The one thing that trips people up
Admin authentication doesn’t persist between sessions
Every time you join your server — even if you set it up yourself — you need to re-enter enablecheats with your admin password before any admin command will work. It’s not a bug, it’s just how the game works: disconnect and reconnect, and you’ll need to run it again. Set your password once in ServerAdminPassword under [ServerSettings] in GameUserSettings.ini — covered in our server settings guide — rather than passing it through a launch string, which is a common source of syntax errors. Still choosing a host for your server? See our best ARK: Survival Ascended server hosting comparison.
Step by step
Getting admin access
1
Open the console
On PC, press Tab (enable it in settings first if it doesn’t open) or the tilde key
~ depending on your keyboard layout. Console platforms have their own equivalent input method.2
Authenticate
enablecheats YourAdminPassword
If the password matches what’s set in
ServerAdminPassword, you won’t see an error and you now have admin access — for this session only.3
Run commands with the cheat or admincheat prefix
Most admin commands need one of these prefixes to run. Both work interchangeably on a dedicated server.
Quick reference
Commands server owners actually use
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
cheat fly | Toggle flight |
cheat god | Invincibility |
cheat GMSummon "Rex_Character_BP_C" 1 | Spawn a specific creature |
cheat DoTame | Instantly tame whatever you’re looking at |
cheat ForceTame | Tame without a taming bar, immediately |
cheat GFI [item] [qty] [quality] [blueprint] | Give yourself an item by name |
cheat DestroyWildDinos | Clear all wild creatures on the map |
KickPlayer <SteamID> | Remove a player from the server |
Looking to spawn a boss arena or DLC-specific creatures? Our DLC maps guide covers map-specific setup that pairs well with these commands.
FAQ
ARK: Survival Ascended admin commands — common questions
Admin authentication doesn’t persist between sessions — it’s tied to your current connection, not your account. Disconnecting and reconnecting always requires running enablecheats again.
This usually happens when the password is set via a launch string with other parameters, and a syntax issue causes it to merge with adjacent values. Set ServerAdminPassword directly in GameUserSettings.ini instead — see our server settings guide for the exact syntax.
Admin access grants command access, not automatic advantages — most admins use it to configure world rules, moderate, or run events rather than to cheat during normal play. What you do with it is up to you.
Yes, the same admin commands work across platforms once authenticated, though the exact input method for opening the console differs by platform.
DestroyWildDinos clears wild creatures, but a full world wipe is a separate file-level process rather than a console command — see our guide to resetting your world.
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