ARK server is not showing in the server list

An ARK server that is online but invisible is usually the game's server browser, not the server. Work through this list.

1. Join directly to prove the server is fine

1. In the ARK main menu press Tab.
2. Type open <ip>:<gameport> with the details from your panel.

If that connects, the server is healthy and the rest of this article is about the browser.

2. Clear every filter

• Session filter set to Unofficial, not Official and not Favourites.
• Clear the map filter. A server on a map you did not select is hidden.
• Clear the ping filter and the player count filter.
• Turn off the hide full and hide password protected options while you look.

3. Give it time, then refresh properly

• A newly started server can take five to ten minutes to appear.
• The list caches. Closing the game entirely and reopening it refreshes more reliably than the refresh button.

4. Check the session name

• An empty SessionName in GameUserSettings.ini makes a server very hard to find. Set one.
• Unusual characters in the name can break searching. Stick to letters, numbers and spaces.

5. Check the query port

The list is answered on the query port, not the game port. Steam favourites need IP:QueryPort, while the open command needs the game port. Mixing these up is the single most common reason a player says the server does not exist.

6. Version mismatch after an update

When ARK patches, clients update automatically and the server needs a restart to update too. Restart it from the panel and watch the console for the update to finish before you look again.

If the open command also fails, open a ticket with your IP, game port, query port and the exact error the player sees.