Documentation

Get your ARK server manager up and running in minutes

A quick tour of installing and configuring Cousin Server Manager, your ASA server manager for ARK: Survival Ascended. For the complete reference of every tab and setting, see the full README on GitHub.

Optional: configure UPS protection

With a compatible UPS and active license, the manager can set up and monitor Network UPS Tools (NUT) on Windows. Configure battery, runtime, time-on-battery, or communication-loss thresholds to warn players, save and gracefully stop ARK servers, and optionally shut down Windows during an emergency. The dashboard also keeps live UPS telemetry and power-event history.

Quick start

Setup in 4 steps

1. Download & install

Grab the latest CousinServerManagerSetup.exe from GitHub Releases and run the setup wizard. Choose the port you want the web interface to run on.

2. Open the dashboard

Open your browser to http://localhost:<port> to reach the Dashboard - the home screen for every server you configure.

3. Add & configure your servers

Point Cousin Server Manager at your ARK: Survival Ascended install, or install fresh through SteamCMD. Then set launch parameters, Game.ini, GameUserSettings.ini, and ARK or dashboard cluster settings.

4. Turn on automation

Enable Auto-Backup, restart schedules, watchdog monitoring, and (with a license) Auto-Update Monitor. Add scheduled RCON commands when you need recurring server tasks.

Requirements

What you'll need

  • Windows Server or Windows 10/11 machine capable of running ARK: Survival Ascended dedicated servers
  • SteamCMD (Cousin Server Manager can download/install this for you)
  • Enough disk space for each ARK server install (~30 GB per server)
  • A modern browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) to access the web dashboard
  • Optional: a Discord webhook URL for lifecycle notifications
  • Optional: a free CurseForge API key for the built-in mod browser
  • Optional: a compatible UPS if you want licensed NUT/UPS power monitoring and emergency shutdown protection

Looking for the full tab-by-tab reference?

Every tab - Overview, Launch Parameters, INI Settings, RCON Console, Mods, API & Plugins, and more - is documented in detail in the project README on GitHub.

Read the full README

Questions during setup?

Our Discord community and support team can help you get your cluster configured.

Download FreeTalk to us on Discord