How to Whitelist Players on Your ARK Server

If you run a private community, roleplay server, or invite-only tournament on DustBowl Warden, relying solely on server passwords can be risky because passwords leak easily. ARK: Survival Evolved includes a native hardware-level whitelist feature called Exclusive Join.

When Exclusive Join is enabled, only players whose unique account IDs appear in the authorized list can connect. All unlisted connection attempts are rejected immediately.

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Step 1: Enabling Exclusive Join

To activate whitelist enforcement on your server:

1. Open your server on DustBowl Warden and stop it.
2. Navigate to the Startup tab in the sidebar.
3. Locate the Exclusive Join toggle and switch it to Enabled (or add ?exclusivejoin to the additional startup arguments).
4. Save your configuration.

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Step 2: Populating PlayersExclusiveJoinList.txt

ARK checks for an authorized roster file named PlayersExclusiveJoinList.txt.

Finding the File Location

In the DustBowl Warden File Manager, navigate to:

ShooterGame/Saved/PlayersExclusiveJoinList.txt

(If the file does not exist, click New File, name it PlayersExclusiveJoinList.txt, and save it in ShooterGame/Saved/).

Formatting Authorized IDs

Add one account ID per line:

76561198012345678
76561198098765432
76561198112233445

• For Steam Players: Use the 17-digit SteamID64. You can find or convert player profile links using our free SteamID Converter.
• For Epic Games Players: Use their 32-character Epic Account ID (found in their Epic Account settings or visible in server connection logs).

Save the file. Changes take effect on next server reload or via in-game admin commands.

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Step 3: Managing the Whitelist In-Game Without Restarting

Server administrators can add or remove players from the whitelist on the fly using in-game console commands:

1. Press TAB to open the console and authenticate:

   enablecheats YourAdminPassword
   

2. To allow a player:

   admincheat AllowPlayerToJoinNoCheck 76561198012345678
   

   ARK immediately appends the ID to PlayersExclusiveJoinList.txt and permits the survivor to connect without restarting the server.
3. To remove a player from the whitelist:

   admincheat DisallowPlayerToJoinNoCheck 76561198012345678
   

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Whitelisting Admins Automatically

If you want administrators to bypass the enablecheats requirement every time they connect, create:

ShooterGame/Saved/AllowedCheaterSteamIDs.txt

Add admin SteamID64s one per line. Listed survivors will automatically have admin command privileges whenever they join.

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Related Tools and Guides

• SteamID Converter: Convert player profile URLs and vanity handles to 17-digit SteamID64s.
• ARK Tribe Permissions Tool: Structure governance and rank management for private communities.
• How to Use Admin Commands in ARK: Console authorization and server moderation reference.