To apply a shared ban list on an ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated server, add BanListURL under [ServerSettings] in GameUserSettings.ini, then point it to a reachable plain-text file such as http://arkdedicated.com/banlist.txt. The file is read in addition to bans made locally on the server. Linux servers keep the file in ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/; Windows servers use the corresponding WindowsServer directory.
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This is a community-documented procedure rather than one confirmed by a current Studio Wildcard manual, so test it after every game or server update. ARK: Survival Ascended uses a different list host and must not be configured with the Evolved URL.
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What the ARK ban list does
ARK has two separate ban mechanisms that administrators commonly use:
- Local in-game bans: a ban created on one server and stored locally. It affects that server and is normally managed from the game or its local ban file.
- A subscribed URL list: a plain-text list downloaded from a web address. The server checks that list in addition to its local bans, allowing the same policy to be used on more than one server.
A URL list does not replace local bans. Treat the two sources as additive: a player present in either source should be rejected when the server applies its ban data. The setting name is case-sensitive in practice, so use BanListURL exactly.
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Before editing the server
Confirm the game edition
The instructions and public list address most often cited for ARK: Survival Evolved are not interchangeable with ARK: Survival Ascended. Evolved uses the arkdedicated.com list address described below. A CubeCoders configuration template identifies a separate Ascended address, https://cdn2.arkdedicated.com/asa/BanList.txt. Do not copy an Evolved URL into an Ascended installation, or the other way around.
Stop or schedule a restart
Back up GameUserSettings.ini before changing it. Stop the server through its control panel or service manager, or schedule a maintenance restart. Many hosts rewrite configuration files when a server starts or when settings are saved in a web panel; editing while the process is running can therefore be lost.
Identify the correct configuration directory
For a conventional dedicated Evolved server, the file is inside the server’s ShooterGame/Saved/Config/ tree:
- Linux:
ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini - Windows:
ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini
Use the folder that matches the server executable. A single machine can contain several installations, maps or instances, so verify that you are editing the file belonging to the instance players actually join.
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Set up BanListURL on an ARK: Survival Evolved server
- Make a backup. Copy
GameUserSettings.inito a dated backup outside the live configuration folder. - Open the file as plain text. Use an editor that does not add rich-text formatting, a byte-order mark that your host cannot parse, or smart quotation marks.
- Find the section header. Locate
[ServerSettings]. If the header appears more than once, keep one authoritative section and place the setting in the section used by the running instance. - Add the setting. On its own line under the header, add:
BanListURL=http://arkdedicated.com/banlist.txt
Community guides commonly add the line manually because it is absent from many default files. - Save without changing the extension. The filename must remain
GameUserSettings.ini, notGameUserSettings.ini.txt. Preserve the existing section syntax and line endings where possible. - Restart the server. Start the instance and allow it to finish loading before testing. A restart is the safest point at which to confirm that the configuration was accepted.
- Test with a controlled entry. If you operate a private test list, put a test account ID in it, restart, and verify that the account cannot join. Remove the test entry immediately afterward. Do not test by publishing a real player’s identifier without a legitimate, documented reason.
The public Evolved list most frequently cited by current community guides is http://arkdedicated.com/banlist.txt. Older posts refer to http://playark.com/banlist.txt; that address predates the newer host and should be treated as legacy. Check that an address resolves and returns the expected text before putting it into production.
How to host a custom community list
BanListURL expects a URL that the server can reach and that returns a plain text document. It is not a path to a file on the server and it is not a web page containing HTML.
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- Use an HTTP or HTTPS URL reachable from the dedicated server’s network.
- Serve a plain
.txtresponse rather than a login page, redirect loop, challenge page or HTML error. - Keep the document stable and available at the same address. If you move it, update every server’s
GameUserSettings.ini. - Use one player identifier per line in the format accepted by the game version and platform. Ban lists are typically keyed to Steam or Epic account IDs, not display names.
- Do not put comments, headings or spreadsheet formatting in the file unless your server software explicitly supports them.
Maintain an administrator ledger
The published text file should contain only the identifiers your server needs. Keep a separate private record with the date, player name at the time, platform and ID, duration, reason, evidence reference and administrator who approved the action. Names can change; the account ID is what makes the ban durable. If a ban is temporary, record its expiry in the ledger and remove the identifier from the served file on schedule.
Protect the list and its change process
Anyone who can alter the URL’s contents can affect every server subscribed to it. Restrict write access, review changes, retain dated copies and use a separate test URL before publishing a major revision. A custom list expresses your community’s rules; it is not the same thing as the official global list, which covers accounts banned from official servers.
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Using local in-game bans
For an immediate incident on a server you administer, the in-game ban control is the quickest route when the player is online. Local bans are per server and are edited in game rather than by changing a shared URL. Community reports place the resulting local data in a BanList.txt file under the server’s Binaries folder, although exact subfolders can vary by installation and host.
Offline players are more difficult to identify and ban through the game interface. Administrators report using RCON or looking up the player’s account ID externally, but those workarounds are community-reported and were not confirmed by a current official procedure. Before acting, verify the identifier carefully; banning a display name or a mistyped number can affect the wrong account or do nothing at all.
Evolved and Ascended list addresses
| Edition | List address identified by the available documentation | Configuration caution |
|---|---|---|
| ARK: Survival Evolved | http://arkdedicated.com/banlist.txt | Use in the Evolved GameUserSettings.ini under [ServerSettings]. The older http://playark.com/banlist.txt appears in legacy posts. |
| ARK: Survival Ascended | https://cdn2.arkdedicated.com/asa/BanList.txt | A CubeCoders template lists this separate host. Confirm the current Ascended configuration format for your server build before changing it. |
The two editions should be treated as separate systems. A successful HTTP response alone does not prove that the server is parsing the list for the edition you run.
Verify that the ban list is being applied
Check the URL independently
Open the exact address from a machine outside the server if possible. You should see unformatted text, not a branded landing page, access-denied message or file-download prompt that requires authentication. Then check from the server’s network, because a list reachable from your home connection may be blocked by a firewall, DNS policy or hosting provider.
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Check the configuration actually loaded
After a restart, inspect the live configuration through the host panel or the file on disk. Confirm that:
BanListURLis inside[ServerSettings].- The value has no quotation marks, trailing spaces or invisible characters.
- The URL is the correct one for Evolved or Ascended.
- You edited the active instance rather than a backup, staging copy or different map directory.
Use a safe test account
For a custom list, add a test account ID temporarily, restart, attempt a connection, then remove the ID and restart again. Keep the test account separate from your administrator account so you do not lock yourself out. A failed test can mean the identifier format is wrong, the list was not fetched, the setting was not loaded or the server build does not support the expected behavior; isolate those possibilities one at a time.
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The server starts, but listed players can still join
- Confirm the line is under the exact
[ServerSettings]header. - Check capitalization: use
BanListURL, not a guessed variant. - Verify that the URL returns plain text and is reachable from the server.
- Confirm that the list contains the correct Steam or Epic account ID, not a character name or platform display name.
- Restart after every configuration or list change while testing.
The setting disappears after a restart
Your control panel may regenerate GameUserSettings.ini. Stop the server, edit the file that the panel designates as active, save, and look for a panel option that preserves custom configuration entries. If the host overwrites the file on every launch, ask the host how to declare an unsupported or advanced setting rather than repeatedly editing a generated copy.
The URL opens in a browser but the server cannot read it
Test DNS and outbound HTTP/HTTPS access from the server environment. Look for TLS or certificate errors, redirects, rate limits and authentication requirements. Replace a web page with a direct raw-text endpoint. If the host blocks outbound requests, a local or host-supported list may be the only practical option.
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Only one map or instance is affected
Each dedicated instance has its own configuration and local ban data. Apply the setting to every instance that should enforce the policy, and verify each one after restarting. Community reports about URL-list changes propagating across multi-map installations are inconsistent, so do not assume that changing one instance updates the others.
An innocent player is blocked
Remove the identifier from the custom list, restore the prior backup if necessary, and restart. Review the ledger and compare the stored ID character by character with the evidence you used. Do not substitute a new display name for a verified account ID; names are not reliable identity keys.
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- Identify whether the server is Evolved or Ascended.
- Back up the active
GameUserSettings.ini. - Place
BanListURLunder[ServerSettings]. - Use the edition-appropriate plain-text URL.
- Confirm that the server can fetch the URL without authentication.
- Keep account IDs and reasons in a private administrative ledger.
- Restart and test with a controlled account.
- Apply the configuration to every server instance that needs the policy.
- Review the list after game, server or host-panel updates.
What is and is not established
Multiple community guides and forum reports agree on the setting name, the GameUserSettings.ini location and the use of a URL-hosted text list. The Evolved address at arkdedicated.com is newer than the legacy playark.com address. However, no current official Studio Wildcard page confirming the complete procedure was identified, and there are no verified published statistics showing how often the mechanism is used or how it behaves in every multi-map and update scenario. Treat the setup as a practical community method, validate it on your own build, and retain a local-ban fallback for urgent incidents.
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