The effect of chemical activators on the properties of activated carbon from sago waste was conducted in this study by using ZnCl₂, H₃PO₄, KOH, and KMnO₄ chemical solutions. The carbonized sago waste was added to each chemical solution, boiled at 85 °C for 4 h, and heated at 600 °C for 3 h. The porosity, microstructural, proximate, and surface chemistry analyses were carried out using nitrogen adsorption with employing the Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) method and the Barret-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) calculation, scanning electron microscopy by using energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometer, simultaneous thermogravimetric analysis system, and the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that the activated carbon prepared using ZnCl₂ acid had the highest specific surface area of 546.61 m²/g, while the KOH activating agent surpassed other chemicals in terms of a refined structure and morphology, with the lowest ash content of 10.90%. The surface chemistry study revealed that ZnCl₂ and KOH activated carbon showed phenol and carboxylate groups. Hence, ZnCl₂ acid was suggested as activating agents for micropore carbon, while KOH was favorable to producing a mesopore-activated carbon from sago waste.