniand start the server to confirm that the edit caused the problem. - Check for a malformed section header, accidental quotation marks, duplicate keys, or a file saved with the wrong extension or encoding.
- Reapply only the single setting line under
[ServerSettings], save it as plain text, and restart. - If the service still fails, use the host’s logs and normal support process; do not keep changing unrelated settings at the same time.
Players report lost progress despite a configured interval
First establish whether the world was saved on schedule by checking logs or timestamps. If saves occurred, the loss may involve a crash, corruption, a rollback to an earlier world copy, or a separate restore procedure rather than the timer itself. If no saves occurred, revisit the active profile, restart status, spelling, and any process that overwrites the configuration.
Autosaves and backups solve different problems
AutoSavePeriodMinutes schedules recurring saves of the running world. It does not define where independent copies are stored, how long they are retained, whether they are off-site, or how you restore one after corruption. A backup system can preserve earlier versions; an autosave mainly limits the time since the latest save of the current world.
The dedicated-server setup documentation references scheduled save-backup features in server-management tooling (server setup reference). Configure and test that backup mechanism separately from the INI timer. A useful operational plan records the backup location, retention period, restore procedure, and the person responsible for checking that backup jobs actually complete.
Self-hosted versus managed configuration
| Area | Self-hosted server | Managed server panel |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration access | Edit the active installation’s GameUserSettings.ini under [ServerSettings]. |
Use the provider’s custom setting editor or its file browser; Nitrado documents both routes. |
| Path | Depends on the operating system, installation directory, and launch tooling. | Nitrado documents arkse/ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini. |
| Applying a change | Save the file and restart through the service, container, or launch procedure that owns the instance. | Choose the panel’s save control, then restart the server from the panel. |
| Override risk | Startup scripts, containers, or configuration-management tools may regenerate the file. | Provider templates or panel overrides may replace manual edits. |
| Backup tooling | Choose and test your own scheduled-save backup or off-site process. | Use the host’s available backup features, but verify retention and restoration independently. |
The setting name and section do not change merely because the server is hosted elsewhere; what changes is who controls the file path, editor, restart process, and possible overrides.
Operational checklist
- Stop or safely take the server offline.
- Open the active
GameUserSettings.ini. - Place one
AutoSavePeriodMinutesline under[ServerSettings]. - Use a deliberate minute value and record the previous value.
- Save through the file system or provider panel.
- Restart the server so the process loads the edit.
- Reopen the file or panel and confirm the value persisted.
- Watch ordinary save logs or timestamps.
- Maintain independent backups with a tested restore path.
Following this sequence keeps the configuration change, the restart that activates it, and the verification evidence tied to the same server instance.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly does AutoSavePeriodMinutes go?
Put one line such as AutoSavePeriodMinutes=15.0 in GameUserSettings.ini, directly under the [ServerSettings] section.
Does changing the value require a restart?
Yes. Save the file or panel change, then restart the server; Nitrado’s documented workflow uses the restart to load the new configuration.
Why do I see 15.0 in one place and 30.000000 in another?
The ARK Official Community Wiki lists 15.0 as a reference default, while a Nitrado template contains 30.000000. Provider templates and existing installations can therefore differ.
Is an autosave the same as a backup?
No. Autosave writes the current world on a schedule. Separate backup tooling is needed for independent copies, retention, off-site storage, and restoration.
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