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Automated Ark is a third-party, vanilla-themed automation mod for ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA). It is published on CurseForge under project ID 928597 by blitzfire911. On a client or single-player game, install and enable it from ASA’s in-game mod browser. On a dedicated server, add the CurseForge mod ID to the server’s active-mod setting (or launch parameter), restart, and allow the first boot to download the files. ASA mods come through CurseForge, not Steam Workshop; older ARK: Survival Evolved Workshop instructions and app ID 346110 do not apply.
What Automated Ark is
Automated Ark is intended to reduce repetitive base chores without replacing the game’s overall vanilla feel. Its CurseForge description and community wiki coverage identify features such as base sorting, egg collection, meat spoiling and automatic pulling of items. The mod is described as lightweight, with few custom models or textures, so it is aimed at adding utility rather than introducing a large new content set.
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It is not a Studio Wildcard mod. The listed author is blitzfire911, and the mod is distributed through CurseForge. That distinction matters when you troubleshoot: Studio Wildcard support channels and the base game’s files cannot guarantee compatibility with a third-party mod, and an ASA update can require the mod author to publish a compatible build.
The project ID reported for the ASA listing is 928597. Treat that number as a value to verify on the live Automated Ark CurseForge page before configuring a server. A re-upload can change a mod ID, and a search-result summary is not a substitute for checking the current listing.
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Why ASA installation is different from ARK: Survival Evolved
ASA uses CurseForge for its mod distribution. It does not use the Steam Workshop workflow associated with ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE). Guides that tell you to subscribe to a Workshop item, copy a Workshop ID, or select app 346110 describe the older game and can leave an ASA server with the wrong identifier.
For ASA, the number you place in a server’s mod list is the CurseForge project ID. For Automated Ark, the currently reported ID is 928597. If the live listing displays a different ID, use the live value instead of copying an old configuration.
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Choose the installation route
Your route depends on where you want the mod to run. The following comparison keeps client and server settings separate, which prevents the most common installation mistake: installing a mod locally while never adding it to the server, or editing a server file when you only wanted a single-player game.
| Route | Best for | What you change | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-game mod browser | Single-player and a player’s own client | Install and activate Automated Ark in ASA | Menu labels can vary by game build; the mod must also be enabled for the save |
| Dedicated-server configuration | Self-managed servers with file or command-line access | Add 928597 to ActiveMods= or a -mods= launch parameter |
A typo, incorrect file, or malformed list prevents loading |
| Managed-host control panel | Servers operated through a hosting panel | Enter the comma-separated ID in the panel’s Mod IDs or Startup field | Field names and restart behavior differ between hosts |
Check compatibility before installing
Do these checks before changing a live server:
- Confirm the game: these instructions are for ARK: Survival Ascended, not ASE.
- Confirm the source: use the Automated Ark ASA listing on CurseForge and verify the current project ID.
- Check your platform mix: console clients and PC-only mods are not interchangeable. A mod that cannot load on a console client can prevent a mixed or crossplay server from working as intended.
- Record the current configuration: copy your server’s configuration files or use the host’s backup function before editing the mod list.
- Plan for updates: a major ASA patch can make a mod incompatible until an update is released. Do not update a production server blindly on patch day.
- Check access: you need permission to edit the server configuration or the host panel’s startup settings. Players without server access should use the in-game browser only for their own client or single-player save.
Install Automated Ark in single-player or on a client
The client route does not require editing an INI file. The exact wording of menu buttons can change between ASA builds, but the operation is the same.
- Start ARK: Survival Ascended and open the in-game Mods list or mod browser.
- Search for Automated Ark. Confirm that the result is the ASA project and that the author is listed as blitzfire911. If several similarly named entries appear, do not choose one solely because the name looks familiar.
- Open the listing and choose Install. Wait for the download to finish; leaving the menu before completion can leave an incomplete installation.
- Use the listing’s Activate or equivalent control. Installing puts the files on the client; activation tells the game to load them for the relevant game session.
- Start a new session or load the save according to ASA’s prompt. If the game asks for a restart after enabling the mod, accept it before testing.
For an existing single-player save, test in a copy if the game provides a save-management option. Automation mods can alter how items are moved or processed, and a backup gives you a recovery path if the mod is unavailable after a game update.
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Confirm the client loaded it
Look for Automated Ark in the enabled-mod list after the restart, then enter a test area where you can safely observe its functions. The mod’s advertised capabilities include sorting, egg collection, meat-spoilage handling and automatic pulling; the exact objects and interaction steps are defined by the current version. If the name is installed but not enabled, return to the Mods list and activate it before diagnosing anything else.
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Install it on a self-managed dedicated server
A dedicated server needs the mod ID in its active list. You can provide that list in the server configuration or through the launch command, depending on how your server is started. Use one method consistently unless your server documentation explicitly requires both.
Option 1: add the ID to GameUserSettings.ini
- Stop the server cleanly. Editing while the process is running can be overwritten when the server exits.
- Open the server’s
GameUserSettings.iniin the configuration directory used by your ASA installation. The exact directory differs by operating system, install method and host. - Find the
ActiveMods=entry. If it does not exist, add it in the section where your server’s other game-user settings are stored. - Enter the current Automated Ark project ID:
ActiveMods=928597- If other ASA mods are already active, separate the numeric IDs with commas and do not insert spaces unless your host’s documentation specifically says otherwise:
ActiveMods=123456,928597,654321- Save the file, start the server and watch the startup log. The first launch after adding a mod can take substantially longer while the server downloads and installs it.
Option 2: use a -mods launch parameter
Some server setups expose a launch command or startup-argument field instead of relying on the INI file. Add the ASA mod list with the -mods= parameter:
-mods=928597For multiple mods, use the same comma-separated format:
-mods=123456,928597,654321Do not use a Steam Workshop URL or Workshop item number in this parameter. The value must be the CurseForge project ID. If your server manager generates the command line automatically, place the IDs in its documented mod field rather than adding a second, conflicting parameter by hand.
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Let the first boot finish
On the first start, the server normally downloads the listed mod files. Expect a slow boot and leave the process alone while the download and installation messages are appearing. Restarting during that phase can interrupt the files and create a loop in which the server repeatedly starts without completing installation.
After the server reaches its normal ready state, stop and start it once more only if your host or server wrapper requires a second restart. Otherwise, connect with a test account and verify the mod in-game.
Install it through a managed server host
Managed hosts commonly provide a panel field labeled Mod IDs, Mods, or Startup. The label and location are host-specific, so use the panel’s current ASA instructions rather than an ASE tutorial.
- Open the server’s ASA settings or startup configuration.
- Locate the field for mod IDs. If the panel offers both a Workshop field and an ASA/CurseForge field, choose the ASA/CurseForge one.
- Enter
928597. For more than one mod, use comma-separated IDs, normally without spaces. - Save or apply the setting.
- Restart the server from the panel. Do not force a second restart while the first boot is downloading the mod.
- Read the console or server-log view until the server reports that startup has completed.
If the panel has an automatic mod installer, it may download the files on the first restart. If it only writes the startup argument, the server process performs the download. Either way, the important checks are that the ID is in the active list and that the first boot is allowed to finish.
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When a dedicated ASA server advertises its active mods, connecting players normally receive the required mod download through the game and activate it for that server. They generally do not need to edit GameUserSettings.ini or copy files manually.
A player may still need to wait for the client download, restart the game if ASA requests it, or free storage space. If the server is running a PC-only mod and the player is on a console, the client cannot load the mod; this is a platform-compatibility limitation, not a missing local installation step.
Verify that Automated Ark is actually running
Use a short, controlled test instead of assuming that a successful server boot means every mod loaded.
- Server configuration: reopen the active-mod setting and confirm the numeric ID is present exactly once in the intended list.
- Startup output: check the log for the mod download or load phase. A clean boot with no reference to the mod can indicate that the wrong field or file was edited.
- Client mod list: after connecting, confirm that ASA shows the server’s required mod as installed or active.
- Feature test: in a safe base, test one advertised function at a time, such as sorting or automatic pulling. The names, structures and controls can change with the mod version, so follow the current in-game descriptions.
- Control test: disconnect, stop the server, remove the mod from a test copy, and verify that you can restore the previous configuration if needed.
Troubleshoot the common installation failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| The mod cannot be found in the browser | Searching the wrong game, using an old listing, or a temporary CurseForge/catalog issue | Confirm that the game is ASA, search the exact name, verify the author, and check the live CurseForge listing for the current project ID. |
| Server starts but no Automated Ark features appear | The ID was entered in the wrong file or field, the mod was not enabled, or the first download did not finish | Stop the server, check ActiveMods= or -mods=, remove accidental spaces or nonnumeric text, start once and wait for download completion, then reconnect. |
| Server repeatedly restarts during first launch | The process was restarted while mod files were downloading, or a host wrapper interrupted installation | Stop the restart loop, allow the host to complete or retry a clean start, and inspect the log before making another configuration change. |
| Players receive a mod mismatch or missing-mod error | The client has a different version, the server list changed, or the client download is incomplete | Exit ASA, let the client finish its mod update, restart, and reconnect. Ensure every server node uses the same active-mod list. |
| Console players cannot join a mixed server | The mod is not available to the console platform | Remove the PC-only mod from the crossplay cluster or run it on a PC-compatible server that excludes console clients. Do not expect a client-side setting to solve a platform limitation. |
| The server broke after an ASA patch | The game update changed an interface the mod depends on | Check the mod’s current CurseForge status, keep a backup of the previous configuration, and wait for a compatible mod update before restoring it to a production world. |
| The configured number no longer resolves to the expected project | The mod was re-uploaded and its ID changed | Open the live listing, verify the new numeric ID, replace the old value in the server configuration, and restart once. |
Updates, version pinning and safe maintenance
Mod updates and ASA updates are separate events. A new game patch can break an otherwise unchanged mod, while a mod update can alter behavior without changing the game. For a server that matters to other players, record the working mod version and keep a backup before changing either component.
Before updating
- Announce a maintenance window and stop the server cleanly.
- Back up the world and configuration files.
- Check the current Automated Ark listing and its compatibility notes.
- Update a test server first when the world is valuable or the cluster has several connected maps.
When pinning is important
Pinning means keeping the server on a known-compatible mod version instead of accepting every update immediately. Use the controls your host or server manager provides; not every panel exposes version selection. If no version pin is available, keep dated backups and be prepared to remove the mod or restore the last working configuration after a failed update.
How to remove Automated Ark
Removal is the reverse of installation, but make a backup first because saved structures or stored items may depend on mod behavior.
- Stop the server or close the single-player session.
- For a client, open the ASA Mods list and deactivate or uninstall Automated Ark.
- For a self-managed server, remove
928597fromActiveMods=or from the-mods=launch parameter. If the list contains other mods, preserve their commas and IDs. - For a managed host, delete the ID from the panel’s Mod IDs/Startup field and apply the change.
- Start the game or server and verify that the save loads. If the world does not load correctly, restore the backup rather than repeatedly restarting a damaged save.
Can the CurseForge desktop app install ASA mods?
Reports about desktop-app support for ASA are inconsistent. Do not make the desktop app your only installation path unless its current documentation and the live ASA interface clearly support the game. The reliable workflows described here are ASA’s in-game browser for clients and the server’s CurseForge mod ID for dedicated installations.
Which route should you use?
Use the in-game browser when you are playing single-player or need only a local client installation. It avoids configuration edits and is the least error-prone option.
Use ActiveMods= or -mods= when you administer the server files or command line yourself. This gives you direct control over the active list, but a typo or edit to the wrong configuration file can prevent the mod from loading.
Use the managed-host Mod IDs or Startup field when the host owns the server process. It is simpler than manual file editing, but you must follow that host’s field names, separator rules and restart process. In every route, verify the current CurseForge ID and account for the platform of every player who must connect.
Quick Recap
Key takeaways
- Automated Ark is a third-party ASA mod by blitzfire911, not an official Studio Wildcard release.
- ASA distributes mods through CurseForge; Steam Workshop instructions for ASE do not apply.
- The currently reported project ID is
928597; verify it on the live listing before configuring a server. - Clients install and activate it in ASA’s Mods browser.
- Dedicated servers add the ID to
ActiveMods=or-mods=, then restart and wait for the first download to finish. - Crossplay compatibility and game/mod updates are the two most important operational risks.
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