Template Hammer in ARK: Survival Ascended: Save a Build Once, Rebuild It Anywhere

What the Template Hammer does

The Template Hammer lets you capture a structure as a template, give it a name, and place it again wherever you want, with an Auto Build mode that raises the whole structure for you. The ASA wiki lists the Template Hammer under Lost Colony, the first paid expansion for Ascended, which launched on 19 December 2025. The tool's own description reads: "Used to create, modify, place, load and save structure templates." The wiki's page on the hammer notes that you can select up to 2,000 structures for a single template, which is large enough for a full base wing, a storage hall or a defence ring.

That makes it useful in three situations: you want the same layout in several places (a turret line, a dedicated storage room), you want to move a base without hand-placing every piece, or you want to keep a layout you are proud of as insurance.

Part 1: create a template

This is the sequence from Raconin's video, in his order.

1. Build the structure you want to keep. It can be anything: a base layout, a storage setup or any build you want to reuse.
2. Take out the Template Hammer and make sure Select All is on. That setting tells the hammer to pick up every connected structure rather than one piece at a time.
3. Click once. Everything connected turns blue. Blue means selected, and it is your confirmation that the whole build is included.
4. Switch to the hammer's second mode. Raconin identifies it by the disc icon. Press the Save mode.
5. Name it. A Save Template window opens. Type a name you will recognise later. A description is optional.
6. Press Accept. The template is saved.

Naming that pays off later

The video treats the name field as a quick formality, but it is the thing you will rely on when your list has fifteen entries. A pattern that works: size, purpose, version. For example, "Turret ring small v2" or "Vault room 4x6". The wiki notes the save dialog also records an author name and a description and shows the structures included, so the description is a good place to note the materials tier or special instructions ("needs foundation clearance on the left").

Part 2: place it and auto-build

1. Equip the hammer and open template selection. Click the icon in the middle that says to select a template.
2. Pick your template from the list. Saved templates are listed on the left side.
3. Press Place and position it. Move the preview to where you want it. On the wiki's account you can move, rotate and adjust the height before placing.
4. Activate Auto Build. Then wait while everything is built automatically.
5. Check the materials list. The right-hand side shows every material the structure needs to be finished.

The order of that last step matters. Look at the materials list before you start waiting. A build that stalls partway because you ran out of metal ingots is a waste of an Auto Build, and a stalled half-built structure is a security risk on a PvP server.

A pre-placement checklist

The video is two minutes long, so it does not walk through the checks that avoid a failed placement. These are our suggestions.

• Clear the ground. Large templates are unforgiving about terrain, rocks and trees. Walk the footprint first.
• Use snapping on or off deliberately. A template that sits flush against an existing base is fine; a free-standing build on uneven ground may need free placement. Raconin's longer template video, covered below, shows how to switch between the two.
• Read the materials list against your inventory. Multiply anything you are unsure of. It is cheaper to carry too much than to stop halfway.
• Test with a small template first. Save a tiny two-wall build and place it to learn how your server behaves before you rely on a 1,500-piece base.
• Guard the build site. If you are on a PvP server, an Auto Build in progress is visible and vulnerable. Bring turrets or a tame to guard it, or build when the server is quiet.

Importing templates: PC and console

Raconin has a second, longer video for this topic: "Complete Template Hammer Breakdown For Ark Survival Ascended | PC Import + Console Method" (2:04). According to its description, it covers the following, and we repeat it here so you know whether it is worth watching next.

• PC: finding ready-made templates. You can import finished templates from websites such as wikily.gg, copy a template code, import it into the hammer, place the hologram, and then use Auto Build.
• Placement modes. It shows how to switch between snapping and free placement and how the Auto Build controls work.
• Console: no direct code import. Consoles cannot import template codes directly, so console players need help from a PC player.
• The PC player's part. According to the description, the PC player can store a placed template in a consumable item, which they then give to a console player to unlock the template permanently.

This is the channel's own description of that video, and we have not tested the console workflow ourselves. Treat it as a pointer to the video rather than as a tested procedure.

Watch the PC import and console method on YouTube.

Troubleshooting

• Your saved template is not in the list. The wiki notes that your own and imported templates appear when you switch the list dropdown from Default to Local. If the list looks empty, check that dropdown first.
• The preview will not sit where you want it. Toggle between snapping and free placement, the two placement modes Raconin shows in his longer video. Snapping is right next to an existing base; free placement is right on uneven open ground.
• Only part of the build turned blue. Select All was off or the build has a disconnected section. Turn it on, reselect, and check that every piece is highlighted before you save.
• Auto Build stops partway. The most likely cause is a material shortfall. Open the materials list on the right, restock, and continue.
• The template is too large to place comfortably. Split a very big base into two templates (for example a core and a wing) so that each one is easier to position. This is our suggestion, not a rule from the game.

What to turn into templates

• Taming traps. If you build the same funnel or pit often, save it. Our trap comparison shows five common designs that are good candidates.
• Storage and war rooms. A standard vault room that you drop in at every outpost. Pair it with the labelling approach in our war room guide.
• Turret lines and defence rings. The same approach scales: one tested layout, reused.
• Boss prep stations. A little build for crafting ammo and holding supplies near a boss arena.

Common mistakes

• Selecting only part of the build. If Select All is off, you only get what you click. Always check that the whole structure is blue before saving.
• Leaving the name blank or generic. A list of "Template 1, 2, 3" is a list you will not use.
• Ignoring the materials panel. It is the most helpful part of Auto Build and the part new users skip.
• Placing against unclear terrain. Pieces that cannot rest on the ground stop the build in awkward places.
• Treating a template as a backup of the contents. A template captures structures. Plan separately for what is stored inside them.

Frequently asked questions