ARK admin commandsUnlock, moderate, fix what went wrong

Published on September 2, 2026 · last updated on November 8, 2026

Unlocking yourself

Access runs through the admin password from the GameUserSettings.ini. In the game, you open the console and unlock yourself with the matching command and the password. From that moment on, your session counts as admin - until you leave the server.

Two practical notes: the console has to be enabled in the game options, otherwise it will not open. And you have to repeat the unlock every time you join - that is not a bug but intentional.

Everyday moderation

The commands you really need on a regular basis are a short list:

• List players - shows who is online, including their ID. The basis for everything else.
• Kick and ban - a kick for misunderstandings, a ban for everything beyond that. Bans can be lifted again later.
• Message to everyone - for announcements, for example before scheduled restarts.
• Teleport to a player - the fastest way to settle a dispute on the spot.
• Save the world - forces an immediate save, a good idea before any manual intervention.

For announcements and kicks, you do not even need to be in the game: with RCON, you send the same commands from outside.

Tools for emergencies

Then there are the powerful commands - the ones you use to put right what went wrong:

• Ghost mode - fly through walls. Indispensable for freeing someone who is stuck in the terrain.
• Spawn items - to replace what was lost, for example after a server problem.
• Tame or spawn creatures - helpful for events, tricky in everyday play.
• God mode - handy when cleaning up in dangerous places.

These commands are the reason the admin password should never get passed around. Whoever has it can give anyone anything - and in doing so wipe out the entire economy of an RP or PvE server within minutes.

A word on restraint

The most common mistake of new server owners is not a technical one: it is using admin commands too generously. A server where the owner spawns gear for themselves quickly loses its appeal for everyone else.

A clear line has proven itself: admin tools are for moderation and for recovering from errors - not for your own progress. If you want to advance faster, adjust the rates instead, and do it for everyone.

Sharing rights within a team

ARK has no tiered role system: whoever has the admin password has all rights. For a team, that means choosing carefully - and changing the password when someone leaves.

For tasks that do not need in-game rights - triggering restarts, adjusting the configuration, uploading files - there is a better way: subusers in our web interface. That way, someone can look after the server without being allowed to do everything in the game.

When commands do not work

• The console does not open. The console has to be enabled in the game options.
• Unlocking fails. The password is wrong - or the change in the configuration was made without a restart.
• The command is accepted, but nothing happens. Some commands need a preceding keyword, others do not - a common stumbling block with copied instructions.
• Rights gone after reconnecting. Normal: the unlock applies per session.

If you cannot get onto the server in the first place, it is not about rights - then Fix connection problems will help.

Frequently asked questions