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ARKPATCH 2026.10.16

How to Transfer Characters Between Unclustered ARK Servers

By VGSources Team 9 min read

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Yes, but the method depends on how the servers are configured. For a persistent multi-server setup, give both ARK servers the same -clusterid and point them to the same shared -ClusterDirOverride directory. If the servers must remain genuinely unclustered, administrators can still expose the terminal upload/download workflow by allowing transfers and sharing the SavedArks directory as a “fake cluster.” A matching cluster ID without shared transfer storage is not enough: the servers may appear to see each other while downloads fail.

What “unclustered” means for ARK transfers

In ARK: Survival Evolved and compatible dedicated-server setups, CrossARK travel is the system that moves a survivor, items and tames between maps. The game normally presents this as a server-to-server journey from an obelisk, supply crate, terminal or Tek Transmitter.

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People use “unclustered” for two different arrangements:

  • Separate servers with no shared cluster configuration. Each server has its own identity and storage. Direct CrossARK travel is not available unless an administrator changes the configuration.
  • Servers that are intended to work together but were not configured correctly. They may share a cluster ID, yet use different transfer-data directories. In that state they can appear in a travel list while the destination cannot find the uploaded survivor.

The practical question is therefore not only whether the servers have the same ID. It is whether both instances can read the same transfer data and whether their upload and download restrictions permit the operation.

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Choose the transfer method before changing anything

Approach What the player sees Administrator requirements Main risk
Persistent clustered travel Travel to another server, followed by a destination choice Identical -clusterid values and one shared -ClusterDirOverride location A wrong or inaccessible shared path can make servers visible but unusable
Upload/download on otherwise separate servers Upload the survivor on one server, then choose Download Survivor on the other Transfers allowed; prevention flags disabled; upload/download filtering left enabled; shared SavedArks data for a fake-cluster arrangement The destination survivor can be overwritten
Completely isolated servers No usable cross-server option No shared transfer data and no permitted transfer path Trying to force a download can leave the player with no available survivor

Ask the administrator which mode is active. A player cannot repair a missing transfer button by changing an in-game setting.

Administrator setup: the reliable clustered method

Use this method when the two maps are meant to form one persistent multi-server community. The ARK Official Community Wiki gives launch patterns like these:

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ShooterGameServer TheIsland?SessionName=MySession1 -clusterid=<CLUSTER_NAME> -ClusterDirOverride="<PATH>"
ShooterGameServer ScorchedEarth_P?SessionName=MySession2 -clusterid=<CLUSTER_NAME> -ClusterDirOverride="<PATH>"

1. Assign one private cluster ID

Replace <CLUSTER_NAME> with the same value on both launches. The ID is the relationship key that allows the servers to recognize one another. Do not use a generic value shared by unrelated communities; another server using the same ID can pollute the server list and expose destinations that do not belong to your group.

2. Point both servers to the same transfer directory

Replace <PATH> with one shared location and use that exact path for each server. When the machines are separate, the path must resolve to shared storage that both game processes can read and write. Two local folders with the same name are not the same directory.

Give the server account permission to create and modify files in that location. Keep the path stable across restarts, and do not let one instance silently fall back to its own local directory.

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3. Restart and verify the launch arguments

Stop both servers cleanly, apply the arguments, then start them again. Check the hosting panel or startup log for the complete command line. A typo in the parameter name, a missing quotation mark around a path containing spaces, or an argument applied to only one map can produce a misleading partial setup.

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4. Review transfer restrictions

Before testing, inspect the server configuration for these controls:

  • noTributeDownloads
  • PreventDownloadSurvivors
  • PreventUploadSurvivors
  • The corresponding item and dinosaur upload/download prevention flags

These settings can block a transfer even when the cluster ID and directory are correct. Decide separately whether survivors, items and tames should be transferable; permitting one category does not automatically permit the others.

5. Keep filtering behavior consistent

Do not enable -NoTransferFromFiltering if your workflow relies on the normal filtering-based upload and download behavior. Changing filtering can alter which destinations or data types are accepted and can make a previously working process appear broken.

6. Back up before the first live test

Make a copy of each server’s save files and the shared cluster directory. Retain the backup until a survivor has completed a round trip or the administrator has confirmed that the destination data is correct.

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Administrator setup: the “fake cluster” upload/download method

If the servers must remain without a cluster ID, the configuration documentation describes a second route. Tribute data is stored in the SavedArks directory; sharing that directory can create a “fake cluster” in which terminals expose upload and download buttons.

What must be true

  • No cluster ID is required for this arrangement.
  • Transfer filtering must not be disabled in a way that removes the intended upload/download behavior.
  • PreventUploadSurvivors and PreventDownloadSurvivors must allow the operation.
  • noTributeDownloads must not block tribute-data downloads.
  • The servers must share the relevant SavedArks transfer data, with read/write access for both instances.

This is not the same experience as seamless clustered travel. The player uploads a survivor as data, leaves the source server, joins the destination and downloads that survivor from the character screen.

Why sharing only a cluster ID fails

The ID tells servers that they may be associated. It does not move the uploaded files. If each server writes to a different cluster directory, the destination has no access to the source server’s tribute data. The result is a server list that looks correct but a missing or unusable download.

Player procedure: upload and download a survivor

Use this sequence when the administrator has confirmed the upload/download or fake-cluster method.

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  1. Prepare the survivor. Empty the survivor’s inventory unless the administrator has explicitly confirmed the item-transfer rules. Do not assume that an allowed survivor transfer also carries every item.
  2. Open a transfer terminal on the source map. Use an obelisk, supply crate, regular terminal or Tek Transmitter. The exact interface varies by map and server settings.
  3. Upload the survivor. In the terminal’s transfer interface, choose the survivor upload command and confirm it. Wait for the interface to finish before disconnecting.
  4. Leave without creating a replacement character. Close the session and join the destination server. Creating a new survivor can complicate the destination state and may cause an existing survivor to be replaced when the upload is downloaded.
  5. Choose the download option at the character screen. Select Download Survivor, choose the uploaded entry and confirm. If the server uses the clustered travel workflow instead, choose Travel to another server and select the destination map.
  6. Spawn and verify immediately. Confirm the survivor’s level, engrams, appearance and location before transferring additional items or tames. If anything is wrong, stop and ask the administrator to restore the backup rather than performing more uploads.

Only one survivor can be uploaded at a time. Treat the upload as a migration, not as a duplicate-character backup.

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What happens to the destination survivor

Downloading a survivor overwrites that player’s existing survivor data on the destination. This is why the administrator should take a save backup first and why a player should not create a temporary replacement character while waiting for the transfer. If the destination already contains progress that must be preserved, stop and agree on a backup or migration plan before downloading.

Survivor, item and dinosaur transfers are separate policy decisions. A server can permit the survivor while blocking items or tames, or allow an item category while rejecting a particular object through filtering. Verify the rules before uploading valuable equipment or creatures.

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Diagnose a missing “Download Survivor” option

The server is genuinely isolated

If there is no shared transfer data and no permitted upload/download configuration, the button will not appear. Ask the administrator to choose either the shared-directory fake-cluster method or the normal clustered setup.

Prevention flags are blocking it

Check PreventUploadSurvivors on the source and PreventDownloadSurvivors on the destination, plus noTributeDownloads. A single blocking flag is sufficient to remove or disable the operation.

The cluster ID matches but the directory does not

Compare the complete -ClusterDirOverride value on both servers, including capitalization, separators and quotation marks. Confirm that both processes can see the same files. Matching text that points to two local disks does not provide shared storage.

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The shared path is inaccessible

Check permissions for the account running each server, whether the network share is mounted before the game starts and whether a firewall or service account policy prevents file access. Restart after correcting the mount so the server does not continue using a fallback directory.

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Filtering was changed

Review whether -NoTransferFromFiltering was enabled or whether item and dinosaur filters were altered. Restore the intended filtering policy, then test with a disposable survivor only after the save backup is complete.

The upload completed but the destination is empty

Do not upload again immediately. First preserve the source save and shared directory, then inspect whether the tribute-data files were written to the expected location. Repeated attempts can overwrite the only usable copy or make it harder to identify which upload is current.

Safe test plan for an administrator

  1. Stop both servers and back up their saves plus the shared transfer directory.
  2. Start the source with the intended flags and create a test survivor with no valuable inventory.
  3. Upload that survivor from an obelisk, supply crate, terminal or Tek Transmitter.
  4. Confirm that new tribute-data files appear in the shared location and are readable from the destination machine.
  5. Join the destination, download the test survivor and verify its level and engrams.
  6. Restart both servers and repeat the check after a normal shutdown; this catches paths that exist only while a temporary mount is active.
  7. Document which survivor, item and dinosaur categories are allowed, and keep the backup until players have completed a real transfer.

Operational checklist for players

  • Ask whether the servers use clustered travel or manual upload/download.
  • Confirm that the administrator has backed up the destination survivor.
  • Empty your inventory unless item transfer has been explicitly approved.
  • Upload only after the terminal confirms completion.
  • Do not create a replacement survivor on the destination while your upload is pending.
  • Use Download Survivor for upload/download mode, or Travel to another server for a correctly clustered setup.
  • Verify the survivor before moving additional items or tames.

Key decisions for a two-server community

When to use persistent clustering

Choose shared -clusterid and -ClusterDirOverride storage when the maps are part of one long-term network and players should see a destination choice from the travel interface. It centralizes transfer data and gives the clearest player experience, but it requires dependable shared storage and careful identity management.

When upload/download is preferable

Use the fake-cluster approach when the servers need to retain separate launch identities but administrators can share the SavedArks transfer data. It is more manual and makes the overwrite warning especially important, yet it can expose the terminal workflow without assigning a conventional cluster ID.

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When not to enable transfers

Keep servers isolated when their rules, economies or progression are intentionally independent. In that case, tell players that a missing download option is expected rather than a fault to be bypassed.

Bottom line for unclustered ARK servers

Unclustered servers can exchange a survivor only when the administrator provides a permitted transfer path. For normal CrossARK travel, use the same private -clusterid and the same shared -ClusterDirOverride directory on both servers. For servers that remain without a cluster ID, share the SavedArks transfer data and allow terminal upload/downloads. The cluster ID alone is insufficient, and downloading can overwrite the destination survivor, so backups and a disposable test transfer are essential.

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ARKARK: Survival EvolvedCrossARK Transfersdedicated serversserver administrationsurvivor transfer

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