Install ArkServerAPI on the server edition you actually run—ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE) or ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA)—then place each plugin in ShooterGameBinariesWin64ArkApiPlugins. The Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable is required, and every plugin folder must retain the name expected by its DLL. Plugins run server-side, so connected players do not install them.
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Identify your ARK edition before downloading anything
ASE and ASA use separate Ark Server API packages and have different Windows baselines. Installing the package for the wrong game is the fastest way to end up with an API that never loads, even when the files appear to be in the right directory.
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|---|---|---|---|
| ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE) | 3.56 | Windows 7 or Windows Server 2016 and newer | Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable |
| ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) | 2.03 | Windows 10 or Windows Server 2019 and newer | Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable |
Those version labels are the ones shown in the documented resource pages; they can change as ARK and the API are updated. Treat the current edition-specific resource page as authoritative when you download a package or check compatibility.
How to tell which edition your server uses
- An ASE server uses the ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated-server files and the ASE ArkServerAPI package.
- An ASA server uses the ARK: Survival Ascended dedicated-server files and the ASA package.
- Do not mix an ASE plugin with an ASA server, or vice versa, unless the plugin author explicitly provides support for both. The two APIs are maintained as separate resources.
What you need before installation
A supported Windows server
The official installation instructions describe a Windows server. ASE requires Windows 7 or Windows Server 2016 or newer; ASA requires Windows 10 or Windows Server 2019 or newer. A managed game host may hide the operating-system details, but its panel still needs to offer an ARK Server API installation workflow.
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Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable
Install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable before starting the API. The ASE and ASA resource pages both identify this runtime as necessary for the API to load correctly. If the runtime is absent, copying the API files alone will not make the framework start.
Filesystem or panel access
For a self-managed server, you need access to the ARK installation directory and the ability to extract ZIP archives. For a managed server, use the host’s panel, File Manager, or FTP workflow when available. Stop the server before a deliberate file change if you want to avoid editing files while they are in use.
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Choose a manual or managed-host installation
There are two practical routes. Manual installation gives you direct control of the Windows files and logs. A managed host can install the API from its panel and leave you to upload plugin files through File Manager or FTP.
| Consideration | Manual Windows installation | Managed-host installation |
|---|---|---|
| Edition compatibility | You select the ASE or ASA archive and each compatible plugin yourself. | The panel may offer an API installer, but you still select edition-compatible plugins. |
| Access method | Direct filesystem access and ZIP extraction. | Panel installation followed by File Manager or FTP upload. |
| Runtime prerequisite | Install the required Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable on the server machine. | The host’s image may already satisfy the runtime requirement; confirm with the host if the API does not start. |
| Troubleshooting visibility | You can open ArkApi.log, crash logs, and console output directly. |
Use the same server paths when exposed, or request logs through the host. |
| Maintenance | You check API and plugin versions after ARK updates. | The host can simplify API installation, but compatibility checks remain your responsibility. |
Neither route installs anything on a player’s computer. ArkApi plugins are loaded by the dedicated server and affect the server process.
Install ArkServerAPI manually on Windows
- Download the matching resource. Open the official Ark Server API resources area and select the ASE package for ARK: Survival Evolved or the ASA package for ARK: Survival Ascended. Confirm the edition before you download a plugin as well.
- Install the Visual C++ runtime. Install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable on the machine that runs the dedicated server. Do this before launching the API.
- Locate the server’s Win64 directory. Starting at the ARK server root, open
ARKShooterGameBinariesWin64. This is the directory that already contains the dedicated-server binaries. - Extract the API archive into Win64. Unzip the ArkServerAPI package directly into
ARKShooterGameBinariesWin64and allow the extraction to merge its supplied files with the existing Win64 contents. Do not create an extra nested Win64 folder by extracting the archive one level too high. - Start the dedicated server once. Launch the server after extraction so the API can create its directories and logs. If you prefer a controlled plugin change, wait for the server to finish its initial startup and then stop it before uploading any plugin.
- Open the plugin directory. From the same Win64 location, go to
ArkApiPlugins. The resulting full path isARKShooterGameBinariesWin64ArkApiPlugins. - Download and extract a plugin. Obtain a plugin from the Ark Server API resources area and extract its package into
ARKShooterGameBinariesWin64ArkApiPlugins. Extract the plugin’s own folder rather than scattering its files directly into the parent directory. - Preserve the supplied folder name. On ASE, the plugin DLL name must match the plugin folder name. If a DLL is named
ExamplePlugin.dll, its folder must be namedExamplePlugin. Renaming that folder prevents the DLL from being read and stops the plugin from starting. - Restart and inspect startup output. Start the server again and watch the console or startup output for a load message or an error. Then inspect the API and crash logs described below.
Understand the extraction layout
Most failed installations are path mistakes rather than missing plugins. The API archive belongs in the existing Win64 directory. After the first launch, the API’s plugin parent should be directly below that directory. A correct parent path is:
ARKShooterGameBinariesWin64ArkApiPluginsWhen you open Plugins, each plugin should appear as its own named folder. Do not leave a ZIP file as the only copy, put DLLs in the ARK root, or extract an archive so that the real files are hidden under an unintended second Win64 or plugin folder. If an archive already contains a top-level plugin directory, extract that directory directly under Plugins.
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Use the correct ASA plugin layout
ASA plugins use a named subfolder containing both the plugin binary and its metadata file. For a plugin called ExamplePlugin, the expected layout is:
ShooterGameBinariesWin64ArkApiPluginsExamplePluginExamplePlugin.dll
ShooterGameBinariesWin64ArkApiPluginsExamplePluginPluginInfo.jsonThe ASA template places [PluginName].dll and PluginInfo.json inside ShooterGameBinariesWin64ArkApiPlugins[PluginName]. Keep the archive’s supplied directory name and make sure both files are inside that directory, not one level above it and not in a second nested copy of the folder.
The metadata file is not an optional decoration in this layout. If the DLL is present but PluginInfo.json is missing or separated from it, the loader can report a missing file or fail to initialize the plugin. Correct the folder first, then restart and read the new startup message.
Install through a managed hosting panel
Panel labels differ by host, but a documented workflow uses the following sequence. The referenced panel guide was published June 8, 2026.
- Log in to the game-server panel.
- Open Non-Workshop Mods.
- Find ARK Server API and click Install.
- After the panel finishes, open File Manager or connect with FTP.
- Browse to
ShooterGame/Binaries/Win64/ArkApi/Plugins. - Upload the plugin package and extract it so the plugin’s named folder sits directly under
Plugins. - Restart the ARK server from the panel.
If the host does not expose a Non-Workshop Mods entry, use the host’s documented ArkApi installation method instead of copying an ASE or ASA archive blindly. The panel can simplify the API installation, but plugin edition compatibility and folder structure remain your responsibility.
Panel installation does not change the server-side nature of these plugins. Players connect with the normal game client for that server edition; they do not copy the API or plugin DLLs to their own machines.
Verify that the API and plugin loaded
Check the ASE API log
ASE ArkServerAPI writes its API log to ShooterGame/Win64/logs/ArkApi.log. Open the file after a restart and look for the plugin load result or an error naming the failed component.
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Check crash logs
ASE crash logs are stored in ShooterGame/Saved/Logs/. A crash that appears immediately after adding a plugin should be correlated with the latest startup and crash-log entries before you change unrelated server files.
Read the startup output
The server console and API log are more useful than the presence of a plugin folder. A successful load should be distinguishable from an ignored file, a missing dependency, or an initialization failure. Keep the exact error text when asking the plugin author or host for help.
Verification should be done after a full restart, not merely after uploading a file. Confirm that the API starts, that the target plugin is named in the output, and that no later error unloads it. On a host, download or view the same logs through the panel if that feature is available.
Troubleshoot a plugin that will not load
The API itself never starts
- Confirm that you installed the package for the server’s actual edition.
- Confirm that the Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable is installed on the server machine.
- Verify that the archive was merged into
ARKShooterGameBinariesWin64, rather than extracted into an additional directory level. - Restart after the first API startup and inspect the API log instead of assuming that an empty plugin directory is the cause.
The plugin folder is present but the DLL is ignored
On ASE, compare the folder name character-for-character with the DLL filename without the .dll extension. The documented loader requirement is exact: changing the folder name prevents the DLL from reading that folder and prevents startup. Check capitalization, spaces, punctuation, and accidental suffixes added by an unzip utility.
ASA reports a missing file or metadata
Open the plugin’s named subfolder and verify that it contains both [PluginName].dll and PluginInfo.json. If either file is sitting directly in Plugins, or if the archive created an extra nested folder, move the files into the layout shown above.
A dependency or AsaApiUtils error appears
Some ASA plugins depend on another plugin or on an API utility. Read the startup output for the dependency name and install a compatible prerequisite before restarting. ASA update notes describe clearer messages for missing dependencies and missing AsaApiUtils, so the exact current error is important. Installing a dependency from a different edition or an incompatible API version can create a new load failure rather than solve the original one.
You need more diagnostic detail
ASA provides an optional ExtendedDebug setting for additional hook, rebuild, and unload logging. Enable it according to the current API or plugin instructions, reproduce the startup problem, and then use the expanded output to identify the failing hook or unload operation. Disable extra logging when you have finished collecting diagnostics if the setting produces more output than you need.
The problem began after an ARK update
Check the current Ark Server API resource version and the plugin’s compatibility before recopying files. Version-specific ASA update notes record changes to dependency diagnostics and debug logging; an ARK update can therefore require a newer API or plugin even when the directory structure is unchanged. Record the installed API version and the ARK update date when reporting a problem so compatibility can be checked precisely.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keep the installation maintainable
- Record whether the server is ASE or ASA before downloading future updates.
- Keep API files and plugins grouped under the server’s own Win64 directory; do not place plugin DLLs in the base ARK folder.
- Retain every plugin’s supplied folder name and, for ASA, its
PluginInfo.json. - After an ARK update, compare the API resource’s current version with the installed package and check plugin compatibility before restarting repeatedly.
- Use
ArkApi.log,ShooterGame/Saved/Logs/, and startup output as your first diagnostic sources. - When changing several plugins, add them in a controlled sequence so the first new error identifies the responsible package.
- Keep the exact DLL and folder names visible when transferring files through FTP; automatic renaming or duplicate-folder extraction can break the loader requirement.
What does installation cost?
The API, plugin packages, and Visual C++ prerequisite are software downloads rather than physical products. The installation instructions do not establish a universal purchase price. A self-managed Windows server uses the files and runtime described above; a managed host may charge its own hosting fee, which varies by provider and plan. Do not treat a hosting-panel installation as proof that every plugin is included or supported.
Final installation checklist
- Edition identified: ASE or ASA.
- Edition-matched ArkServerAPI package downloaded.
- Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable installed.
- API extracted into
ARKShooterGameBinariesWin64. - Server started once so API directories and logs could be created.
- Plugin extracted under
Win64ArkApiPlugins. - ASE DLL and folder names match exactly.
- ASA plugin folder contains both the DLL and
PluginInfo.json. - Server restarted and logs checked.
- Players informed only that the server has the plugin; no client-side plugin installation is required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I put ArkServerAPI plugin files?
Place each plugin’s named folder directly in ARKShooterGameBinariesWin64ArkApiPlugins. Do not leave the DLL in the ARK root or under an extra nested directory.
Do players need to install an ArkApi plugin?
No. ArkApi plugins load in the dedicated server process. Players connect with the normal client for the server’s edition and do not install the server plugin.
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Why is my ARK plugin not loading?
First confirm ASE versus ASA, the matching API package, and the Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable. Then check the extraction path, the startup output, and the logs. On ASE, the plugin folder and DLL name must match exactly; on ASA, the named folder must contain both the DLL and PluginInfo.json.
Can I use an ASE plugin on ASA?
Not unless the plugin author explicitly supports both editions. ASE and ASA use separate API resources and plugin compatibility.
What Windows version is required?
The documented ASE baseline is Windows 7 or Windows Server 2016 and newer. ASA requires Windows 10 or Windows Server 2019 and newer. Both require the Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable.
Where can I see whether an ASE plugin loaded?
Check ShooterGame/Win64/logs/ArkApi.log after restarting. For crashes, also inspect ShooterGame/Saved/Logs/ and compare the timestamps with the plugin change.
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The ASA template places [PluginName].dll and PluginInfo.json inside ShooterGameBinariesWin64ArkApiPlugins[PluginName].
How do I install ArkApi on a managed host?
Use the host panel’s Non-Workshop Mods section to install ARK Server API when available, then upload the plugin through File Manager or FTP to ShooterGame/Binaries/Win64/ArkApi/Plugins and restart the server.
What does a missing dependency or AsaApiUtils message mean?
The plugin expects another plugin or API utility. Read the exact startup message, install a compatible prerequisite for the same edition, and restart. ASA update notes provide clearer dependency diagnostics.
Should I update ArkServerAPI after an ARK update?
Check the current edition-specific API resource version and each plugin’s compatibility before changing files. An ARK update can require a newer API or plugin even when the folder layout is correct.
What is ExtendedDebug used for?
On ASA, the optional ExtendedDebug setting adds hook, rebuild, and unload logging. Enable it while reproducing a problem, use the additional output to identify the failure, then disable it if you no longer need the extra messages.
Is there a universal installation price?
The API, plugins, and Visual C++ prerequisite are downloadable software. Hosting providers set their own service prices, and the installation documentation does not define one universal fee.
The Bottom Line
Choose ASE or ASA first, install the Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable, extract the matching API into ShooterGameBinariesWin64, and put each plugin in its correctly named subfolder under ArkApiPlugins. Match ASE DLL and folder names exactly, include ASA’s PluginInfo.json, restart, and use the API and crash logs to diagnose failures. The plugins run server-side, so players do not install them.
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