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).

Implemented commands

steam:"<commands>"

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://AddNonSteamGame

steam://advertise/<id>

Opens up the store for an application.

steam://ackMessage/ackGuestPass/<pass>

Accepts the Gift or Guest Pass.

steam://appnews/<id>

Opens up the news page for an app.

steam://backup/<id>

Opens up the Backup Wizard and checks the specified application. If an application is not specified then nothing will be checked.

steam://browsemedia

steam://checksysreqs/<id>

Checks if users computer meets system requirements of app.

steam://connect/<IP or DNS name>[:<port>][/<password>]

Connects the user to the server specified by the IP or DNS name. You don't have to specify anything for connecting a third party mod server, it will be automaticly detected.

• Example: steam://connect/1.0.0.27:27015
• Example: steam://connect/dns.server.com

steam://defrag/<id>

Defragments files of the application.

steam://friends/

Opens Friends. These sub-commands are accepted:

add/<id>

Adds user with specified id number

friends/<id>

Shows list of users with whom you recently played

joinchat/<id>

Joins a chat with a specified id number

message/<id>

Send a message

players

Shows table of recent players you've played with

settings/hideoffline

Toggle offline friends from friends list

settings/showavatars

Toggle avatars in friends list

settings/sortbyname

Sorts friends list by name

status/away

Sets status as away

status/busy

Sets status as busy

status/offline

Sets status as offline

status/online

Sets status as online

steam://guestpasses/

Opens up the Guest Passes window

steam://hardwarepromo/

Tests whether the user has hardware that matches a promotional offer.

• Example: steam://hardwarepromo/305 (ATi)
• Example: steam://hardwarepromo/609 (nVidia)

steam://install/<id>

Installs an application.

• Example: steam://install/8230 installs Sam & Max: Episode 4.

steam://installaddon/<addon>

Installs the specified add-on.

• Example: steam://installaddon/halflifehd installs HL High-Def Pack.
• Example: steam://installaddon/hl2russian installs HL2 Russian Pack.

steam://nav/<component>

Opens a Steam window, but doesn't make Steam window active.. Known <component> values:

downloads

games

games/details

games/details/<id>

games/grid

games/list

media

tools

steam://open/<component>

Opens a Steam window. Known <component> values:

activateproduct

downloads

friends

games

games/details

games/grid

games/list

largegameslist

minigameslist

main

Your "favorite window".

mymedia

news

registerproduct

CD key registration (e.g Prey)

tools

servers

settings

steam://openurl/<url>

Opens URL in the system's default web browser.

steam://paypal/cancel

Cancels an ongoing PayPal transaction.

steam://preload/<id>

Preloads an application.

steam://publisher/<name>

Loads the specified publisher catalogue in the Store. Type the publisher's name in lowercase, e.g. activision or valve.

Bug:Somehow broken.  [todo tested in ?]

steam://purchase/<id>

Opens a dialog box to buy an application from Steam.

steam://purchase/subscription/<id>

Opens up a dialog box to buy a subscription to a Steam product/service. None are available yet.

steam://removeaddon/<addon>

Uninstalls the specified add-on.

• Example: steam://removeaddon/halflifehd uninstalls HL High-Def Pack

steam://run/<id>

Runs an application. It will be installed if necessary.

steam://runsafe/<id>

Resets CVARs of a Source game.

steam://rungameid/<id>

Same as run, but with support for mods and non-Steam shortcuts.

steam://settings/

Same as steam://open/settings, but also allows for subcommands for each page:

account

friends

interface

ingame

downloads

voice

steam://store/<id>

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>

Opens the news about the latest updates for an app.

steam://url/<named page>

Opens a special, named web pages:

ChatBanListAdmin/...

CommunitySearch/

CommunityFriendsThatPlay/<id>

CommunityGroupSearch/

DownloadsSupportInfo

GroupEventsPage/<id>

GroupSteamIDPage/<id>

GroupSteamIDAdmin/<id>

LeaveGroupPage

LegalInformation

PrivacyPolicy

SSA

SteamIDAchievementsPage/<id>

SteamIDControlPage

SteamIDEditPage

SteamIDLoginPage/<pass>

Opens the internal auto-sign in page. Won't work unless the correct one-time password is included.

SteamIDPage/<id>

Store

StoreAccount

Storefront

StoreFrontPage

Opens store homepage in Steam store tab.

SupportFrontPage

Opens support.steampowered.com in your default browser

steam://validate/<id>

Validates the local files of an app.

Suggested commands

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

Connect protocol

• 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
  • An alternate syntax which makes more sense if you're familiar with HTTP URL syntax: steam://connect/<IP or DNS name>[:port]/?cvar1=value&cvar2=value&password=blah&etc.. --The MAZZTer 21:03, 31 Jul 2008 (PDT)
  • A similar syntax could be: steam://connect/?ip=<ip>:<port>&password=<password>&hltv=<true/false>&gamedetails=<true/false>&cvars="<cvar1> <value>;<cvar2> <value>;" where gamedetails refers to Server Info (similar to proposed protocol below); and all data under cvars is automatically compiled into a one-time .cfg file. -- JRod 17:13, 22 Nov 2008 (PST)

Overlay Browser

• steam://overlay/<Website or Arguments From Steam://url>
  • Opens the overlay ingame with the specified parameter, helpful for opening steam groups ingame so players can join. --DontWannaName
    • Second this request, would be great for creating communities for/in L4D Captain-p0t-n00dle 10:02, 10 May 2009 (UTC)
      • Great suggestion. Would love to see that available. Holek 13:16, 16 March 2010 (UTC)

Other

• steam://server/<IP:PORT> <ADD | Delete>
  • Allows for making links to add said server to favorites.- Jay7981

• steam://runadv/<AppID> <parameters>
  • Runs an app allowing you to specify advanced parameters like -windowed. -ultradude25
• 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 is ran and closed! Leopard84
• steam://forceupdate/<AppID>
  • Forces update (if autoupdate fails) of all files (including all linked .gcf) for defined AppID. -- Dwarden
    • I don't get the point. Useless in my point of view. -Rotzi
      • 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 here. -- 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://friends/message/<id OR username>
  • This would update the /friends/message/ command to allow users to more easily add their IM links to their webpages (i.e. social networking sites). It just seems a little odd that you have to know your numerical steam ID in order to use this command. The /friends/add/ command could also include this functionality.

• 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 don't match, it offers user dialog to force update to latest build.