Add Your ARK Server to Steam Favorites

Updated 5 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

Adding your ARK: Survival Evolved server to Steam Favorites lets you skip the browser and launch straight into your go-to server from the Steam client. This guide covers both official and unofficial servers, and shows you how to fix the most common issues that prevent servers from appearing.

What You’ll Need

A Steam account with ARK: Survival Evolved owned or installed (the game must be in your library).
The server’s IP address and port (for unofficial servers). This is usually provided by the server host or admin, and looks like 192.168.1.100:7777.
For official servers, just the server name or the map type (e.g., “The Island”, “Ragnarok”).
An active internet connectionâ€”Steam needs to reach the server’s public IP.

Step-by-Step

Open Steam and go to the Servers tab. In the top menu, click View > Servers. Alternatively, press Ctrl+S (Windows) or Cmd+S (Mac) while in the Steam client.
Select the “Favorites” tab. At the top of the Servers window, you’ll see tabs like “Internet”, “Favorites”, “History”, and “LAN”. Click Favorites.
Add a server by IP (for unofficial servers). Click the Add a Server button at the bottom right. Enter the server’s IP address and port in the format IP:Port (e.g., 203.0.113.5:7777). Click Add to Favorites.
For official servers, find it in the Internet tab first. Click the Internet tab. In the search box, type the server name or the map name (e.g., “Official Server 123”). You can also filter by game by selecting “ARK: Survival Evolved” from the game dropdown (if available). Once you find it, right-click the server and choose Add to Favorites.
Confirm the server appears. Go back to the Favorites tab. You should see the server listed. If it shows a green ping and the player count, it’s successfully added.
Join from favorites. Double-click the server in your Favorites list, or select it and click Connect. ARK will launch and connect automatically.

Common Mistakes

Using the wrong port. ARK uses two ports: the game port (default 7777) and the query port (default 27015). For Steam favorites, you need the game port, not the query port. If you enter the query port, the server won’t show up or will show as offline.
Entering the IP with spaces or extra characters. The format must be exactly IP:Port with no spaces, e.g., 192.168.1.10:7777. A common typo is using a comma or semicolon instead of a colon.
Adding a server that’s not running. If the server is offline at the moment, it won’t appear in Favorites. Make sure the server is up and reachableâ€”try pinging it or checking with the host.
Using a local IP when the server is remote. If you’re connecting to a friend’s server, you need their public IP, not a 192.168.x.x address (unless you’re on the same LAN).
Forgetting to refresh. After adding, the list may not auto-refresh. Click the Refresh button (circular arrow) at the bottom to update the status.

Tips

Use the “History” tab as a backup. Every server you’ve ever joined appears in the History tab. If you can’t add to Favorites, you can right-click a history entry and add it from there.
Name your favorites. Steam doesn’t let you rename servers, but you can add a note in the “Notes” field (right-click > Edit) to remember what map or mods it runs.
Check the server’s mods. If the server uses mods, you’ll need to subscribe to them on the Steam Workshop before joining. The server will prompt you if mods are missing.
Use the in-game server browser as an alternative. ARK’s in-game browser (in the main menu, click “Join ARK”) also has a Favorites filter. Adding there works the same way and may be more reliable for some servers.

Troubleshooting

Server doesn’t appear in Favorites after adding. First, double-check the IP and port. If it’s an unofficial server, verify the port is the game port (7777 default). Then click Refresh. If it still doesn’t show, try adding it via the Internet tab by searching the server nameâ€”if it doesn’t appear there either, the server may be down or your firewall is blocking Steam’s connection to it.

Server shows as “Not Responding” or with a red ping. This usually means the server is offline or unreachable from your network. Try pinging the IP from your command prompt (Windows: ping IP). If it responds, the server might be blocking the query port. Some server hosts use a different query portâ€”check with the admin.

Steam says “Invalid IP” when adding. The format is wrong. Ensure it’s IP:Port with no spaces. If the IP is IPv6, enclose it in brackets, like [2001:db8::1]:7777.

Can’t find official server in Internet tab. Use the game filter to narrow results. If you know the exact server number, type it in the search. Official servers are often named like “Official Server 123 (The Island)”. If you still can’t find it, the server might be full or offline.

Favorites list is empty after restarting Steam. This can happen if Steam’s clientregistry.blob file is corrupted. Close Steam, delete the clientregistry.blob file (located in your Steam installation folder, usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam), then restart Steam. This will rebuild your favorites list, but you may need to re-add servers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to add the port for official servers?

No. For official servers, you add them via the Internet tab, which automatically includes the correct port. You only need to specify the port when manually adding an unofficial server.

Can I add a server that uses a password?

Yes. Adding it to Favorites works the same way. When you join, ARK will prompt you for the password.

Why does my server show a different IP than what I entered?

Steam may resolve the hostname to a different IP if the server uses a dynamic DNS or a proxy. As long as the server appears and is joinable, it’s fine.

Can I add a server from a different Steam account?

Favorites are tied to your Steam account, so you’ll need to add them on each account you use. However, you can share the IP/port with friends so they can add it themselves.

What if the server is not in the Internet tab but I have the IP?

You can still add it manually via the “Add a Server” button. If it doesn’t show up, the server may be offline or the IP/port is incorrect.

Does adding a server to favorites download mods automatically?

No. Adding to favorites only saves the server. When you join, ARK will check for required mods and prompt you to subscribe to them. You’ll need to restart the game after subscribing for the mods to load.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.