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To subscribe an ARK dedicated server to a ban list, add BanListURL under [ServerSettings] in GameUserSettings.ini, then point the value to a reachable plain-text list of player IDs. On Linux the file is in ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/; on Windows, use the WindowsServer folder.

The exact address depends on the game edition. ARK: Survival Evolved and ARK: Survival Ascended use different list hosts, and a URL-based list is generally reported to supplement—not replace—local bans. The setting is community-documented, so verify the result on your own server after saving the file.

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Before you edit anything

Confirm which ARK edition your server is running. Survival Evolved and Survival Ascended do not use the same ban-list address. Copying an Evolved address into an Ascended configuration, or the reverse, can leave the server with no usable subscription.

  • Survival Evolved: use the Evolved list address shown below.
  • Survival Ascended: use the separate Ascended host identified by the server template or control panel.
  • Dedicated-server access: you need permission to edit GameUserSettings.ini and to restart the server through your host or operating system.
  • A backup: save a copy of the existing configuration before changing it. This gives you a quick recovery path if the INI becomes malformed.

Stop the server before editing when your hosting panel supports that option. Editing a file while the process is writing configuration changes can overwrite your manual edit when the server shuts down.

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How ARK’s two ban mechanisms differ

ARK administrators encounter two separate mechanisms. A local ban is created from the server and stored locally. A subscribed URL list is read from a text file hosted elsewhere. Community reports indicate that the URL list is applied in addition to local bans, so adding a subscription should not be treated as a way to erase bans already recorded on the server.

Mechanism Where the data lives Scope Best use
Local in-game ban A local BanList.txt under the server’s Binaries folder That server’s own ban data Immediate, server-specific moderation
Subscribed URL list A plain-text file fetched from a URL and referenced by BanListURL Any server configured to use that list Sharing a central or community-maintained set of banned IDs

The local file and the subscribed file are not interchangeable. Editing the local BanList.txt does not change the contents of a remote list, and changing a remote list does not necessarily remove an ID from local server data.

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Set up the ban list on ARK: Survival Evolved

1. Locate the correct configuration file

Open the server’s ShooterGame/Saved/Config/ directory. Use the edition-specific folder that matches the operating system:

  • Linux: ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/
  • Windows: ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/

Open GameUserSettings.ini in a plain-text editor. Do not use a word processor that can insert formatting or smart quotes.

2. Add the setting under the right section

Find the [ServerSettings] header. If the header exists, place the setting anywhere within that section. If the setting is not already present, add it manually; community guides report that it is often absent from a default file.

[ServerSettings]
BanListURL=http://arkdedicated.com/banlist.txt

Keep the spelling and capitalization exactly as shown: BanListURL. Do not put the line under [/Script/ShooterGame.ShooterGameMode], a map section, or a command-line argument block. If your file contains more than one [ServerSettings] header, consolidate the setting into the active server-settings section rather than leaving duplicate entries.

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3. Choose the Evolved list address

The most frequently cited current Evolved address is http://arkdedicated.com/banlist.txt. It is intended to return a plain-text list rather than a web page. Older forum posts refer to playark.com/banlist.txt; that reference predates the newer host and should not be substituted automatically. If the newer address does not resolve from your server, check it from the server’s network and confirm the service status before trying an older reference.

4. Save, restart and test

Save the file without changing its extension. Restart the dedicated server using your normal host or service procedure. The available reports do not establish reliable hot-reload behavior for URL lists, so a restart is the safest way to make the server read the changed configuration.

Test with a known ID only when you are certain that the test will not lock out a legitimate player. If the list is shared, coordinate the test with its maintainer. A failed test does not prove that the setting is ignored: the URL may be unreachable from the server, the list may have changed, or the ID may not match the platform account used to connect.

Configure ARK: Survival Ascended separately

Survival Ascended uses a different ban-list host. One CubeCoders server template identifies the Ascended list as cdn2.arkdedicated.com/asa/BanList.txt. Do not paste the Evolved address into an Ascended installation.

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Use the same INI location pattern—GameUserSettings.ini under the operating system’s server configuration folder—and put the setting under [ServerSettings]:

[ServerSettings]
BanListURL=cdn2.arkdedicated.com/asa/BanList.txt

The cited template presents the host and path without a scheme. If your hosting panel or server template supplies a complete URL, copy that complete value, including its protocol, rather than inventing one. The important distinction is the /asa/BanList.txt path; it is not the Evolved list.

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Because the Ascended address comes from a template rather than a current Studio Wildcard configuration page, verify that the value still resolves and returns text before treating a failed ban test as an ARK problem.

Use a custom community list

You can point BanListURL at a list maintained by your own community instead of the public global list. The server must be able to reach the address, and the response must be a plain-text file containing the player IDs that should be denied. A login page, HTML error document, redirect that the server cannot follow, or a file that requires a browser session will not function as a dependable subscription.

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Keep the list unambiguous

Use one ID per line unless the list provider documents a different format. Avoid display names as the only identifier: names can change, while the ban system is generally keyed to platform IDs such as Steam or Epic identifiers. Keep comments and extra columns out of the file unless the consuming server explicitly supports them.

Maintain an administrator-only record alongside the public text file. The record should include:

Field Why it matters
Date and time Shows when the decision was made and supports later review.
Player name at the time Helps moderators recognize the incident even if the name changes.
Platform ID Provides the stable value used by the ban list.
Duration or review date Prevents a temporary sanction from becoming indefinite by accident.
Reason and evidence location Documents the rule or incident behind the decision.

Publish only the IDs needed by the server. Do not expose staff notes, chat logs, personal information or internal evidence in the public text response.

Control who can change the list

A shared list is a security boundary: anyone who can modify it can deny access to every server that subscribes to it. Restrict write access, review changes, and keep a versioned backup. If your host offers an audit log, use it. If you host the file yourself, monitor that the URL continues to return the expected content rather than an error page.

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Ban a player who is currently online

For an online player, the in-game moderation route is normally the simplest way to create a local ban. Use the server’s built-in player-management controls, select the correct player, and confirm the ban. The resulting local data is reported in a BanList.txt file beneath the server’s Binaries folder.

Because interface labels and administrative permissions vary by server build and hosting panel, do not assume that a local ban has also been added to your remote community list. If the ban should apply to other servers, copy the correct platform ID into the managed list after recording the reason and duration.

Ban an offline player

Offline moderation is less straightforward. Forum reports describe the in-game workflow as unable to ban a player who is not currently connected. Reported workarounds include using RCON or looking up the player’s platform ID externally, but those methods were not confirmed by a current official procedure in the available documentation.

If you use an offline workflow, verify the ID carefully before adding it to a shared list:

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  1. Confirm that the identifier belongs to the intended platform account, not merely to a similarly named player.
  2. Record the name, date, reason and evidence in the administrator record.
  3. Add only the ID to the public text list, using the list’s documented format.
  4. Allow the next server restart or list refresh to take effect, then test without using a legitimate account as the test subject.

When the identity cannot be established confidently, pause the ban rather than risking a permanent denial caused by a mistyped ID.

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Troubleshoot a ban list that does not work

The server starts, but banned IDs can still join

  • Check that BanListURL is under [ServerSettings] in GameUserSettings.ini.
  • Confirm that you edited the active LinuxServer or WindowsServer directory, not a backup, staging or client configuration folder.
  • Check the edition. An Evolved server needs the Evolved address; an Ascended server needs the /asa/BanList.txt address.
  • Open the list URL from the server’s network environment and confirm that it returns plain text. A URL that works on your desktop may be blocked or unresolved from the host.
  • Restart the server after saving. Hot reload behavior for this setting is not established.
  • Verify the platform ID character by character. A display name, an ID from another platform, or an invisible trailing character will not identify the intended account.

The server fails to start after the edit

  • Restore the backup of GameUserSettings.ini and start the server to confirm that the change caused the failure.
  • Re-add the line with ordinary ASCII characters and no quotation marks.
  • Ensure that the section header is exactly [ServerSettings] and that the setting appears as one key-value pair.
  • Remove duplicate BanListURL entries, then restart and test again.

The list works on one map but not another

Reports disagree about how a URL-list ban behaves across multi-map installations and whether every map process sees the change until a restart. Treat the result as unverified rather than assuming that one successful map test proves cluster-wide coverage. Check each running server process, use the same configuration in each map’s active directory, and restart the affected processes when changing the subscription.

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Local and remote bans appear inconsistent

Remember that the two sources are separate. A player may remain in the local BanList.txt after being removed from a community URL, and a player listed remotely may still be denied even though no local entry is visible. Audit both sources before concluding that one has overwritten the other.

Global list versus a community list

The public Evolved list is commonly described as covering accounts banned from official servers. A private community list reflects the rules of the group that maintains it. They answer different moderation needs:

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Choice Advantages Trade-offs
Public global list Centralized coverage and no need to host your own file You inherit decisions made outside your community and depend on the public host’s availability
Custom community list Rules, durations and review practices can match your servers You must host, secure, update and audit the file
Local bans only Simple server-specific control and no remote dependency Every server requires separate moderation and data maintenance

Some operators use a public list for baseline protection and local bans for incidents specific to their own servers. Because URL subscriptions are reported to be additive, document that policy for moderators so an appeal or unban removes the ID from every relevant source.

Operational checklist

  • Identify Evolved or Ascended before copying any address.
  • Back up GameUserSettings.ini.
  • Edit the active LinuxServer or WindowsServer configuration directory.
  • Place exactly one BanListURL entry under [ServerSettings].
  • Use a reachable plain-text URL.
  • Keep platform IDs separate from names and staff notes.
  • Record the date, ID, duration and reason for every moderation action.
  • Restart the server after configuration changes.
  • Test with a controlled, known case and check both remote and local ban sources.
  • Review every shared-list change and retain a rollback copy.

What is and is not confirmed

The setting name, INI section and operating-system configuration folders are consistently described by community guides. The Evolved address http://arkdedicated.com/banlist.txt is the newer commonly cited host, while older references use playark.com/banlist.txt. The Ascended host is identified in a CubeCoders template as cdn2.arkdedicated.com/asa/BanList.txt.

No current Studio Wildcard page confirming the complete BanListURL procedure was located as of October 14, 2026. There are also unresolved reports about multi-map refresh behavior and offline-player bans. For a production server, treat a successful connection and a controlled test as part of the setup rather than relying on the configuration line alone.

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