Settings Snapshots are AASM's version control for server configuration. Before a risky tuning session, take a snapshot. If the new values make players unhappy, restore the snapshot in one click.

v0.8.2 added selective [ModSettings] restore via ModConfigService.setModSettings() (no more wiping the whole section on restore) and stripped cross-server identity fields on cross-server restore (BUG-SnapshotCrossServerLeak).

Prerequisites:

A server already added.

What a snapshot includes

Full GameUserSettings.ini contents
Full Game.ini contents
The [ModSettings] section, captured separately for selective restore
Maintenance schedule + auto-update + crash-detection settings
Mod loadout (active/passive/disabled status + order)

What a snapshot does NOT include

Player save files (use Backups for that - see Configuring Automated Backups)
RCON / admin / server passwords (intentionally excluded so snapshots are safe to share)
Server identity (RCON port, server name, multihome, cluster ID/dir - stripped on cross-server restore via v0.8.2 blocklist)
ASA API plugin binaries (restore is explicitly not implemented - Error('ASA API settings restore is not implemented yet'); intentional, plugin design needs work)

Step 1 - Capture a snapshot

Server tab → look for the Snapshots button (typically in the server tab's top bar near Confirm Saved, or via the (...) menu). Click it to open the Snapshot Manager dialog. Click Capture Snapshot and give it a descriptive name like "Before harvest 3x test 2026-05-24".

Step 2 - List existing snapshots

The same dialog shows all snapshots for this server, with capture timestamps and names. Click any to expand a preview of what's in it.

Step 3 - Restore a snapshot

Pick a snapshot → Restore. AASM:

Confirms (because this overwrites current config)
Writes the snapshot's INI contents back to GameUserSettings.ini + Game.ini
Selectively restores [ModSettings] via ModConfigService (so mods with custom settings get only their section restored, not the whole .ini)
Restores the mod loadout to match the snapshot

Restart the server for ARK to pick up the restored config.

Step 4 - Cross-server restore (use a snapshot from a different server)

You can restore a snapshot from another server onto this one - useful for cloning settings across a fleet. v0.8.2 (BUG-SnapshotCrossServerLeak) introduced a blocklist that strips identity-sensitive fields from cross-server restores:

Session name
RCON port
All passwords (server / admin / spectator)
Multihome / bind IP
Cluster Directory Name + Cluster ID
Network bind ports

So you get the source server's tuning without inheriting its identity. Cluster membership and unique server identity stay intact on the destination.