How to Connect to Your ARK: Survival Ascended Server

ARK is one of the few games where joining your own server trips people up, and it is almost always the same reason: Steam finds ARK servers by the query port, not the game port your server actually runs on. Put in the wrong number and the server simply never shows up, even though it is running fine. This guide covers the reliable ways to connect, where to find the exact address in your DoomHosting panel, and what to do when the server will not appear.

The One Thing That Confuses Everyone: Two Ports

Your ARK: Survival Ascended server uses two different ports, and which one you need depends on how you connect:

Query port (often 27015): this is what Steam's server browser and your Favorites list use to find the server. If you join through Steam, this is the number you need.
Game port (often 7777): this is what the in-game console open command uses to connect directly.

Adding the game port to your Steam Favorites is the single most common mistake. Steam looks for a server on that port, finds nothing, and you swear the server is offline when it is running perfectly. There is also no steam:// quick-connect link for ARK, so you cannot click your way in. You add the address by hand once, then join from Favorites every time after.

Find Your Address in the Panel

Open your server in the DoomHosting control panel and look at the connection details on the main server page:

The connection card shows your server IP and the game port (the 7777-style number).
For Steam you need the query port instead. It is listed in your server's Startup settings as the QUERY_PORT value (often 27015). Your Steam address is your IP followed by that query port, for example 123.45.67.89:27015.

If the server is still starting, give it a few minutes. The first boot of an ASA map takes a while, because Survival Ascended maps are large and memory-heavy.

Method 1: Join Through Steam Favorites (Recommended)

This is the most reliable way to join an unofficial ARK server, and the one we recommend for everyone on the Steam version.

Take your query address (your IP followed by the query port). It looks like 123.45.67.89:27015.
In Steam, open View, then Game Servers (on some clients this is called Servers).
Click the Favorites tab, then the + button to add a server.
Paste the query address and click Add this address to favorites.
Launch ARK: Survival Ascended.
From the main menu choose Join ARK, then set the session filter at the top to Favorites.
Your server appears in the list. Select it and click Join. After the first time it stays in Favorites, so joining is just Join ARK, Favorites, click your server.

Steam View menu with the Servers option highlighted In Steam, open the View menu and choose Servers.

Steam Servers window on the Favorites tab with Add a Server On the Favorites tab, click Add a Server. You can also right-click the empty space and choose Add server by IP address.

Steam Add Server dialog with a server address entered Paste your query address (IP and query port). Steam finds the server, then click Add this address to favorites.

Method 2: Join With the In-Game Console (Game Port)

If you would rather connect directly, ARK has a console command. This one uses the game port, not the query port.

Launch ARK: Survival Ascended and load into the main menu, or start a single-player session.
Press the console key to open the command bar. On most setups this is Tab, and you may need to enable the console first under Options.
Type open followed by your IP and game port, then press Enter:

open 123.45.67.89:7777

If your server has a join password, add it after the address:

open 123.45.67.89:7777 YourPassword

The game connects directly. The port here is the game port (the 7777-style number on your connection card), not the query port you used for Favorites.

Method 3: The Unofficial Server Browser

You can also search the public list, though it is the slowest option because thousands of unofficial servers load at once.

From the main menu choose Join ARK.
Set the session filter to Unofficial.
Type your server name into the search box and wait for the list to filter.
Select your server and click Join.

If it does not appear here, use the Favorites method above. The browser does not always list every server, especially right after a restart.

Server Not Showing Up?

Work through these in order. They cover almost every failed connection:

You used the game port in Favorites. This is the big one. Steam Favorites needs the query port (the QUERY_PORT value), not the game port.
The server is still booting. After a start or restart, ASA loads the full map before it answers queries, and ASA maps are heavy. Give it a few minutes.
Wrong session filter. In Join ARK, the filter has to be on Favorites (for Method 1) or Unofficial (for Method 3), not Official.
Mods are still downloading. ASA uses CurseForge for mods, and your game pulls the server's mods automatically the first time you join. Give it a moment to finish, and do not block the download.
BattlEye. If you get kicked the moment you join, make sure BattlEye is not disabled on your client when the server expects it.

Common Questions

Why can I not find my server in Steam even though it is online?

Almost always because the game port was added to Favorites instead of the query port. Remove it, then add your IP with the QUERY_PORT value from your Startup settings instead.

What is the difference between the game port and the query port?

The game port carries the actual gameplay traffic and is what the console open command uses. The query port is what Steam uses to look the server up in the browser and Favorites. ARK is unusual in that you connect through the query port on Steam, which is why this trips people up.

Does the steam:// quick-connect link work for ARK?

No. ARK does not support steam:// direct-connect links, so there is no one-click join. Add the server to Favorites once, then join from there.

Do I have to install mods by hand?

No. ARK: Survival Ascended uses CurseForge, not the old Steam Workshop, and the mods your server runs download automatically the first time you join. You do not subscribe to anything by hand.

Need a Hand?

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