How to Enable the Whitelist on Your ARK Server

Published June 8, 2026 · By Host Havoc Technical Support Team

Exclusive join mode turns your ARK: Survival Evolved server into a private, whitelist-only server: only the Steam64 IDs you approve can connect. You set it with a command line parameter plus a list file. This is separate from adding admins, which grants powers rather than access.

Turn on exclusive join

  1. Log into the game panel and open your ARK service.
  2. Open the Command Line Manager, go to Custom Commandlines, and click New.
  3. In the Additional Parameters box, add:
-exclusivejoin
  1. Save the command line and click Select on the right.
  2. Open Configuration Files and edit PlayersJoinNoCheckList.txt.
  3. Add each approved Steam64 ID on its own line, then save and restart.

Tip: You can also add players to the whitelist in game from the admin menu once the server is running. Approved players connect the usual way, shown in joining your ARK server.

Note: The same PlayersJoinNoCheckList.txt file also serves as ARK's join-check bypass, skipping slot and other join checks for the players listed in it.