How to Become Admin on Your ARK: Survival Evolved Server

Admin access lets you run cheat and management commands on your ARK server: spawn items, fly, teleport, instantly tame, kick or ban players, save the world, and wipe wild dinos. There are two ways to send those commands, the in-game console and our panel Console (which is wired to RCON), and this guide covers both, plus how to skip the password entirely.

Step 1: Set Your Admin Password

Your admin password is set in the panel, not in a config file.

1. Open your server in the DoomHosting panel and go to the Startup tab.
2. Find the Admin Password field. It is PleaseChangeMe by default, so change it to something only you know.
3. The panel autosaves. Restart the server so the new password takes effect.

Anyone with this password can run every admin command, so treat it like a root password and do not share it.

Option A: Run Commands From the In-Game Console

This is the classic method and works for any player who has the password.

1. Join your server (see how to join your ARK server if you need the steps).
2. Press Tab to open the console. If nothing happens, enable the console first under Options.
3. Authenticate as admin:

enablecheats YourAdminPassword

4. You are now admin for this session. On a multiplayer server, prefix each command with admincheat:

admincheat Fly
admincheat GiveItemNum 1 1 1 false

You have to run enablecheats again every time you reconnect.

Option B: Run Commands From the Panel Console (RCON)

Your ARK server runs with RCON enabled, and our panel Console tab is connected straight to it. That means you can run admin commands from the browser without being in-game at all, which is ideal for broadcasts, saves, and kicking a player while you are away from your PC.

1. Open the Console tab in your panel.
2. Type the command and press Enter. Over RCON you are already authenticated, so do not add the admincheat prefix:

Broadcast Server restarting in 5 minutes
SaveWorld
ListPlayers

Rule of thumb: use the panel Console for server management (broadcasts, saves, player lists, kicks) and the in-game console for anything that acts on you or where you are standing (Fly, teleport, spawning something in front of you).

Skip the Password: Make Yourself a Permanent Admin

Tired of typing enablecheats every time? Whitelist your Steam ID and you are admin automatically on every join, no password needed.

1. Get your Steam64 ID, the 17-digit number. You can look it up at steamid.io.
2. In the panel, open the Files tab and go to ShooterGame/Saved/.
3. Create a file named exactly AllowedCheaterSteamIDs.txt.
4. Put one Steam64 ID per line, save, and restart the server.

Everyone listed in that file gets admin rights on login without the password or enablecheats.

Essential Admin Commands

In-game, prefix these with admincheat. In the panel Console (RCON), use them without the prefix.

For the complete list, the ARK Wiki console commands page is the reference.

Common Questions

Do I have to restart after changing the admin password?

Yes. The password is applied when the server launches, so save it on the Startup tab and restart for it to take effect.

Why does my command do nothing in-game?

On a server you have to run enablecheats YourAdminPassword first, then prefix commands with admincheat. Without the prefix many commands are silently ignored.

What is the difference between the in-game console and the panel Console?

The in-game console runs commands as the character you are playing, which is best for Fly, teleport, and spawning near you. The panel Console runs over RCON for server management (broadcasts, saves, kicks) and needs no password or prefix.

Can other people be admin too?

Yes. Share the admin password so they can run enablecheats, or add their Steam64 IDs to AllowedCheaterSteamIDs.txt for password-free admin.

Need a Hand?

Not hosting with us yet? See ARK: Survival Evolved server hosting. Already a customer and stuck? Our support team is available 24/7 from your panel.