To move a local single-player world to a dedicated ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE) server, stop the destination server, back up its existing save, upload the complete local save set, select the matching map, and restart. The upload must include the world file plus its player and tribe files; copying only the .ark file can produce a world without your survivor, tribe, or tamed dinosaurs.
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These instructions are for ASE PC saves moved to a rented or self-hosted dedicated server. ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) uses separate transfer documentation and should not be assumed to use the same folders or save format.
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What you are transferring
A single-player save is a group of related files, not just one map file. The world state is stored in a file ending in .ark. Your character and tribe data are stored separately, in files ending in .arkprofile and .arktribe. The world file records terrain, structures, inventories and other map state, while the profile and tribe files associate a survivor with its tribe and tames.
All three file types need to come from the same local save. If one is missing or belongs to another map, the server can start successfully while still showing a new survivor, an empty tribe, or missing dinosaurs.
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Check the edition and make a rollback copy first
Confirm that you are using ASE
The procedure below applies to the PC version of ARK: Survival Evolved. ASA has separate transfer instructions, directory conventions and compatibility considerations. Do not paste an ASE save into an ASA server or assume that an ASA save can be read by an ASE server.
Back up both sides
- Exit the single-player game so that no file is still being written.
- Copy the entire local save folder to a separate location. Keep the original untouched until the server has been verified.
- If the destination already contains a world, use the host’s backup or download function before replacing anything.
- Record the destination server’s current map setting so you can restore it if the migration fails.
A backup is especially important when using FTP or a web file manager: an interrupted transfer or an accidental deletion is easier to recover from than to reconstruct.
Locate the local save on a PC
Steam installation
- Open Steam and select Library.
- Right-click the ARK entry and choose Properties.
- Open Installed Files, then select Browse.
- In the installation window, open
ShooterGame, thenSaved. - Find the local-save directory containing your map’s
.arkfile. On many installations this directory is namedSavedArksLocal; folder names can differ by build, so use the directory that actually contains the files.
Do not select a configuration folder merely because it is under Saved. The correct folder contains a map world file and, after you have played, the associated profile and tribe files.
Epic Games installation
Use the same principle for an Epic installation: open the ARK installation’s ShooterGame/Saved area and locate the SavedArksLocal save location identified by your hosting provider’s ASE instructions. The installation root is not identical for every Epic library location, so opening the game entry’s installation folder is safer than typing a guessed drive path.
Identify the complete set before copying
- World: the map file ending in
.ark. - Survivor: the matching
.arkprofilefile. - Tribe: the matching
.arktribefile.
There may be additional files in the save directory. Preserve them rather than filtering the folder aggressively; the provider’s import instructions determine whether a particular extra file is needed. Never rename the core files unless the host explicitly tells you to.
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Upload the save to the server
1. Stop the destination server
Use the host control panel’s Stop or Shutdown action and wait until the status confirms that the process has ended. Uploading over a running world can leave a mixture of old and new files, and the server may write its current state back over your upload when it shuts down.
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After the server is stopped, download a backup and inspect the directory for the map you are replacing. Move the old files out of the active save directory or remove them only after the backup is safely stored. Do not delete unrelated maps unless you intend to replace them as well.
3. Open the provider’s file manager or FTP connection
Use whichever method your host documents. A web file manager is convenient for a few files; FTP is useful when you need to transfer a complete folder and confirm each file’s status. Confirm that the transfer reports success for every file before closing the session.
4. Place files in the provider’s ASE save directory
The exact root differs between hosts. In the documented Nitrado ASE example, the active save directory is:
/arkse/ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/
That path is an example, not a universal location. A self-hosted server or another provider may expose a different root or directory name. Follow the provider’s documented ASE path and upload the world, profile and tribe files into the same active map-save directory.
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5. Set the server to the matching map
Open the server’s general settings or startup configuration and set Mapname (or the provider’s equivalent) to the map represented by the uploaded .ark file. Save the configuration before starting the server. The setting must match the save’s map exactly; a server pointed at another map can generate a fresh world even when the upload itself succeeded.
6. Start the server and allow the first boot to finish
Start the server from the control panel and wait for it to report that it is running. The first startup after a replacement can take longer while the files are read. Join only after the host reports a ready state, rather than repeatedly restarting during initialization.
Verify the migration in game
Join the server with the same game edition and platform used by the server. Check the following in order:
- Your expected survivor appears, rather than a character-creation screen or an unrelated profile.
- The survivor belongs to the expected tribe and can access its structures.
- Major bases, storage, crafting stations and other structures are present in their previous locations.
- Your tamed dinosaurs and their inventories are present.
- The server is running the intended map, not a newly generated map with a similar name.
Take a small, reversible action—such as opening a storage container—then leave normally so the server writes a current save. Stop and back up the server once the checks pass. This gives you a known-good restore point for later configuration changes.
Why a fresh survivor or missing tames appear
The upload was incomplete
If the world loads but the survivor or tribe is absent, compare the local backup with the server directory. Confirm that the corresponding .arkprofile and .arktribe files finished uploading and are in the active save folder, not one level above or inside an extra nested directory. Re-upload the files with the server stopped.
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The server is using another map
A correct file in the wrong map slot behaves like a new world. Check the exact Mapname value, save the setting, stop the server, and start it again. Do not rely on a map selected in a launcher if the provider also has a separate startup field; the effective setting is the one the server process actually receives.
Old files are still being loaded
If the server directory contains both the previous world and the uploaded world, the process may continue loading the old set. Stop the server, restore the backup if necessary, then leave only the intended map’s files in the active directory. Keep other maps in their own directories or follow the host’s multi-map layout.
File permissions or transfer errors blocked the read
Check the file manager’s transfer log and the file sizes after upload. A zero-byte file, a truncated transfer or a permissions error must be corrected before restarting. If FTP reports a failed item, transfer that item again rather than assuming the session retried it.
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Provider documentation warns that tribe access can fail to transfer correctly in some single-player migrations. This is a known limitation, so a technically complete upload is not an absolute guarantee that every survivor-to-tribe relationship will be preserved. Keep the original local backup and the server backup while you determine whether structures and tames are accessible.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Recovery procedure when the server starts a new world
- Stop the server immediately so the newly generated world does not overwrite useful files.
- Download or restore the backup made before the upload.
- Confirm that the uploaded
.ark,.arkprofileand.arktribefiles are together in the correct active directory. - Check the map setting character by character against the uploaded world.
- Start the server again and wait for a complete boot.
- If the result is still a new world, stop before making further changes and ask the host which directory its startup configuration reads. Paths and permissions vary by provider.
Do not repeatedly start and stop while guessing. Each boot can create or update files, making it harder to distinguish the original upload from a newly generated save.
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Choosing a server host for save imports
If you have not selected a host yet, confirm these capabilities before paying or uploading a valuable world:
| Capability | Why it matters for a single-player migration | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| File manager or FTP | You need a way to place the complete save set in the active directory. | Whether uploads, downloads and folder creation are supported for ASE files. |
| Safe stop and restart controls | The server must be offline while files are replaced. | That the panel shows a stopped state and does not auto-start during maintenance. |
| ASE save and map support | The server must read the edition and map represented by your local files. | Supported ASE maps and any import or cross-host exceptions. |
| Backups and restore | A rollback protects the existing world and the newly imported world. | Whether backups can be downloaded and restored manually. |
| Map configuration | The startup map must match the uploaded world. | Access to Mapname or an equivalent startup setting. |
| Platform and crossplay support | Clients must be able to connect to the server build and platform. | Supported PC storefronts, console access and any crossplay restrictions. |
A host may support FTP yet still restrict particular import formats or maps. Confirm the provider’s current ASE documentation before moving a production world.
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Important limits and edge cases
Different hosts expose different paths
The Nitrado path shown earlier is useful as a concrete example, but it is not a universal filesystem location. A rented server may hide the operating-system root, use a provider-specific game folder, or place saves under a per-instance directory. Always use the path named in that host’s current instructions.
Self-hosted servers need the same file discipline
On a server you operate yourself, the principle is unchanged: stop the process, back up the existing save, copy the complete file set into the server’s active ASE save directory, set the startup map, and then restart. The exact root depends on how the server was installed, so identify it from the launch configuration rather than copying a cloud-host path.
Do not mix editions
ASE and ASA are separate products for transfer purposes. If the destination is ASA, stop and obtain ASA-specific instructions instead of experimenting with ASE directories. A failed import can damage the only copy of a world if you did not make the backup described above.
Quick Recap
Final pre-start checklist
- ASE is confirmed on both the save and destination.
- The local game is closed and the original save folder is backed up.
- The destination server is stopped.
- The old destination map has been backed up or moved aside.
- The upload includes the
.ark,.arkprofileand.arktribefiles from the same local save. - Every transfer completed without an error or zero-byte file.
- The files are in the provider’s active ASE save directory.
Mapnameexactly matches the uploaded world.- After restart, the survivor, tribe, structures and tames have all been checked.
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