How to Join Your ARK: Survival Evolved Server (Steam and Epic)

Updated June 10, 2026 · By Host Havoc Technical Support Team

Since the in-game ARK: Survival Evolved server browser often does not display all of the servers online, the most reliable way to join your own server is to add it to your Steam favourites. If you're setting the server up for the first time, you'll also want to use admin commands once you're in.

Before you start: You'll need your server's connection info in <IP>:<PORT> format, shown on the main control page for your ARK server.

Steam

  1. Open the Steam client.
  2. At the top left, click View.
  3. Click Servers, then open the Favorites tab.
  4. Click Add Server to Favorites.
  5. Copy and paste your server's query information as <IP>:<PORT>. It's shown on the main control page for your ARK server.
    ARK server query info shown on the control panel's main page

Epic Games Store

Note: The Epic Games Store version of ARK does not currently have a way to join a server directly via IP/port. This is not a limitation on our part.

  1. Join a single-player game of ARK.
  2. Press Tab to open the console.
  3. Obtain your server's connection info in <IP>:<PORT> format.
  4. Type open <IP>:<PORT> and press Enter.
    Joining an ARK server through the Epic Games console

Warning: Using a password? ARK will sometimes not let you join if you enter the password from the Steam server browser. Enter it from within the game instead, or you won't load in properly.