Every ARK server owner or even player knows the difficulty of trying to connect to a server that isn’t showing up in the server browser. Sometimes, even hosted servers run by companies won’t show up despite that being the easiest way to have an unofficial server listed.
However, there are fixes available for both server owners and players to help them either put the server on the list or find another way to connect to it.
Why Isn’t My ARK Server Showing Up?
How to Fix ARK Server Not Showing Up
The reasons why your server might not appear vary depending on whether you’re a player, a server host, or the owner of a server hosted by a third-party company.
A server owner should attempt the fixes that the owner of a hosted server needs to do – but the person who pays a host won’t have to do all the same troubleshooting as someone managing their own server at home.
However, the best way to figure out why your server isn’t showing up is to start from a player’s perspective. Do everything you can to make it appear as a player to ensure none of those issues are interfering with it. Otherwise, you might do a lot of server troubleshooting when issues with the launcher were the problem.
Fixes for Players
Understanding how the server browser and filters work is beneficial for anyone trying to find an elusive ARK server. Start at the top left with the name filter.
Knowing that all your filters are correct is the first step to ensuring that ARK is up-to-date. Next, ensure your game and mods are updated. Often, the game or a mod will update, and your computer won’t automatically follow suit. It also helps to ensure that the server will appear for you because your setup is compatible with it.
Fixes for People Running Servers
If you’re running your own server, you have to manually update the game, forward specific ports, and ensure your mod files are the latest version. These can prevent the server from appearing in the server browser list.
Now the server should be configured so that it will appear on the server browser. Remember that it takes a while for the server to come up and register on the browser, so don’t expect it to appear right away.
Fixes for Dedicated Server Hosted Games
If you pay for a dedicated server, it’s straightforward to manage and update the files for ARK. Most server hosts should offer to do this automatically and then restart the server after.
However, that doesn’t always happen. My last server host would often not automatically update the game and would lag on the restart until the server stopped completely.
Steps vary by the server host company. However, these general fixes should be available no matter who hosts your ARK server.
