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YARK operator docs for ARK Ascended dedicated servers

YARK is a Windows desktop app for managing local ARK: Survival Ascended dedicated servers. These docs are written for operators using the public prerelease — not for reading the Electron source tree.

Start with Getting started ← Back to the product site

What YARK is responsible for

Section titled “What YARK is responsible for”
  • Multiple server profiles in one app (install path, ports, passwords, mods, cluster fields)
  • Import install for an existing ASA folder (ready by default; incomplete with opt-in)
  • SteamCMD install / update / verify of ASA dedicated files, tracked on the Downloads queue
  • Overview Update All for stopped outdated servers; server-list Order added / A–Z sort and All servers / By cluster layout toggles
  • Overview fleet metric strip, survivor counts, and dedicated-process RAM/CPU while servers are starting or running
  • Start / stop / restart / force close, with readiness gated on RCON
  • Maintenance tab: scheduled restart, optional wild dino wipe, and opt-in auto-update with player chat warnings (while YARK is open)
  • Optional Ark Server API tab: community API install, Load on Start, and plugin zips (experimental; not Wildcard)
  • Remove from YARK only (keep files) or Delete everything (wipe install)
  • Launch tab for structured ASA flags, Extra arguments, flag search, and a live command preview
  • Quick jump (Ctrl+K) to pages and servers
  • Create / Clone suggest the next free game/query/RCON ports across your fleet
  • Visual Map popover, Search Maps… (CurseForge), and official-token remaster linking
  • Backups (world / players / INI): portable export/import for World and INI; Players are join/leave archives (export only); critical-path snapshots for safe update & restart
  • Move installation and opt-in Auto-start with YARK
  • INI editing (visual + raw) and an on-demand configuration assistant (Other nests custom mod sections; Save while running queues until Stop/Start)
  • Quit YARK from the sidebar footer or tray (close-to-tray still hides without stopping servers)
  • Copy configuration between stopped server profiles
  • RCON console (commands, survivors, ban list, remote AdminListURL whitelist) while a server is running
  • CurseForge mod IDs on the launch line (-mods=), Discover browse, detail screenshots/description, and Maps via Map select / Search Maps…
  • Logs (events, runtime, update files, Backup history) with retention for YARK-owned data
  • YARK updates from GitHub Releases (Settings / accented sidebar version)
  • Cluster create, membership, INI templates, and compliance (shared Cluster ID + directory)

What it is not

Section titled “What it is not”
  • Not a cloud host, game client launcher, or official Wildcard product
  • Not a CurseForge mod downloader/installer
  • Not production-ready — public builds are still a prerelease

Browse by job

Section titled “Browse by job”
First serverInstaller → SteamCMD → profile → install files → start.
Keep worlds safeManual, scheduled, and fail-hard pre-update / pre-restart backups.
Patch ASA filesShared cache, Update vs Verify, safe update + rollback.
Scheduled maintenanceRestart, wipe, and opt-in auto-update with player chat warnings.
Ark Server APIOptional community API install, Load on Start, and plugin zips.
Copy configurationSelective INI, mods, and policy copy to stopped targets.
Mods & map packsProject IDs, enable/disable, and CurseForge Maps → Map select.
RCON consoleCommands, survivors, ban list, and remote AdminListURL whitelist.
Something brokeCommon start, update, backup, and log pitfalls.

Source of truth

Section titled “Source of truth”

Operator guides here are distilled from the engineering runbooks in the repo (docs/backups.md, docs/updates-steamcmd.md, docs/server-lifecycle.md, docs/logs.md). When behavior changes in a release, prefer the app + changelog, then these pages.