To require a password before anyone can join your ARK: Survival Ascended dedicated server, set ServerPassword in the server’s GameUserSettings.ini file, or use the server-password field in your hosting panel. The setting belongs under [ServerSettings]. Save the change, then restart the server. ServerAdminPassword is separate: it grants administrator access after a player has joined and does not protect the join screen.
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Which password setting controls player entry?
ARK: Survival Ascended uses two different password settings that are easy to confuse:
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|---|---|---|
ServerPassword |
Requires a password to join the server. | At the server-join prompt, before the player enters the world. |
ServerAdminPassword |
Provides administrator access for commands and other admin functions. | After joining, when the player authenticates as an administrator. |
If your goal is to stop uninvited players from connecting, use ServerPassword. Adding or changing only ServerAdminPassword will not prevent ordinary players from joining.
Set a join password in the Nitrado panel
The managed-panel method is usually the quickest option because the panel identifies the active configuration file and supplies the restart controls.
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- Open your ARK: Survival Ascended server in the Nitrado panel.
- Stop the server. Do not edit a running configuration if the panel warns that changes may be overwritten.
- Open Settings → General.
- Locate the server-password field and enter the password players must type to join.
- Save the settings.
- Restart the server.
- Give the join password only to the people who should have access.
The password does not take effect merely because it was typed into the form. The save operation must complete and the server must be started again with the updated configuration. If the server is still online while you edit it, stop it first and perform a clean restart after saving.
Edit GameUserSettings.ini directly
Direct editing is appropriate for a self-hosted server or for a host that provides file access. Stop the server before changing the file so the running process cannot rewrite your edit.
- Stop the dedicated server.
- Open
ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini. On Nitrado, the documented location begins with…/arksa/, followed byShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer. - Find the
[ServerSettings]section. If the section is absent, create it on its own line. - Add or change the setting so it appears in this form:
[ServerSettings]
ServerPassword=ReplaceWithYourJoinPassword- Replace
ReplaceWithYourJoinPasswordwith the value players should enter. Keep the setting name exactly as shown. - Save the file.
- Restart the dedicated server.
The provider’s definition of this option is that it “adds a required password to the ARK: SA server,” allowing only players with that password to join. The setting must be in the configuration used by the active server instance; editing a backup, a different map profile, or an inactive installation will have no effect.
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Verify that the password is working
Test from a player account that is not already connected through an administrator workflow.
- Confirm the server has fully stopped and started after the edit.
- Refresh the server list or reconnect so the client is not using an old session.
- Attempt to join without entering a password. A protected server should require the join credential.
- Enter the exact password, including capitalization and any spaces you intentionally used.
- After a successful test, remove the password from chat messages, screenshots, stream overlays, and public server descriptions if you do not want it distributed.
The available configuration references do not establish a universal minimum length, maximum length, or character whitelist for ARK: Survival Ascended server passwords. Do not assume a particular validation rule; if a value is rejected by your panel or server, use the error shown by that installation and test a simpler value.
Why random players can still join
You changed the administrator password instead
ServerAdminPassword authenticates an administrator. It is not the credential that gates entry. Add or edit ServerPassword as well.
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The server was never restarted
Configuration changes are loaded when the server starts. Stop the server, save the setting, and start it again. A panel may show the new value immediately even though the running process is still using the old one.
The entry is outside [ServerSettings]
Place the line in the [ServerSettings] block. If there are several INI sections, putting the line under an unrelated heading can leave the setting ineffective.
You edited the wrong file or server
For the standard Windows dedicated-server layout, check ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini. On a managed host, use the path and profile associated with the specific ARK: Survival Ascended server you start from the panel. Multiple installations, maps, or profiles can each have their own configuration.
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The save was not committed
In a panel, click its save or apply control and wait for confirmation. In a file editor, verify that the file was saved in place and that the filename did not gain an extra extension such as .txt. Then restart the same server instance whose file you changed.
A stale connection is confusing the test
A player who is already connected may not see a new join prompt until disconnecting and reconnecting. Test with a fresh connection after the restart, rather than relying on an existing session.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Managed panel or direct file editing?
| Consideration | Managed panel | Direct INI edit |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Owners who want guided fields and built-in start/stop controls. | Self-hosters and administrators who need complete file access. |
| Finding the active file | The host maps the field to the correct configuration. | You must identify the active installation and profile yourself. |
| Restart workflow | Stop, save, and restart from the panel. | Stop the process, save the file, and start the correct server manually or through the host. |
| Control over other settings | Convenient for supported options; advanced entries may still require file access. | Full control over the INI, provided the syntax and section are correct. |
| Risk of editing the wrong instance | Lower when the panel has one clearly selected server. | Higher when several maps, profiles, or installations exist. |
Both methods set the same server option. Choose the panel when you want the host to handle location and lifecycle controls; choose the INI when you administer the installation directly or need settings that the panel does not expose.
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Self-hosted server notes
The ARK Official Community Wiki lists ServerPassword as a dedicated-server configuration option and uses GameUserSettings.ini for these settings. Its dedicated-server material covers Windows or a Windows-like environment. The exact directory layout can vary with your launcher, operating system, container, or hosting provider, so the active installation’s path takes priority over a copied example.
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If you remove the ServerPassword line, or leave the option unset in the active configuration, the server has no join password. Removing the line is therefore different from changing ServerAdminPassword: one removes the entry requirement, while the other changes administrator authentication.
Password changes and server availability
Changing the join password requires a restart, which temporarily takes the server offline. Schedule the restart when players are not in the middle of an activity, and tell regular players when the new credential will become active. A password change does not by itself change survivor data, map settings, or administrator permissions; it changes the credential required for new joins.
After restarting, distribute the new password through a private channel. Anyone who knows it can attempt to join, so the password is an access gate rather than a complete permission system. Use the separate administrator credential only for trusted operators and do not publish it alongside the player join password.
A complete checklist
- Use
ServerPasswordfor the player join password. - Keep
ServerAdminPasswordfor administrator authentication. - Stop the server before editing the panel field or INI file.
- Use Settings → General in the Nitrado panel, or edit
ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.inidirectly. - Put the entry under
[ServerSettings]. - Save the change and restart the server.
- Test a fresh connection with and without the password.
- If uninvited players can still join, check the active server, active profile, exact file path, section name, save confirmation, and restart status.
- Do not rely on undocumented assumptions about password length or allowed characters.
Quick reference
[ServerSettings]
ServerPassword=YourPrivateJoinPasswordThat single setting is the relevant configuration for requiring a password before players enter an ARK: Survival Ascended server. The change becomes effective after the edited configuration is saved and the server is restarted.
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