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You can move an ARK survivor, items, and tamed creatures between compatible servers by uploading them at an Obelisk or another supported terminal, joining the destination server, and downloading them there. That answers the common questions “How do I transfer my character and dinos between ARK servers?” and “Can I move my survivor to another map?” The important conditions are server compatibility, available transfer terminals, upload limits, cooldowns, and—on unofficial clusters—correct administrator configuration.
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If a dinosaur seems to disappear, it is usually still in the uploaded creature list, blocked by a foreign-dino setting, held on a different cluster, or unavailable because a server cooldown or rule prevents downloading it. The procedure below shows how to check each point without risking a valuable tame.
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What an ARK server transfer actually moves
CrossARK Transfers are ARK’s built-in mechanism for moving a survivor, stored items, and tamed creatures from one ARK to another ARK. The official community reference describes it as the mechanism that lets players transfer “their survivor, items and tames from one ARK to another ARK.” See the CrossARK Transfers reference for the game’s terminology.
The process is deliberately split into uploads and downloads:
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- Survivor upload: Your character is placed in transfer storage and removed from the current session until you download that survivor on another server.
- Item upload: Transferable items are placed in the terminal’s ARK Data inventory rather than being assumed to follow whatever is in your character’s normal inventory.
- Creature upload: A tame is selected in the terminal’s creature interface and stored for later download.
- Destination download: After joining the target server, you download the survivor first, then retrieve items and creatures from a compatible terminal.
Uploading is not the same as teleporting a live character between maps. You must complete the upload at the source, connect to the destination, and perform the corresponding download there.
Check compatibility before you upload anything
Official servers: match the game mode
For official transfers, the destination must be an Official Server using the same game mode. A PvP survivor should be transferred to another PvP destination, while a PvE survivor should use a PvE destination. Selecting a destination outside that rule can leave the intended download option unavailable.
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Confirm the destination’s map, region, platform grouping, and mode in the server browser before opening the terminal. If you are moving several players, have everyone verify the destination independently; a single player choosing a different mode can strand that survivor in transfer storage until a valid destination is selected.
Unofficial servers: verify the cluster, not just the map name
Unofficial dynamic travel depends on the server administrator. At least two servers must use the same clusterid and a shared storage location configured with ClusterDirOverride. The official configuration reference states that dynamic Cross-ARK travel requires servers with the same cluster ID and cluster directory; read the server configuration reference when checking those settings.
Ask the administrator for all of the following before uploading:
- The exact cluster ID used by both servers.
- The shared cluster-directory location and whether both machines can read and write it.
- Whether the destination is currently online and accepting transfers.
- Whether foreign dinosaur downloads are enabled.
- Any custom item, creature, level, or cooldown restrictions.
A server can have a familiar map name and still be outside your cluster. If the cluster ID or shared directory differs, the destination will not see the uploaded survivor or creatures even though the upload appeared to complete normally.
Where to start a transfer
Use an Obelisk whenever possible. Official servers may also provide transfer access through a Supply Crate, another supported Terminal, or a Tek Transmitter. The Obelisk reference and the Red Obelisk reference describe the terminal interface and its transfer role.
Before opening the interface, move your survivor to a safe location. A terminal near an enemy base, a dangerous spawn area, or an active event is a poor place to begin because the survivor will no longer be present in the world once the upload is confirmed.
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Step-by-step: move your survivor, items, and dinos
1. Prepare the source character
Put away anything you do not intend to transfer and make a written or screenshot inventory of valuable equipment, saddles, blueprints, and tame names. Preparation matters because transfer storage is separate from your normal character inventory.
- Record the destination server name and map.
- Check that the destination is the same official game mode, or that an administrator has confirmed the unofficial cluster.
- Remove items that the server rules prohibit from transfer.
- Check the destination’s available transfer limits and any active creature cooldown before selecting a large group.
- Keep an alternative way to contact the server administrator if an unofficial transfer fails.
2. Reach a supported terminal
Open an Obelisk, Supply Crate, Terminal, or Tek Transmitter that exposes the transfer controls for your server type. The labels can differ slightly between maps and versions, but the interface normally offers a travel or survivor-upload control plus separate ARK Data and creature tabs.
3. Upload the survivor
Choose Travel to another server when the cluster presents a server-selection flow. In single-player, the corresponding control is commonly labeled Upload survivor. Read the confirmation prompt carefully and only accept it after checking the destination.
Once accepted, the survivor is removed from the current session. You cannot continue playing that character on the source map while it waits in transfer storage. If you cancel before confirmation, the survivor remains where it was; after confirmation, complete the destination download rather than closing the game and assuming the character is still active.
4. Place items in ARK Data
Open the terminal’s ARK Data inventory and move each transferable item into it. Do not rely on the character inventory, a tame’s inventory, or a platform saddle inventory to follow automatically. Check the ARK Data list after moving the items and leave the terminal only when every intended stack is visible there.
Items may be subject to server rules. A server can restrict particular resources, equipment, blueprints, or event items, so an item that is visible in your source inventory is not automatically guaranteed to be downloadable on the destination.
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Open the terminal’s creature interface, select the tame you want to move, and use the upload control. Verify the creature’s name, species, level, saddle status, and inventory before confirming. Uploading a creature transfers the tame itself; it does not mean every item inside its inventory will be moved, so collect important contents and place them in ARK Data separately.
Upload a small test tame first when using an unfamiliar unofficial cluster. A successful test confirms that the servers can see one another before you commit a high-level breeding line or a creature carrying irreplaceable equipment.
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6. Join the destination server
Select the target server or map from the travel flow. When the destination offers character creation or the initial join screen, choose Download Survivor rather than creating a new character. Select the survivor you uploaded from the list and confirm the download.
If the uploaded survivor is not listed, stop at this point. Creating a replacement character can make it harder to distinguish a cluster problem from a normal new-character flow. Recheck the destination mode, cluster ID, and shared directory with the administrator first.
7. Download items and creatures
After the survivor loads into the destination, travel to an Obelisk or another terminal that provides transfer storage. Open ARK Data and download the stored items. Then open the creature tab, select each uploaded tame, and choose the download option.
Download creatures into a secure area with enough room for them to materialize. Have saddles, cryopods if your server rules require them, food, and a safe enclosure ready before you release a valuable tame. Do not log out while a creature is still waiting in transfer storage unless the server administrator confirms that the storage persists safely.
8. Verify the arrival before you leave the terminal
Check the survivor’s level, engrams, and inventory. Then verify every item, saddle, creature name, level, health, and inventory. Compare the result with the list or screenshots you made before uploading.
- Confirm that all intended ARK Data stacks were downloaded.
- Confirm that each tame appears in the destination creature inventory before downloading another group.
- Check saddles and creature inventories separately; they are not guaranteed to travel with the creature upload.
- Keep the destination coordinates and server name in your notes so you can identify the correct cluster if support is needed.
Published limits, timers, and settings
Transfer capacity is not unlimited. The Obelisk reference records the following values in its patch 246.0 documentation:
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors| Transfer element | Published value | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Item stacks per upload | 50 | Obelisk reference, patch 246.0 documentation |
| Dinosaurs per upload | 20 | Obelisk reference, patch 246.0 documentation |
| Official creature re-upload cooldown | 43,200 seconds (12 hours) | Server configuration reference; applies to the official setting documented there |
These are reference values, not a promise that every current server uses them unchanged. Server configuration, game version, map, and hosted-rule changes can alter capacity or timing. Check the live rules for the server you are using before uploading valuable creatures, especially when a cooldown could prevent an immediate correction.
The configuration reference also lists CrossARKAllowForeignDinoDownloads, which defaults to False. When that setting blocks foreign creatures, a tame uploaded from outside the server’s accepted origin can remain unavailable even though the survivor transfer succeeded.
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Official and unofficial transfers compared
| Aspect | Official servers | Unofficial dynamic cluster |
|---|---|---|
| Destination rule | Download to an Official Server using the same game mode, such as PvP to PvP or PvE to PvE. | Both servers must be configured as one cluster with matching clusterid and shared ClusterDirOverride storage. |
| Typical transfer path | Use an Obelisk; official servers may also expose Supply Crates, Terminals, or Tek Transmitters. | Use the terminals and travel flow enabled by the administrator across the clustered servers. |
| Who controls restrictions | Official server rules and the game’s current configuration determine availability. | The server administrator controls cluster storage, transfer permissions, and custom restrictions. |
| Foreign-dino handling | Subject to the destination server’s transfer rules. | Subject to the administrator’s CrossARKAllowForeignDinoDownloads setting and related rules. |
Manual upload and download gives you explicit control over what leaves the source and what enters the destination. Dynamic travel is more convenient when the cluster is correctly configured, but it adds a dependency on shared storage, matching identifiers, and administrator settings. In either model, the safest habit is to confirm that stored data is visible on the destination before abandoning the source session.
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Use the following checks in order. Avoid uploading another copy or breeding a replacement until you know whether the original is still stored.
The creature is not visible in the destination creature tab
Confirm that you joined the intended server and opened a terminal connected to the same transfer storage. On an unofficial cluster, ask the administrator to compare the source and destination clusterid and ClusterDirOverride values. A mismatch can make the creature appear to vanish because the destination is reading a different storage location.
The survivor arrived, but the tame is blocked
Ask whether CrossARKAllowForeignDinoDownloads is enabled. Its documented default is False, so a server can accept the survivor while refusing a creature uploaded from another server or cluster. The administrator must confirm the setting and any whitelist or origin rule before you attempt another download.
The creature was uploaded recently and cannot be uploaded again
Check for an active creature re-upload cooldown. The timer is a server rule, and its duration can differ when configuration or version changes. Wait for the cooldown to expire or ask the administrator whether an approved setting or support procedure applies; repeatedly uploading the same tame will not bypass the timer.
The creature was never actually uploaded
Return to the source terminal if the survivor is still there, open the creature tab, and verify that the tame is listed in transfer storage rather than in the source world. A creature left in a cryopod, on a platform, or in another inventory was not necessarily uploaded through the creature interface.
The creature arrived without its saddle or inventory
Check ARK Data separately. Creature uploads and item uploads use different parts of the terminal, so a tame can arrive while its saddle, armor, resources, or blueprints remain in source storage. Download the item stacks from ARK Data before assuming the creature was damaged or reset.
The destination cannot offer a download option
Recheck the official mode requirement or the unofficial cluster configuration. On official play, a PvP/PvE mismatch is enough to invalidate the destination. On unofficial play, a server can be online yet still be outside the cluster because its identifier or shared directory is different.
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Why is my survivor missing after I transfer?
Do not create a new survivor immediately. First return to the destination’s join flow and look specifically for Download Survivor. If the list is empty, verify that you selected the same mode and destination family used at upload.
For an unofficial cluster, provide the administrator with the source server, destination server, approximate upload time, survivor name, and cluster ID. Those details let the administrator determine whether the upload was written to the shared directory or to a server-local directory by mistake.
For single-player, use the survivor-upload and survivor-download controls in the same supported transfer workflow. The character is unavailable in the source session after upload, so closing the game before downloading can leave you looking at a normal character-creation screen rather than the stored survivor.
Why are my items missing?
Open the destination terminal’s ARK Data inventory, not the creature tab. Items placed in ARK Data remain separate from the survivor and creatures. If ARK Data is empty, check that you used the same transfer storage and that the source server accepted each item under its transfer rules.
When only some stacks are missing, compare them with your pre-transfer inventory. The most likely explanations are a server restriction on particular items, an upload-capacity limit, or an item that was left in a normal or creature inventory instead of being moved into ARK Data. Ask the administrator for the exact blocked-item rule rather than repeatedly attempting the same upload.
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- Write down the source and destination server names, map, mode, and cluster information.
- Confirm official mode compatibility or obtain administrator confirmation of matching unofficial cluster settings.
- Reach a supported Obelisk, Supply Crate, Terminal, or Tek Transmitter.
- Move intended items into ARK Data and confirm that their stacks are visible.
- Select each intended tame in the creature tab and verify its details before uploading.
- Check current capacity, cooldown, and foreign-dino rules before committing valuable creatures.
- Upload the survivor only after preparation is complete.
- Join the correct destination and choose Download Survivor.
- At the destination terminal, download ARK Data items and then creatures.
- Verify survivor data, items, saddles, creature names, levels, and inventories before leaving.
When manual transfer is better than dynamic travel
Use manual upload and download when you want a deliberate inventory audit, when moving a small number of high-value creatures, or when the destination administrator has limited transfer windows. The extra pause gives you time to confirm every stored item and tame before joining the next map.
Dynamic travel is useful for a well-maintained unofficial cluster where the same cluster ID and shared directory are already proven. It reduces menu steps, but it does not remove the need to verify foreign-dino permissions, capacity, cooldowns, and destination availability. If the administrator cannot confirm those settings, treat the transfer as a manual operation and test with low-value data first.
Bottom line for a successful ARK transfer
Upload the survivor, items, and creatures separately at a supported terminal; join a compatible destination; download the survivor; then retrieve ARK Data and tames from the destination terminal. Official play depends on matching game mode, while unofficial dynamic travel depends on a correctly shared cluster configuration. When a dinosaur is missing, check the creature tab, cluster storage, foreign-dino permissions, and cooldown before assuming it was deleted.
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