How to use admin and cheat commands on an ARK server
Log in as admin on your ARK: Survival Evolved server with enablecheats and your admin password, then use common cheat commands safely.
Updated · 2 min read
Open the in-game console, type enablecheats followed by your server's admin password, and you can then run admin commands with the cheat or admincheat prefix. The admin password is the one set in your Startup settings.
Logging in as admin
- Join your server.
- Press Tab (the default console key on PC) to open the console.
- Type:
enablecheats YourAdminPassword
You stay logged in until you disconnect. The password is ServerAdminPassword, which on Schokr is normally set in the Startup settings.
Permanent admins
To skip logging in every time, add players' SteamID64 numbers to this file, one per line:
ShooterGame/Saved/AllowedCheaterSteamIDs.txt
Restart the server after editing. Only add people you trust completely.
Running commands
After logging in, prefix commands with cheat (or admincheat):
cheat fly
cheat walk
cheat god
cheat SaveWorld
Useful commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
cheat SaveWorld | Saves the world immediately |
cheat ListPlayers | Lists players with their IDs |
cheat KickPlayer SteamID | Kicks a player by SteamID64 |
cheat BanPlayer SteamID | Bans a player |
cheat UnbanPlayer SteamID | Removes a ban |
cheat Broadcast message | Shows a message to everyone |
cheat SetTimeOfDay 08:00 | Changes the time of day |
cheat DestroyWildDinos | Removes all wild dinos so they respawn, useful after changing difficulty |
cheat fly and cheat walk | Toggles flying |
cheat ghost | Moves through walls; use cheat walk to stop |
cheat god | Toggles invulnerability |
cheat ForceTame | Tames the dino you're looking at |
To give items, use cheat GiveItem with the item's blueprint path. Blueprint paths are long and easy to get wrong, so copy them from the official ARK wiki's item pages rather than typing them by hand.
Running commands without joining
You can't always type commands into the Schokr console for ARK. For remote admin, use RCON:
- Make sure RCON is enabled and the RCON port in your Startup settings matches a port allocated to the server.
- Connect with an RCON tool using
<server-ip>, the RCON port and your admin password. - Run commands without the
cheatprefix, for exampleSaveWorld,ListPlayers,Broadcast Server restarting in 5 minutes.
See RCON tools.
Save before stopping
Always run SaveWorld (in game with cheat SaveWorld, or over RCON) before stopping or restarting the server. ARK saves periodically, but anything since the last save can be lost on an abrupt stop. A scheduled restart in the Schedules section pairs well with a save shortly before it.
Keep it safe
- Use a long admin password and change it if someone leaves your admin team.
- Cheat commands are logged in the server log, so other admins can see what was used.
DestroyWildDinosand similar commands can't be undone. Take a backup or snapshot first if unsure.
Still stuck?
If enablecheats says nothing happens, double-check the admin password in your Startup settings. Ask in the Schokr Discord if it still won't work.