ARK: Survival Evolved
Admin commands let you moderate players, fix problems, and test your world without waiting for something to happen naturally, force a world save before a risky change, wipe wild dinos after adjusting spawn settings, or kick a troublesome player. This guide covers logging in as admin and the commands you'll reach for most often.
Step 1: Set Your Admin Password
Before you can use admin commands, your server needs an admin password set. Open GameUserSettings.ini (the configuration guide in Related Guides below shows where to find it) and add this under [ServerSettings]:
Save the file and restart your server for the change to take effect.
Anyone who knows this password can log in as admin and use every command on this page, including ones that destroy structures and dinos. Keep it private and only share it with trusted co-admins.
Step 2: Log In As Admin In-Game
Tab to open the console.enablecheats YourPasswordHere, using the password you set in Step 1, and press Enter.Most of the commands below need to be typed with a
cheat prefix once you're authenticated, for example cheat SaveWorld. On some console platforms, admincheat is used instead of cheat, they work interchangeably.
Step 3: Commonly Used Admin Commands
Server Management
cheat SaveWorldForces an immediate world save. Good practice before any risky change.
cheat DestroyWildDinosRemoves all untamed creatures so new ones spawn under your current settings. Run this after changing difficulty, spawn rates, or installing creature mods. It never affects tamed dinos.
cheat SetTimeOfDay 12:00:00Jumps straight to the specified time (24-hour format).
cheat Broadcast Your message hereSends a server-wide announcement to every connected player.
Player Moderation
cheat ListPlayersLists everyone currently connected along with their Steam IDs, run this first to get the ID you need for the commands below.
cheat KickPlayer <SteamID>Disconnects a player from the server.
cheat BanPlayer <SteamID>Permanently bans a player.
cheat UnbanPlayer <SteamID>Removes a player from the ban list.
Spawning & Testing
cheat GiveItemNum <ItemID> <Quantity> <Quality> 0Adds an item to your inventory by its item ID.
cheat Summon <CreatureID>Spawns a wild version of a creature in front of you.
cheat SummonTamed <CreatureID>Spawns the same creature already tamed.
Player Toggles
cheat GodToggles invulnerability to damage and falls (does not prevent drowning on its own).
cheat Fly / cheat WalkToggles free-flight movement, and switches back to normal.
cheat GhostToggles no-clip, letting you pass through terrain and objects.
cheat InfiniteStatsKeeps health, stamina, oxygen, food, and water topped up while active.
You can whitelist trusted players as permanent admins without sharing your password. Create
AllowedCheaterSteamIDs.txt in your ShooterGame/Saved folder and list one Steam64 ID per line. Anyone on that list gets admin access automatically.
Related Guides
Shows where to find GameUserSettings.ini so you can set your admin password.
🛠️ Troubleshooting Common Admin Issues
"Enable Cheats" doesn't seem to work
Confirm you're typing the exact password from ServerAdminPassword in GameUserSettings.ini, and that the server has been restarted since it was set.
A command has no effect
Most commands need the cheat prefix once authenticated. Typing the command name alone often does nothing.
KickPlayer or BanPlayer isn't working
Double-check you're using the player's Steam ID from ListPlayers, not their display name.
New wild dinos aren't the level you expected
Run DestroyWildDinos after any difficulty change, existing dinos don't retroactively update.
These cover the commands admins reach for daily, ARK has many more for spawning, teleporting, and tribe management.
Still stuck?
Our team is happy to help. Open a ticket through the live chat button in the bottom-right corner of our website, or join our Discord and open a ticket there.
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