How to Set Up a Server Cluster (Cross-ARK Travel) on Your ARK Server
Link two or more ARK servers together so players can transfer their survivor, dinos, and items between maps using Obelisks and Supply Drops.
What Is a Server Cluster?
A cluster is two or more ARK server instances linked together by a shared cluster ID. Once configured, players can walk up to any Obelisk, Supply Drop, or TEK Transmitter and use the upload/download system to move between maps — taking their survivor, tamed dinos, and item inventory with them.
Clusters are the standard setup for communities that want to run multiple maps (e.g., The Island + Ragnarok + Aberration) as one connected world rather than isolated servers.
What You Need Before Starting
- At least 2 ARK server instances. A cluster requires a minimum of two servers — you can't cluster a server with itself. If you're currently running one ARK server and want to add a second, contact DustBowl.Games support and we can provision it for you.
- Both servers running the same version of ARK: Survival Evolved. Clusters do not work between mismatched game versions. See How to Update Your ARK Server if you need to bring a server up to date.
- A unique cluster name you'll use as your cluster ID. Pick something specific to your community — something like
dustbowl_pvp_clusterormyserver_season3. Avoid generic names that might accidentally collide with another operator's cluster.
Step 1 — Set the Cluster ID in GameUserSettings.ini
On every server in the cluster, open GameUserSettings.ini:
ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini
Under the [ServerSettings] section, add:
ClusterID=YourUniqueClusterName
The value must be identical on all servers. Spelling matters — MyCluster and mycluster are treated as different clusters.
Step 2 — Add the Launch Parameter
In addition to the INI setting, you also need to pass the cluster ID as a server launch parameter. In your control panel's startup/launch arguments field, add:
-clusterid=YourUniqueClusterName
Again, this must match exactly across all servers.
Step 3 — Configure the Cluster Data Directory
This is the part most guides skip over, and it's why many cluster setups fail silently.
ARK stores uploaded survivors, dinos, and items in a cluster data directory. By default it writes to:
ShooterGame/Saved/clusters/
For a cluster to actually work, both servers need to read from and write to the same cluster data directory. If they're writing to separate folders, uploads from Server A will never appear on Server B.
For DustBowl-hosted servers, contact support to request a shared cluster directory between your instances. We'll configure a shared path and give you the -clusterdiroverride= value to use as a launch parameter. The parameter looks like this:
-clusterdiroverride=/path/to/shared/clusters
Add it to the launch arguments on all servers in the cluster.
Optional Transfer Controls
By default, players can transfer survivors, dinos, and items freely between clustered servers. You can restrict this if needed. These go in GameUserSettings.ini under [ServerSettings]:
PreventUploadSurvivors=False
PreventUploadDinos=False
PreventUploadItems=False
Set any of these to True to block that category from being uploaded. For example, a map that serves as a starting zone might set PreventUploadSurvivors=True so players can't import a max-level character from another server.
You can also add the -NoTransferFromFiltering launch parameter to allow transfers across servers that have different content restrictions (useful if your servers run different mod sets).
How Players Transfer Between Servers
Once the cluster is running, players transfer like this:
- Walk up to an Obelisk (red, blue, or green), a Supply Drop, or a TEK Transmitter.
- Open its inventory panel.
- Use the Transmit ARK Data option (the green upload button).
- Upload your survivor, any dinos you want to bring, and items from your inventory.
- Log out of the current server and connect to the destination server.
- At any Obelisk/Drop/Transmitter on the new server, download your survivor and belongings.
Uploaded data is held in the cluster directory for a default of 24 hours (configurable). If a player doesn't download within that window, the data may be lost — worth mentioning in your server rules.
Common Problems and Fixes
Transfers aren't showing up on the other server
Almost always a cluster directory mismatch. Both servers are writing to their own local clusters/ folder instead of a shared one. Confirm the -clusterdiroverride= path is identical on both servers and that the folder exists.
ClusterID mismatch
Double-check that the ClusterID= value in GameUserSettings.ini and the -clusterid= launch parameter are identical on every server, including capitalization.
"You don't meet the level requirements" on download Some maps (Aberration, Extinction, Genesis) have level gates or other restrictions on incoming transfers. This is expected behavior from the base game.
Mod conflicts If your servers run different mod sets, items and dinos from mods that don't exist on the destination server may be deleted or corrupted on arrival. Keep your mod lists consistent across clustered servers. See How to Install Mods on Your ARK Server.
Server version mismatch Players can't transfer between an ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE) server and an ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) server — these are separate games with different server software. This guide covers ASE only.
Checklist Before Going Live
- Both servers have
ClusterID=YourUniqueClusterNamein GameUserSettings.ini under[ServerSettings] - Both servers have
-clusterid=YourUniqueClusterNamein their launch parameters - Both servers point to the same cluster data directory via
-clusterdiroverride= - Both servers are running the same ARK version
- You've tested a transfer in both directions before opening to players