Steam broadcast event: set one up step by step
27 Oct 2026 · 5 min read
Before a Steam account can stream to your store page, your game has to allow it. Valve gives two ways to do that, and the one it prefers is a broadcast event: a Live-Stream/Broadcast post in your events and announcements. Here is how to set one up, what it changes and when the plain whitelist is the better fit, from Valve's broadcast setup guide, broadcast FAQ and events documentation, checked 27 Oct 2026.
Event or whitelist
Valve's FAQ says two things must happen for a stream to show: the game must permit the streaming account, and the stream must carry the game's App ID. Permission can come from a broadcast event, "the preferred method", or from the whitelist in the Steam Broadcast (Beta) section of the Special Settings tab under Edit Store Page. Valve prefers the event because its start and stop times limit how long the stream shows, it gives the stream context, and fans can sign up to be notified.
| Broadcast event | Store page whitelist | |
|---|---|---|
| How you set it up | A Live-Stream/Broadcast event, Broadcasting tab | Edit Store Page, Special Settings |
| When the stream shows | Event start to end, plus up to 24 hours | Whenever the account streams |
| Fans can be notified | Yes, if published well before | Not mentioned by Valve |
| Context for viewers | Yes: title, artwork, the event post | Not mentioned by Valve |
| Valve's view | The preferred method | The second method |
Sources: Setting up a stream, Broadcast FAQ, Events and Announcements Tools. Checked 27 Oct 2026. Valve updates these pages; the Steamworks docs always win.
Set up the event, step by step
These are the steps in Valve's setup guide:
Start a few minutes early. Valve says there may be a delay of up to 5 minutes before a new stream is picked up on the store page. If it still does not show, the troubleshooting guide goes through the causes.
The time window
An event has a start and an end. The stream shows on your store page during the event, and Valve says you can keep streaming for up to 24 hours past the end time. The events documentation adds rules for dates: you cannot publish an event with a start time in the past, and you cannot move a start time that has already passed, because that would send repeat notifications. You can always edit the end date of an active event to end it at once.
So an event fits a defined moment: a launch day, a festival week, an update. For a store page that should show a stream all the time, the whitelist in Special Settings does not depend on an event window. The setup checklist covers both routes.
Where the event itself shows
The event post is also an announcement, so it travels further than the stream. Valve lists where events and announcements can appear:
On the event's Visibility tab, "Special featuring for big events" features it above the activity section for each user. Valve says to keep that for major events, with time between them.
Make the window count
Valve's FAQ is direct about the notification: create the event well before the stream, and fans can sign up to be told when it starts. Publish it days ahead, not minutes. For what to put on the stream itself, see what to show in a Steam broadcast. If the event runs for a week, someone has to keep the stream up for that week. Loopcast does it from an uploaded video, with no PC left on at home, billed per minute on air. You can try it free for 7 days, no card needed.
FAQ
How do I create a broadcast event on Steam?
From your game's App Landing Page, under Community & Moderation, click Post/Manage Events & Announcements, then Create new Event or Announcement, and pick Live-Stream/Broadcast. On the Broadcasting tab, enable the broadcast and add the streaming account. Check the times on the Options tab, then save and publish.
Do I need an event to broadcast on my store page?
No. Valve gives two ways to allow a streaming account: a broadcast event, which it calls the preferred method, or the whitelist in the Steam Broadcast (Beta) section of the store page's Special Settings tab.
How long does a broadcast event let my stream show?
The event's start and stop times limit how long the stream shows on the store page. Valve says you can continue streaming for up to 24 hours past the end time of the event.
Why is my stream not showing during the event?
Valve lists a delay of up to 5 minutes before a new stream is picked up, and the account that set up the event and the streaming account must be Steam friends. Also check the App ID on steamcommunity.com/broadcast/upload.
Can players get notified when my stream starts?
Yes. Valve says that by creating the event well before the live stream, your game's fans can sign up to be notified when the stream starts.