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Survival & Sandbox

ARK Admin Commands — Full List (ASA & ASE)

9 min read Updated 12 September 2026 ESAGAMES Team

ARK admin commands are typed into the console (Tab on PC) once you have authenticated with the server's admin password, and on a server almost every one takes the cheat prefix. This page starts with getting admin on your own server — the password, the auto-admin list and RCON — then lists the commands by task, for Survival Ascended and Survival Evolved.

Enable admin first

Set an admin password on the server (ServerAdminPassword), open the console with Tab (or the pause menu on console), type enablecheats YourPassword, then prefix admin commands with cheat. Single-player is already authenticated, so the cheat prefix works without a password.

Getting admin on your own server

Setting or fileWhat it does
ServerAdminPassword=YourPasswordUnder [ServerSettings] in GameUserSettings.ini. The password enablecheats and RCON both check.
AllowedCheaterSteamIDs.txt (ASE)In ShooterGame/Saved/, one 17-digit SteamID64 per line. Those players are admin on every login, with no enablecheats step.
AllowedCheaterAccountIDs.txt (ASA)The Survival Ascended equivalent, listing 32-character EOS account IDs instead of SteamIDs.
RCONEnabled=True + RCONPort=27020Under [ServerSettings]. Turns on RCON; tools log in with ServerAdminPassword.

Over RCON, server-wide commands such as SaveWorld, Broadcast, KickPlayer and BanPlayer are sent without the cheat prefix. Commands that act on a character — Fly, God, GFI — need you in-game. Anyone who knows the admin password can make themselves admin, so treat it like a root password.

Logging in as admin

CommandWhat it does
enablecheats <password>Authenticate as admin for this session using the server admin password.
cheat SetCheatPlayer trueEnable cheat commands that affect your player, your mount and the world.
cheat ShowMyAdminManagerOpen the in-game admin manager (player list, ban/kick, options).

Player & god-mode commands

CommandWhat it does
cheat GodToggle god mode (invulnerability).
cheat Fly / cheat WalkEnable flying / return to normal movement.
cheat GhostNoclip — move through walls and terrain.
cheat InfiniteStatsInfinite health, stamina, food, water and weight.
cheat EnemyInvisible trueCreatures will not attack you, even if provoked.
cheat GiveCreativeMode / cheat GCMFull creative mode for your player.

Spawning creatures & items

CommandWhat it does
cheat Summon <class>Spawn a creature by class name at your location (random level).
cheat GMSummon "<class>" <level>Spawn a tamed creature at a set level in front of you.
cheat GFI <item> <qty> <quality> <blueprint 0/1>Give an item by a part of its blueprint name — works on both ASA and ASE.
cheat GiveItemNum <id> <qty> <quality> <blueprint 0/1>Give an item by numeric ID — Survival Evolved only; use GFI on Ascended.
cheat GiveResourcesGive a stack of common resources.
cheat GiveEngramsUnlock all engrams for your player.

Taming

CommandWhat it does
cheat ForceTameInstantly tame the creature you're looking at.
cheat DoTameTame the targeted creature, if it is a tameable species.
cheat ForceTameAOE <radius>Tame every creature within the radius.

World, time & XP

CommandWhat it does
cheat DestroyWildDinosWipe all wild creatures so the map repopulates (used after a difficulty change).
cheat DestroyAll <class>Destroy every creature of that class on the map.
cheat SetTimeOfDay hh:mm[:ss]Set the in-game time of day (e.g. 12:00).
cheat Slomo <mult>Change game speed — 1 is normal, 16 is the maximum.
cheat AddExperience <amount> <fromTribeShare 0/1> <preventSharing 0/1>Give your character XP; set the last value to 1 so it is not shared with your tribe.

Teleport

CommandWhat it does
cheat TeleportMove forward in the direction you're facing until you hit something.
cheat TPCoords <lat> <lon> <alt>Teleport to map GPS coordinates.
cheat TeleportPlayerIDToMe <playerID>Bring a player to you.
cheat TeleportToPlayer <playerID>Teleport yourself to a player by in-game ID.
cheat TeleportToPlayerName <name>Teleport yourself to a player by name.

Managing players

CommandWhat it does
cheat ListPlayersList connected players with their IDs.
cheat KickPlayer <steamID>Disconnect a player.
cheat BanPlayer <steamID>Add a player to the server ban list.
cheat UnbanPlayer <steamID>Remove a player from the ban list.
cheat Broadcast <message>Broadcast a message to everyone on the server.
cheat ServerChat <message>Send a chat message to everyone.
cheat SaveWorldForce-save the world to disk now.
Class & item names change per game

Creature class names and item blueprints differ between Survival Ascended and Survival Evolved (and per DLC map), and numeric item IDs only exist on Evolved. Use GFI with a short name where you can, and check a current ID list for the exact spelling if a spawn command does nothing.

Structures & creatures

CommandWhat it does
cheat GiveAllStructureTake ownership of the structure under your crosshair and everything connected to it.
cheat DestroyStructuresRemove every structure on the map, your own included. There is no undo — back up the save first.
cheat SetBabyAge <0-1>Set the age of the baby creature you're looking at.
cheat ClearMyBuffsRemove all status effects from your character.

A safe restart from RCON

  1. Warn players: Broadcast Server restarting in 5 minutes.
  2. Save: SaveWorld.
  3. Restart the server from your panel once the save has finished.

Related ARK guides

Setting a server up? See how to make an ARK server and tune it with our best ARK server settings. If mods won't load, see fixing ARK mods not downloading.

ARK hosting with a real admin panel

Our ARK hosting (ASA & ASE) gives you console access, RCON and a full panel — run these commands and manage your server the easy way.

ARK hosting
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How do I enable admin commands in ARK?

Set ServerAdminPassword under [ServerSettings] in GameUserSettings.ini, open the console (Tab on PC), type enablecheats followed by that password, then prefix admin commands with cheat. In single-player you're already authenticated, so cheat works without a password.

How do I get admin automatically without typing enablecheats?

Add your ID to the auto-admin list: on Survival Evolved, AllowedCheaterSteamIDs.txt in ShooterGame/Saved/ with one SteamID64 per line; on Survival Ascended, AllowedCheaterAccountIDs.txt with your EOS account ID. Listed players are admin on every login.

Can I run ARK admin commands over RCON?

Yes. Set RCONEnabled=True and an RCONPort (e.g. 27020) under [ServerSettings], then log in with ServerAdminPassword. Server-wide commands like SaveWorld, Broadcast, KickPlayer and BanPlayer are sent without the cheat prefix; character commands like Fly or GFI need you in-game.

What's the difference between Summon and GMSummon in ARK?

Summon spawns a wild creature at a random level at your location. GMSummon spawns a tamed creature at a level you specify — better for admins who want a usable mount instantly.

How do I give myself items in ARK?

Use cheat GFI <name> <quantity> <quality> <blueprint 0/1>, which matches part of the item's blueprint name and works on both games. cheat GiveItemNum <id> ... takes a numeric ID but only exists on Survival Evolved.

How do I tame a dino instantly?

Look at the creature and run cheat ForceTame, or cheat DoTame for a tameable species. cheat ForceTameAOE <radius> tames everything within that radius.

Do ARK admin commands work the same on ASA and ASE?

Most command syntax is the same. The differences are numeric item IDs (GiveItemNum is Evolved only), creature class names and item blueprints, and the auto-admin file: SteamIDs in AllowedCheaterSteamIDs.txt on ASE, EOS IDs in AllowedCheaterAccountIDs.txt on ASA.

Why does my ARK cheat command do nothing?

Either you haven't run enablecheats (so you're not authenticated), you missed the cheat prefix, or the class or item name is wrong for your game version. Re-authenticate, add cheat, and verify the exact name.

What does DestroyStructures do in ARK?

It removes every structure on the map, including your own — not just one tribe's buildings. There is no undo, so back up the save before you run it. To take over a single abandoned base, use cheat GiveAllStructure while looking at it instead.

How do I kick or ban a player in ARK?

cheat ListPlayers shows connected players and their IDs, then cheat KickPlayer <steamID> or cheat BanPlayer <steamID> removes them. cheat UnbanPlayer <steamID> lifts a ban, and cheat Broadcast <message> warns everyone first.

Further reading

Go deeper on this

Guides and explainers that pair with this fix — from our guides and blog.

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