How to Use Ark’s Console Commands

Want to spawn some a tamed griffin or fight a dragon boss or access god mode? Console commands give you free reign of the full Ark experience!
Want to spawn some a tamed griffin or fight a dragon boss or access god mode? Console commands give you free reign of the full Ark experience!

You’ve all seen those YouTube videos where streamers can somehow spawn any creature in Ark: Survival Evolved to figure out their stats or test different taming strategies.

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How do they do it? By utilizing a series of admin console commands that are hidden in a sub-menu that’s not immediately available. If you’ve always wanted to get in on the cheating action, below we explain all the most common and useful Ark console commands you might want to try out.

Before you can use any of these commands, though, you’ll need to know how to get to that console sub-menu in the first place. 

How to Get to Ark‘s Admin Console on PC, Xbox One, or PS4

Getting into the admin console area itself is incredibly simple, although obviously many of these commands aren’t going to work if it isn’t your server you are currently playing on.

  • PC
    • Press the Tab key to pull up the admin console.
    • Pressing Tab again brings up a larger version of the console on the top half of the screen.
  • Xbox One
    • Go to the pause menu.
    • Simultaneously press LB+RB+X+Y to pull up the admin bar.
  • PS4
    • Access the pause menu
    • Simultaneously press R1+L1+TRIANGLE+SQUARE

Commands take more time to input if you aren’t playing on a PC, since you have to type each individual letter using your controller with the on-screen keyboard.

Console command cheats on Xbox One/PS4 also seem to be a bit wonky since around update 260, but expect them to return to normal functionality when the game’s full version arrives this August.

 Pulling up the console command bar on Xbox One

Ark Admin Commands

Before you can enter any commands using the admin console, first you must enable future commands by typing “EnableCheats” in the console, followed by the server’s password, and then tapping Enter.

  • Note: If you are playing a solo single player local map that doesn’t have a server password, just type EnableCheats with nothing else after it and hit Enter to get started.

Remember, you still have to bring up the console each time you want to enter a new command after that by tapping Tab or using the controller button combo.

Enabling the Admin Console

Flying

One of the most immediately useful commands after enabling cheats is AdminCheat Fly, which lets you move in any direction and stay hovering in the air. You can easily scout the entire map, access hard-to-reach areas, and find out where specific dinos are spawning while Fly is active.

Want to go back to normal? Just type AdminCheat Walk to disable this mode. Obviously, don’t type this while you are far up in the air, or your survivor will die.

Getting a nice vantage point of the beach while flying

Taming

From there, the most immediately helpful commands are DoTame (which doesn’t require the AdminCheat precursor) and ForceTame, both of which automatically tame whatever creature you currently have highlighted.

The difference is that DoTame acts as though you tamed the creature naturally — including experience points, sound effect, and so on — while ForceTame bypasses everything and lets you ride the animal immediately without having to craft a saddle.

 Auto taming a Carbonemys

Spawning Dinos

Now you want to know how to spawn individual dinos to test out, tame, and force into combat against each other, right? That one’s pretty easy, but it does require looking up some specific codes.

There are actually six different commands for spawning individual creatures, but the easiest to remember is Summon, followed by the creature’s specific ID code. The dino will appear wherever you are currently looking.

  • For instance, if you want a Pelagornis to appear, pull up the admin console and type Summon Pela_Character_BP_C and tap Enter.

If you don’t want an aggressive creature to attack you or want it immediately tamed, instead use the SummonTamed command followed by the creature ID.

A full list of creature codes can be found at the end of this guide.

Spawning a hopping Beezelbufo to tame

Random Cheats

Want to experience the full fun of the game without actually working for it? That’s where AddExperience comes in! Type the command AdminCheat AddExperience 1000 0 1 to give the currently targeted player (or yourself) 1000 experience.

Just change the number 1,000 to whatever amount you want to use. If you change the final 1 to a 0, it will instead split that experience between all tribe members of the currently selected player.

DestroyMyTarget instantly kills any dino, player, or structure you are looking at, which lets you take care of pesky creatures that are much higher level –although it doesn’t leave a corpse to loot. 

AdminCheat EnemyInvisible True will force all creatures on the map to ignore you (or the currently highlighted player), even if you directly attack them. To turn this off, simply type AdminCheat EnemyInvisible False.

AdminCheat Ghost allows you to walk through any structure or terrain that would normally stop your movement.

AdminCheat GiveEngrams gives every single engram in the game to yourself (or the currently selected player) so you don’t have to learn them while leveling up as normal.

AdminCheat GiveResources adds 50 of each resource to your backpack (or the inventory of whatever player you are targeting) so you can get on crafting and building. Note that this involves a lot of weight, so you probably won’t be moving anywhere after getting all those extra resources instantly.

AdminCheat God is basically what it sounds like, making you invulnerable to most forms of death and damage, although you can still drown.

AdminCheat InfiniteStats gives you an endless supply of water, food, stamina, and prevents you from being knocked out when torpor reaches zero. It will also prevent you from drowning.

Ark Console Command Creature IDs

Want to spawn nearly any creature in the entire Ark: Survival Evolved repertoire, from dragon bosses to cnidaria? Below are the creature IDs you need to know.

While many are the exact same name as the specific dino in question, others use completely different codes, such as “Sauropod” or “Turtle” based on their creature type.

Dino Creature ID
Achatina   Achatina_Character_BP_C
 Allosaurus  Allo_Character_BP_C
Alpha Carno  MegaCarno_Character_BP_C
Alpha Deathworm   MegaDeathworm_Character_BP_C
 Alpha Fire Wyvern  MegaWyvern_Character_BP_Fire_C
 Alpha Leedsichthys  Alpha_Leedsichthys_Character_BP_C
Alpha Megalodon   MegaMegalodon_Character_BP_C
Alpha Mosasaurus   Mosa_Character_BP_Mega_C
 Alpha Raptor MegaRaptor_Character_BP_C 
 Alpha Rex  MegaRex_Character_BP_C
 Alpha Tusoteuthis  Mega_Tusoteuthis_Character_BP_C
 Ammonite  Ammonite_Character_C
 Anglerfish  Angler_Character_BP_C
 Ankylosaurus  Ankylo_Character_BP_C
Araneo   SpiderS_Character_BP_C
 Archaeopteryx  Archa_Character_BP_C
 Argentavis  Argent_Character_BP_C
 Arthropluera  Arthro_Character_BP_C
 Baryonyx  Baryonyx_Character_BP_C
 Basilosaurus  Basilosaurus_Character_BP_C
Beelzebufo   Toad_Character_BP_C
 Brontosaurus  Sauropod_Character_BP_C
 Broodmother Lysrix  SpiderL_Character_BP_C
 Chalicotherium  Chalico_Character_BP_C
 Carbonemys  Turtle_Character_BP_C
Carnotaurus   Carno_Character_BP_C
 Castoroides  Beaver_Character_BP_C
 Cnidaria  Cnidaria_Character_BP_C
 Coelacanth  Coel_Character_BP_C
Compy   Compy_Character_BP_C
 Daeodon  Daeodon_Character_BP_C
 Deathworm  Deathworm_Character_BP_C
 Dilophosaur  Dilo_Character_BP_C
 Dimetrodon  Dimetro_Character_BP_C
Dimorphodon   Dimorph_Character_BP_C
Diplocaulus   Diplocaulus_Character_BP_C
Diplodocus   Diplodocus_Character_BP_C
Direbear   Direbear_Character_BP_C
 Direwolf  Direwolf_Character_BP_C
Dodo   Dodo_Character_BP_C
 DodoRex  DodoRex_Character_BP_C
Dodo Wyvern    DodoWyvern_Character_BP_C
 Doedicurus  Doed_Character_BP_C
Dragon   Dragon_Character_BP_C
 Dung Beetle  DungBeetle_Character_BP_C
 Dunkleosteus  Dunkle_Character_BP_C
 Electrophorus  Eel_Character_BP_C
 Equus  Equus_Character_BP_C
 Unicorn  Equus_Character_BP_Unicorn_C
Eurypterid   Euryp_Character_C
Gallimimus   Galli_Character_BP_C
Giant Bee   Bee_Character_BP_C
 Gigantopithecus  Bigfoot_Character_BP_C
 Giganotosaurus  Gigant_Character_BP_C
Griffin   Griffin_Character_BP_C
 Hesperornis  Hesperornis_Character_BP_C
 Hyaenodon  Hyaenodon_Character_BP_C
 Ichthyornis  Ichthyornis_Character_BP_C
Iguanodon   Iguanodon_Character_BP_C
Jerboa   Jerboa_Character_BP_C
Skeletal Jerboa   Bone_Jerboa_Character_BP_C
Jug Bug  Jugbug_Character_BaseBP_C
 Kairuku  Kairuku_Character_BP_C
Kaprosuchus Kaprosuchus_Character_BP_C
 Kentrosaurus  Kentro_Character_BP_C
Leech   Leech_Character_C
Leedsichthys   Leedsichthys_Character_BP_C
Liopleurodon Liopleurodon_Character_BP_C
Lymantria   Moth_Character_BP_C
 Lystrosaurus  Lystro_Character_BP_C
 Mammoth  Mammoth_Character_BP_C
 Manta  Manta_Character_BP_C
 Mantis  Mantis_Character_BP_C
Manticore   Manticore_Character_BP_C
Megalania   Megalania_Character_BP_C
Megaloceros   Stag_Character_BP_C
Meganeura   Dragonfly_Character_BP_C
 Megapithecus  Gorilla_Character_BP_C
 Mesopithecus  Monkey_Character_BP_C
 Morellatops  Camelsaurus_Character_BP_C
Mosasaurus   Mosa_Character_BP_C
Onychonycteris   Bat_Character_BP_C
Ovis   Sheep_Character_BP_C
 Pachyrhinosaurus  Pachyrhino_Character_BP_C
Paraceratherium   Paracer_Character_BP_C
Parasaurolophus   Para_Character_BP_C
 Pelagornis  Pela_Character_BP_C
 Plesiosaur  Plesiosaur_Character_BP_C
 Pteranodon  Ptero_Character_BP_C
Pulmonoscorpius   Scorpion_Character_BP_C
 Quetzalcoatlus  Quetz_Character_BP_C
 Raptor  Raptor_Character_BP_C
Rex   Rex_Character_BP_C
 Rock Elemental  RockGolem_Character_BP_C
 Sabertooth  Saber_Character_BP_C
Spino   Spino_Character_BP_C
 Stegosaurus  Stego_Character_BP_C
Tapejara   Tapejara_Character_BP_C
Terror Bird   TerrorBird_Character_BP_C
Therizinosaur   Therizino_Character_BP_C
 Thylacoleo  Thylacoleo_Character_BP_C
 Titanboa  BoaFrill_Character_BP_C
 Titanomyrma  Ant_Character_BP_C
Triceratops   Trike_Character_BP_C
Troodon   Troodon_Character_BP_C
 Tusoteuthis  Tusoteuthis_Character_BP_C
Wyvern   Wyvern_Character_BP_Base_C
 Fire Wyvern  Wyvern_Character_BP_Fire_C
 Lighting Wyvern  Wyvern_Character_BP_Lightning_C
 Ice Wyvern  Ragnarok_Wyvern_Override_Ice_C
 Poison Wyvern  Wyvern_Character_BP_Poison_C
Woolly Rhino   Rhino_Character_BP_C
Yeti  Yeti_Character_BP_C
Yutyrannus   Yutyrannus_Character_BP_C

 

There you have it — now you know how to access the admin console and spawn anything you want or enable any cheats you need to fully explore the Ark: Survival Evolved world.

Are there any other console commands we didn’t cover you want to know about? Let us know in the comments! And be sure to check out the rest of our Ark guides for more tips to help you survive the wilds:

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Author
Ty Arthur
Ty splits his time between writing horror fiction and writing about video games. After 25 years of gaming, Ty can firmly say that gaming peaked with Planescape Torment, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a soft spot for games like Baldur's Gate, Fallout: New Vegas, Bioshock Infinite, and Horizon: Zero Dawn. He has previously written for GamerU and MetalUnderground. He also writes for PortalMonkey covering gaming laptops and peripherals.