ARK: Survival Evolved Commands Guide (Complete and Up to Date)

You are looking for a specific ARK command and you land on lists full of incomprehensible blueprints, or on guides that only cover god mode and forcetame. This reference gathers all the useful commands of ARK: Survival Evolved, organized by category, with the exact syntax, the explained parameters and concrete examples you can copy and paste straight into the console.

Key takeaways

• All admin commands first require enablecheats YourPassword on a multiplayer server.
• On a server, prefix every command with cheat or admincheat (both work).
• Commands are not case-sensitive, but the syntax (spaces, quotes) must be respected.
• Some commands affect all players (DestroyWildDinos, weather). Use them with caution on a populated server.

Opening the console and logging in as admin

Before running anything, you need to access the command console.

• PC: Tab key (or ² on an AZERTY keyboard)
• Xbox: Pause, then LB + RB + X + Y simultaneously
• PlayStation: Pause, then L1 + R1 + Triangle + Square simultaneously

In singleplayer, commands work directly if cheats are enabled in the options. On a multiplayer server, you must first authenticate as admin:

enablecheats YourAdminPassword

The password is the one set in GameUserSettings.ini via the ServerAdminPassword parameter. At a server host, it is usually found in the management panel settings.

If your commands appear in all players' chat, the AdminLogging option is enabled in the server configuration. Disable it in GameUserSettings.ini to keep your commands private.

Server management commands

The DestroyWildDinos command is the one you will use most often as an admin. After changing spawn rates or the max dino level in the configuration, old creatures stay in the game with the old settings. A DestroyWildDinos forces the game to replace them with new creatures using the updated settings.

Player commands (game mode and movement)

Ghost mode is handy for inspecting a base or looking for a bug under the terrain, but be careful: if you go below the map in Ghost mode and switch back to Walk, you fall into the void and die. Switch back to Walk at a safe altitude, above the ground.

Creature spawn commands

ARK offers three ways to spawn creatures. Each has its own quirks.

The difference between GMSummon and SpawnDino: GMSummon is simpler (just the class name and level), but the creature appears exactly on top of you. SpawnDino lets you control the distance and orientation. In practice, GMSummon is enough for 99% of cases.

Concrete example with SpawnDino (full syntax):

cheat SpawnDino "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/Dinos/Rex/Rex_Character_BP.Rex_Character_BP'" 500 0 0 150

This spawns a level 150 Rex 500 units in front of you. The level specified with GMSummon is the level before taming bonus: a dino spawned at level 150 will be around 225 after the bonus.

Class IDs of the most requested creatures

For the complete list of class IDs (more than 400 creatures), see the official ARK wiki at ark.wiki.gg.

Item commands

Three methods to obtain items. The simplest is GFI, the most precise is GiveItem with the full blueprint.

Quality parameters for GFI and GiveItem: 0 = primitive, 25 = ramshackle, 50 = apprentice, 75 = journeyman, 100 = ascendant. The last parameter (blueprint): 0 = usable item, 1 = blueprint (the crafting schematic).

Concrete example with GFI (the most practical method day to day):

• cheat GFI MetalIngot 500 0 0: 500 metal ingots
• cheat GFI Rifle 1 100 0: 1 ascendant-quality rifle
• cheat GFI RexSaddle 1 0 0: 1 Rex saddle
• cheat GFI Kibble_Base_Special 50 0 0: 50 extraordinary kibbles
• cheat GFI WeaponTek 1 0 0: 1 Tek rifle

Creature and taming commands

Dino color regions: 0 to 5 (varies by species, some regions are unused). Color index: 1 to 56. To find the color/number mapping, search for "ARK Color IDs" on the official wiki.

Time and weather commands

The PlayersOnly command is underrated. It freezes everything except players: creatures stop, crafting pauses, baby dinos stop growing. It is very useful for screenshots, building in a dangerous area, or solving a problem without the world continuing to turn around you.

Tribe and structure commands

DestroyTribeId and DestroyStructures are irreversible destructive commands. Do a SaveWorld before using them. If you delete the wrong tribe's structures, you will have no way to restore them without a server backup.

Spectator and interface commands

Event and DLC commands

Useful server parameters (GameUserSettings.ini)

These parameters are not console commands but lines to add to the GameUserSettings.ini file. They change the server's overall behavior and take effect on restart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do the commands work on ARK: Survival Ascended?

The vast majority of commands listed here also work on ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA), the Unreal Engine 5 remake. The syntax is identical. A few commands specific to Survival Evolved DLCs (Genesis, Scorched Earth) may have slightly different blueprint names on ASA. Check the wiki if a command does not work.

How do I find a player's PlayerID?

Use cheat ListPlayers in the console. The command displays the name, SteamID64 and PlayerID (in-game ID) of all connected players. The SteamID64 is the long 17-digit number used by the ban/kick commands. The PlayerID is the shorter number used by the teleportation and item transfer commands.

Why does my command not work?

Three common causes. You did not run enablecheats beforehand. You forgot the cheat prefix in front of the command. Or the syntax is incorrect (extra space, missing quotes in blueprints). ARK returns no error message when a command fails: it simply does nothing.

How do I undo a command?

Most mode commands (God, Fly, Ghost, InfiniteStats) work as toggles: type the same command to disable it. Destructive commands (DestroyWildDinos, DestroyStructures, Kill) are irreversible. The only solution is to restore a server backup. Always run a SaveWorld before executing a destructive command.

Do players see when I use commands?

If AdminLogging is enabled in the server configuration, all your admin commands are displayed in global chat. Disable AdminLogging in GameUserSettings.ini to keep your commands invisible. The visible effects of commands (spawning a dino, changing the weather) will still be noticeable by nearby players.

Where can I find the full blueprints for GiveItem and SpawnDino?

The official ARK wiki at ark.wiki.gg is the most complete and up-to-date source for all item and creature blueprints. Each creature or item page includes the copyable blueprint for console commands. Avoid third-party sites that copy this data without updating it: blueprints sometimes change between patches.