Steam browser protocol
There are several 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 menu) or through your browser's addressbar.
- steam:%c This opens Steam with command line arguments. Replace %c with command line arguments found here: Steam Command Line Options
- steam://store/%id This opens up the store for the specified product, if no product is specified then the default one is opened. Replace %id with a product number from this page Steam Applaunch IDs.
- steam://backup/%id This opens up Steam's backup utility. If a product id is specified then the product is checkmarked automatically. Replace %id with a product number from this page Steam Applaunch IDs.
- steam://run/%id This opens a product. Replace %id with a product number from this page Steam Applaunch IDs.
- steam://updatenews/%id This opens the news about the latest updates for the specified product. Replace %id with a product number from this page Steam Applaunch IDs.
- steam://install/%id This installs a product. Replace %id with a product number from this page Steam Applaunch IDs.
- steam://preload/%id This preloads a product. Replace %id with a product number from this page Steam Applaunch IDs.
- steam://purchase/subscription/%i This opens up a dialog box to buy a subscription to a Steam product/service. None are available as of writing.
- steam://purchase/%id This opens a dialog box to buy a product from Steam. Since Counter-Strike: Condition Zero and the Valve Premier Pack can no longer be purchased by themselves, because they have been replace with Half-Life 2, this is useful. Replace %i with: 7 for Counter-Strike: Condition Zero, 8 for Valve Premier Pack, 9 for Half-Life 2 Bronze, 10 for Half-life 2 Silver, or 13 for Half-Life 2 Gold.
- steam://validate/%id This Validates the files within gcf's of the Applaunch ID you choose.
What can be done with these commands from a websites point of view?
Its a pretty open and powerful system. A website link can start up steam and not only change any c_var of a user it can also execute commands like making a player join a specific server running a specific mod. It can even get the player to start up a dedicated server with a single click.
Here some examples: (the wiki doesnt support them as links so copy / paste them with quotationmarks into a new browser window)
steam:"-applaunch 70 -game "your_mod" +map "yourmap"" - This starts up Half-Life 1 running your_mod and loading a map called yourmap.bsp.
steam:"-applaunch 320 -game "your_mod" +connect "76.184.78.81:27015"" - This starts up Half-Life 2 DM running your_mod and joining the server with the IP 76.184.78.81 on port 27015.
To view this browser based command system in action look at this server browser website.
--Black Panther 07:31, 28 Jun 2005 (PDT) originally posted by --X2cube 05:23, 15 Nov 2004 on the hl2world wiki
