Question 1

What is Cousin Server Manager?

Accepted Answer

Cousin Server Manager is a Windows-hosted web control panel for one or many ARK: Survival Ascended dedicated servers. From a browser, you can install and maintain servers with SteamCMD, control their lifecycle, edit launch parameters and INI settings, use RCON, manage backups, mods, plugins, monitoring, webhooks, and more.

Question 2

Is Cousin Server Manager an ARK cluster manager?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Cousin Server Manager lets you organize any number of ARK: Survival Ascended servers into dashboard clusters, separate from ARK’s in-game -clusterID setting. Apply bulk starts, stops, restarts, and updates to a selection, the visible fleet, or the current dashboard cluster.

Question 3

Do I need a license to use it?

Accepted Answer

No. The core dashboard, server lifecycle controls, SteamCMD install/update/validation, launch parameters, INI management, RCON, backups, CurseForge mod management, basic API/plugin tools, Discord webhooks, watchdog recovery, and monitoring are available without a license. A paid license unlocks automatic updates, backup restore, scheduled RCON commands, advanced plugin management, Ban Manager, multi-user administration, and NUT/UPS power protection.

Question 4

What is the difference between the 1-Year and Lifetime license?

Accepted Answer

The 1-Year License ($39.99 CAD) unlocks automatic updates, backup restore, scheduled RCON commands, advanced plugin management, Ban Manager, multi-user administration, and NUT/UPS power protection for 12 months. The Lifetime License ($99.99 CAD) unlocks the same licensed features permanently with a one-time payment.

Question 5

Can I manage multiple servers and clusters?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The dashboard shows every configured server in one place. You can organize servers into dashboard clusters and scope bulk start, stop, restart, and update actions to a selection, the visible fleet, or the current cluster. Dashboard clusters are separate from ARK’s in-game transfer cluster ID.

Question 6

Does it support ARK Survival Ascended mods?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and this is completely free. A built-in CurseForge mod browser lets you search and add mods directly, manage your active mod list per server, reorder/enable/disable mods, and copy a mod list to other servers in one click.

Question 7

Does it support the ASA Server API and plugins?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Cousin Server Manager integrates with AsaApiLoader (the third-party ASA plugin framework). Basic install and viewing is available for free, while Advanced Plugin Management - editing each plugin's config through an auto-generated form and reloading a single plugin via RCON without restarting the whole server - requires an active license.

Question 8

Can I run this on Linux or does it require Windows?

Accepted Answer

Cousin Server Manager currently runs on Windows, matching how most ARK: Survival Ascended dedicated servers are hosted. It runs locally on your machine and is accessed from any browser on your network.

Question 9

How do backups and restores work?

Accepted Answer

Auto-Backup runs in the background on a configurable interval, with optional SaveWorld first and separate retention limits for world/map and player-profile backups. You can also create manual backups and choose a backup location. Browsing, restoring, or deleting world and player-profile backups requires an active 1-Year or Lifetime license.

Question 10

Can I control player access and bans across all my servers?

Accepted Answer

Yes, this is also under license. The global Ban Manager lets you search known players, issue lifetime or timed bans, and target all servers, a specific cluster, or a single server. Bans are sent live via RCON and automatically retried if a server is offline - available with a 1-Year or Lifetime license.

Question 11

How does UPS power protection work?

Accepted Answer

With an active license, Cousin Server Manager can connect to a UPS through Network UPS Tools (NUT), the software used to read many battery backups. It can detect utility power loss and restoration, show battery charge, estimated runtime, load, voltage, and history, and send power events to server logs, in-game players through RCON, and Discord. When thresholds you configure for battery level, runtime, time on battery, low-battery state, or communication loss are reached, it can warn players, save and gracefully stop all ARK servers, and optionally shut down Windows after a final warning period.

Question 12

Can other people help me administrate without full access?

Accepted Answer

Yes, with a license. Multi-user Account Management lets the master account create additional users and choose their allowed tabs, sensitive actions, global features, and access to individual servers or dashboard clusters. This lets you delegate moderation or maintenance work without sharing unrestricted access.

Question 13

How do I access my server manager remotely?

Accepted Answer

Cousin Server Manager itself runs locally at http://localhost:<port>. Many admins pair it with a tool like Cloudflare Tunnel to securely expose the dashboard to themselves or trusted co-admins from anywhere, without opening ports on their router. You can also set up a reverse proxy (Nginx, Caddy, or Traefik) in front of it with your own domain and HTTPS if you'd rather manage that yourself.

Question 14

Is there a refund policy?

Accepted Answer

Since license keys are generated and activated immediately upon purchase, all sales are final. If you run into an activation issue or bug, contact us on Discord first - we're quick to help and will make it right.

Frequently asked questions

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