Steam browser protocol

There are numerous system-wide commands available that interact with Steam. All of them open up Steam if it is not open. They can either be typed into a command box (Start-> Run) or through your browser's address bar (you can normally create links to them as you would web page links). Use a Steam Application ID in place of <id> (i.e. 211 for the Source SDK).

• steam:<commands> This opens Steam with command line arguments, which can be found here.

Note:If you forget the closing quote on a steam:"<command>", you will get an assertion failed error from Steam.exe/BootStrapperApp.cpp.

• steam://advertise/<id> This opens up the store for an app.
• steam://ackMessage/ackGuestPass/<id> Accepts the Guest Pass Sent
• steam://appnews/<id> This opens up the appnews web page for an app.
• steam://backup/<id> This opens up Steam's backup utility. If an AppId is specified then the product is checkmarked automatically.
• steam://connect/<IP or DNS name>[:<port>] This connects the user to the server specified by the IP or DNS name. Using this, you can connect to servers for third party mods without needing to know the mod's installation path.
  • Example: steam://connect/1.0.0.27:27015
  • Example: steam://connect/dns.server.com
• steam://defrag/<id> This defragments the GCFs associated with an installed application.
• steam://friends/
  • add/<id> - Adds user with specified id number
  • players - Shows list of users with whom you recently played
  • joinchat/<id> - Joins a chat with a specified id number
  • message/<id> -
• Template:Steamlink Opens up the Guest Passes Window
• steam://hardwarepromo/ Executes hardware promo method. Example: Template:Steamlink gets the products for this offer.
• steam://install/<id> This installs an app. Example: Template:Steamlink installs Sam & Max: Episode 4.
• steam://installaddon/<addon> This installs the specified add-on. Example: Template:Steamlink installs HL High-Def Pack
• steam://open/<component> Opens a Steam window. Known <component> values:
  • Template:Steamlinktitled
  • Template:Steamlinktitled
  • Template:Steamlinktitled
  • Template:Steamlinktitled
  • Template:Steamlinktitled
  • Template:Steamlinktitled - Allows registering of keys from different games (e.g Prey)
  • Template:Steamlinktitled
  • Template:Steamlinktitled
• steam://openurl/<url> Opens URL in default web browser.
• steam://paypal/cancel Cancels an ongoing PayPal transaction.
• steam://preload/<id> This preloads an app.
• steam://publisher/<name> Loads the specified publisher catalogue in the Store. Type the publisher's name in lowercase, e.g. activision or valve.
• steam://purchase/<id> This opens a dialog box to buy an app from Steam.
• steam://purchase/subscription/<id> This opens up a dialog box to buy a subscription to a Steam product/service. None are available yet.
• steam://removeaddon/<addon> This uninstalls the specified add-on. Example: Template:Steamlink uninstalls HL High-Def Pack
• steam://run/<id> This opens an app.
• steam://runsafe/<id> This resets CVARs of an app.
• Template:Steamlink Same as Template:Steamlink, but also allows for subcommands for each page:
  • Template:Steamlinktitled
  • Template:Steamlinktitled
  • Template:Steamlinktitled
  • Template:Steamlinktitled
  • Template:Steamlinktitled
  • Template:Steamlinktitled
• steam://store/<id> This opens up the store for an app, if no app is specified then the default one is opened.
• steam://support/<params> Launches the Steam Support utility, running all tests. Enter valid support string to filter results.
• steam://uninstall/<id> Deletes the specified apps' cache files.
• steam://updatenews/<id> This opens the news about the latest updates for an app.
• steam://url/<page>[/<params>] Opens a specified Steam Community page
  • ChatBanListAdmin/...
  • Template:Steamlinktitled - Opens support.valvesoftware.com in your default browser
  • GroupEventsPage/<id>
  • GroupSteamIDPage/<id>
  • GroupSteamIDAdmin/<id>
  • Template:Steamlinktitled
  • Template:Steamlinktitled
  • Template:Steamlinktitled
  • SteamIDLoginPage/... - ???
  • SteamIDPage/<id>
  • StoreFrontPage - ???
  • Template:Steamlinktitled - Opens support.valvesoftware.com in your default browser
• steam://validate/<id> This validates the GCFs of an app.

Suggested commands

The following commands are community suggestions and are not presently featured in Steam:

• steam://connect/<IP or DNS name>[:port]/<password>
  • Connects to the specified server with the right password --Semi
    • I think that this is a must due to the fact that the appid's are complete bs when it comes to launching steam remotely. --pumakuma
• steam://connect/<IP or DNS name>[:port]/'command1 "arg1" "arg2";command2 "arg1";password "blah";etc..'
  • Connects to the specified server after executing the specified commands --ts2do
• steam://vdc/<page title>
  • Open title page on the VDC. -- AiusEpsi and ts2do
    • Why would this be useful? We already have steam://openurl/<url>. -- WildCat
      • Saves us from having to type http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/ for everything. We're not completely obsessed, we don't use steam:// to open hypertext pages --Alph Tech STUART 17:13, 9 Jun 2006 (PDT).
• steam://gameinfo/<IP or DNS name>[:port]
  • Opens the "Game Info" dialog for the specified server. Maybe also integrated into the server browser, so you don't have to add a server to the favorites to have access to that window. --Koraktor

Appreciated -Rotzi

• steam://runsingle/<AppID>
  • Runs an app, then shuts down Steam once the game closes. -- AiusEpsi
    • This is stupid. All Source games needs Steam open in order to do anything concerning gcf files, which is the game itself.--Sortie 23:53, 5 Apr 2007 (PDT)

it shuts down steam AFTER the game ran and closed! Leopard84

• steam://forceupdate/<AppID>

I don't get the point. Useless in my point of view. -Rotzi

• • Forces update (if autoupdate fails) of all files (including all linked .gcf) for defined AppID. -- Dwarden

Restarting Steam would be simpler, and have the same effect. --TomEdwards 08:23, 13 Sep 2006 (PDT)

i'm afraid it's not that simple, see my post there http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=485982 -- Dwarden

Yea, my steam REFUSES to update ANYTHING, even after re-installing it. A force update would be nice. --PanFrie 04:50, 1 Feb 2008 (EST)

• steam://checkbuild/<AppID>
  • Compares actual local build of AppID with latest version available at Steam servers for defined AppID.
  • Results displayed in way: '<AppID> - <ActualLocalBuild>:<LatestBuildAtSteamServers>
  • and if they not match it offers user dialog to force update to latest build.