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Back up an ARK: Survival Ascended dedicated server by stopping it, forcing a current save, and copying the complete ShooterGame/Saved directory to separate storage. That directory contains the world, player characters, tribes, configuration, logs, and cluster-related data. To restore, stop the server again, choose either the host’s dated backup tool or a manual file replacement, then restart and verify the map, character, tribe, structures, and recent progress.
Copying only the visible world file is sufficient for a limited map rollback, but it is not a disaster-recovery backup. A complete directory copy preserves the supporting files needed to recover progression and server settings.
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What an ARK: Survival Ascended backup contains
ASA stores dedicated-server data below ShooterGame/Saved. The ARK Official Community Wiki describes the basic method plainly: “To make a backup of the server data, simply copy the folder named ShooterGame/Saved (and its content) to the desired backup location.” See the Dedicated server documentation for the directory context.
A complete copy gives you a recovery point for more than the map itself:
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- World state: the map file records the world, creatures, structures, inventories, containers, dropped items, and other map-level changes.
- Player state:
.arkprofilefiles contain individual survivor character and profile data. - Tribe state:
.arktribefiles contain tribe membership, ranks, ownership, and related tribe data. - Configuration: server settings and other configuration files live in the saved-data tree and may be required to reproduce the original environment.
- Cluster data: a clustered installation can keep transfer-related data in the same tree or its subdirectories.
- Logs and supporting files: these can help diagnose a failed restore and are retained when you copy the entire directory.
The active map’s files are normally under ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/, inside a folder associated with that map. A manual recovery usually needs the map’s .ark file plus matching player and tribe files, while a full-server recovery should replace or restore the complete ShooterGame/Saved tree.
Prepare the server before making a backup
Stop the dedicated server
Do not copy or replace save files while the server is writing them. Stop the server cleanly first. On a managed host such as Nitrado, the file-transfer workflow starts by stopping the server and then opening Tools > File Browser. A self-hosted installation should be stopped through its service manager, control panel, or launch script.
A running process can leave you with a partially written world or mismatched profile files. If players are online, announce the maintenance window and wait for them to log out before stopping the process.
Force a known save point
When you need a backup that includes the latest confirmed progress, use the administrative SaveWorld command before stopping. On PC, enter it through the administrator console with the required admin-cheat permissions; the command forces the current world state to disk. The exact console-access method depends on your server platform and control panel.
Allow the command to finish, then stop the server. If you cannot access admin commands, stop the server normally and use the newest completed save rather than copying files during active play.
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Make a rollback copy before touching anything
Before replacing, deleting, renaming, or uploading a save, copy the current destination files to a temporary rollback folder. This second copy protects you if the selected backup is wrong or an upload is interrupted. Never treat a restore as reversible unless you have preserved the state that exists immediately before it.
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- Stop the server. Confirm that its status is offline and that no restart task is about to launch it.
- Open the server files. In Nitrado, use Tools > File Browser. On a self-hosted machine, open the installation directory and locate
ShooterGame/Saved. - Copy
ShooterGame/Savedand all contents. Keep the directory structure intact, includingSavedArks, profile files, tribe files, configuration, logs, and any cluster-related folders. - Give the backup a dated, descriptive name. Include the map and reason when useful, for example
ASA-TheIsland-2026-10-15-before-mod-update. Use a date format that sorts chronologically. - Store the copy separately. An external hard drive or SSD is suitable for a local copy; an additional off-site or otherwise independent copy protects against a failed host or damaged primary disk. The important property is separation from the live server, not a particular hardware brand.
- Record what the copy represents. Note the map, server version if known, mods or configuration changes, and whether
SaveWorldwas run. This prevents restoring an unsuitable point later. - Restart only after the copy completes. Verify that the copied directory has the expected subfolders and files before bringing the server online.
Keep more than one dated generation when storage allows. A single copy can contain a problem that was already present on the server; multiple generations give you an earlier choice.
Which files hold the world, character, and tribe?
| File or location | What it represents | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
ShooterGame/Saved |
Complete server data tree: world, player, tribe, configuration, logs, and cluster-related data | Disaster recovery, full migration, or a restore that must preserve settings and progression |
ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/ |
Dedicated-server map-save area | Finding the active map save for a manual rollback or transfer |
.ark |
World state for a map | Restoring map terrain, structures, creatures, inventories, and other world changes |
.arkprofile |
Individual player character/profile state | Keeping survivors, levels, inventories, and personal progression with a world restore |
.arktribe |
Tribe state | Preserving tribe membership, ranks, ownership, and tribe progression |
File names and subfolder details can vary with the map, host, and game updates. Treat the complete ShooterGame/Saved copy as authoritative when you are unsure which supporting files belong together.
Backup methods compared
Choose the narrowest method that solves the problem, but use a complete directory archive for anything described as disaster recovery.
| Approach | Scope | Rollback window | Control | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game-internal or recent save | Usually the latest world state | Short; tied to available in-game or host save points | Fast and convenient | May not include older configuration, profiles, or a usable pre-change generation |
| Complete server archive | World, profiles, tribes, configuration, logs, and cluster data | Any dated archive you retain | Highest control; usable for migration and disaster recovery | Consumes more storage and requires careful file handling |
| Host-managed restore | Whatever the provider’s selected backup class includes | Provider retention and available restore points | Point-and-click interface | Restoration can overwrite current progression; retention and interface behavior are provider-specific |
| Manual file restore | Selected map and matching profile/tribe files, or the whole saved tree | Any archive you can access | Precise control over files and transfers | Wrong names, missing companions, or an incomplete upload can produce a broken or apparently wiped server |
Nitrado describes game-internal backups for shorter rollbacks and server backups for restoring a server and its configuration to a point in time. Database backups are intended for database-oriented games and are not a substitute for an ASA saved-data archive. Because retention periods and menu behavior can change by provider, check the current options shown for your server before relying on them.
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Restore with a host-managed backup
Use this route when the provider has the desired point
A host restore is usually safer than manually editing files when the backup was created by the same provider and you need the whole server state. It is also the quickest option after an accidental wipe if a dated point is still available.
- Stop the server. Do not restore over an active process.
- Preserve the current state. Download or copy the present
ShooterGame/Saveddirectory first, even if it appears damaged. It may contain newer player actions that you later need. - Open the provider’s backup tool. In Nitrado’s interface, use Tools > Restore Backup.
- Select the dated restore point. Check its timestamp and, if shown, whether it is a game-internal or server-level backup.
- Confirm the overwrite warning. A restoration replaces existing progression with the selected point. Make sure every player understands that later changes will disappear.
- Start the server after the operation finishes. Do not interrupt an in-progress restore or restart repeatedly if the panel is still processing.
- Test the restored state. Log in with a test account or trusted administrator and inspect the map, survivor, tribe, structures, inventories, and recent world changes.
If the point restores the wrong map or an unexpectedly old state, stop the server and use the pre-restore copy you made in step two. Do not attempt a second overwrite before preserving the current result.
Restore manually from an archive
Restore a complete server tree
Use a full-tree restore when the host was replaced, the installation was corrupted, configuration was lost, or you are moving the server. Stop the destination server and make a copy of its current ShooterGame/Saved directory. Upload or copy the archived ShooterGame/Saved directory into the same installation path, preserving permissions and subfolder names. On a managed host, transfer through its file browser or supported file-transfer method.
Do not merge two unrelated saved trees casually. A partial merge can combine a world from one point with profiles, tribes, or configuration from another. Replace the destination with one internally consistent archive, then restart.
Restore only a map and its player/tribe data
- Stop the server and make a safety copy of the current destination files.
- Open
arksa/ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/and locate the folder for the active map. - Identify the archived world file with the
.arkextension and the matching.arkprofileand.arktribefiles that must survive. - Replace the destination world file only after the safety copy is complete. Upload the archived files without changing their extensions.
- Rename the world file to the standard map filename expected by the server. Examples include
TheIsland_WP.ark,TheCenter_WP.ark, andScorchedEarth_WP.ark. - Check case, spelling, and location. A correctly uploaded file in the wrong folder or with an unexpected name can make the server generate a new world instead of loading the backup.
- Restart and verify. Check the map first, then player and tribe state, followed by structures and inventories.
A map-only replacement can leave current configuration and some supporting data untouched. That is useful for a targeted rollback, but it is not equivalent to restoring the complete server directory.
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Move a backup to another server
For a transfer, install the same map and a compatible server build at the destination, stop it, and retain a fresh copy of its empty or existing saved directory. Upload the archived tree or the selected map, profile, and tribe files into the destination’s matching paths. Rename the world file to the destination’s expected standard name, then start the server and inspect the result before inviting the full player group.
Map updates, game updates, mods, and configuration differences can affect compatibility. Keep the original archive untouched so you can retry with a corrected file set. If the destination uses a different map, do not rename a world file merely to make it appear compatible; restore it only to the map it represents.
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Verify that a restore really worked
A server that starts without an error is not necessarily restored. Use a deliberate verification pass:
- Map identity: confirm that the intended map loads rather than a newly generated world.
- Player login: sign in with an affected survivor and confirm level, engrams, inventory, location, and personal structures.
- Tribe membership: check that the survivor belongs to the correct tribe and that ranks, ownership, and tribe structures are present.
- World objects: inspect several known bases, storage containers, tamed creatures, resource nodes, and recent construction.
- Configuration: verify rates, difficulty, mods, passwords, scheduled settings, and other server options that matter to your community.
- Cluster behavior: if transfers are enabled, test only after the source map is confirmed and the related cluster data is present.
- Persistence: make a small harmless change, wait for a save, restart once, and confirm that the change persists. This catches a server that is loading a backup but cannot write it correctly.
Keep the restored archive and the pre-restore copy until players have confirmed that the important state is correct. Delete old copies only according to your own retention policy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting common backup and restore failures
The server loads a new or empty map
- Stop the server again and check that the world file is inside the active map folder under
ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/. - Confirm the filename matches the map’s standard name, such as
TheIsland_WP.ark. - Check capitalization, extension, and duplicate names created by a file manager.
- Verify that the server is configured for the same map represented by the backup.
- Restore the pre-restore copy if repeated attempts risk overwriting the only known-good state.
The map is present but a character or tribe is missing
The world file alone does not contain every survivor and tribe record. Restore the matching .arkprofile and .arktribe files from the same backup generation, not an arbitrary newer or older copy. If you restored a complete tree, check that the upload did not omit hidden files or subdirectories.
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The host says the restore completed, but progress is too old
Inspect the restore point’s timestamp and backup class. A game-internal point may be intended for a short rollback, while a server archive may represent a different scheduled time. Stop the server, preserve the current result, and select a newer dated point if one exists.
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Compare the archive size and directory contents with the source copy, retry through the host’s supported transfer method, and avoid restarting while a transfer is active. Keep the server offline until the complete file set is present. For a large archive, transfer the complete directory rather than manually selecting dozens of files.
Players report lost changes after recovery
That is expected when the selected point predates those changes. A restore is an overwrite, not a merge. If the newer state was preserved before the restore, you may be able to recover individual information from that copy; otherwise, do not claim that a host restore can reconstruct progress that was never included in the chosen backup.
Practical retention and safety policy
There is no universal backup interval that fits every ASA community. Base your policy on how much progress players can tolerate losing and how often you make risky changes. Always create an additional dated archive before a game update, map change, mod change, configuration overhaul, or file transfer. Retain multiple generations so a newly discovered corruption does not eliminate every recovery point.
Use separate storage from the live server. An external drive or SSD provides a local copy; an off-site copy protects against host failure, theft, or local disk damage. Restrict access to archives because player profiles, tribe ownership data, server passwords, and configuration may be included. Test opening and inspecting an archive periodically instead of assuming that a successful copy operation proves recoverability.
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One-page recovery checklist
- Announce maintenance and have players log out.
- Run administrative
SaveWorldwhen you need a known current save. - Stop the dedicated server completely.
- Copy the current destination before replacing anything.
- For disaster recovery, copy or restore the complete
ShooterGame/Saveddirectory. - For a targeted map rollback, preserve the matching
.ark,.arkprofile, and.arktribefiles. - Use the correct map filename, such as
TheIsland_WP.ark,TheCenter_WP.ark, orScorchedEarth_WP.ark. - Keep the archive on separate storage and retain more than one dated generation when possible.
- Restart only after transfers or host restores finish.
- Verify map, character, tribe, structures, inventories, configuration, and persistence after login.
- Keep the pre-restore copy until the community confirms the result.
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