Steam glossary for indie developers
25 Oct 2026 · 6 min read
Steam has its own vocabulary: capsules, visibility rounds, Popular Upcoming, RTMP tokens. Here is each term in a sentence or three, checked against Valve's Steamworks documentation on 25 Oct 2026, with a link to the article that goes deeper.
App ID · Coming Soon page · Store review · Capsules · Tags · Demo · Wishlist · Popular Upcoming · Discovery Queue · Launch visibility · Update Visibility Round · Traffic Breakdown · Steam Next Fest · Seasonal sales · Free Weekend · Store page broadcast · RTMP URL and token · Non-limited account · Broadcast whitelist · Friends Only and Public · Keyframe interval · Re-Broadcast · Broadcast statistics · 24/7 loop
Store page and release
App ID. The number Steam gives every product: the base game, its demo and each DLC have their own. A store page broadcast must use the base game's App ID; a stream on the demo's App ID does not appear on the base game's page. Broadcasting a Steam demo →
Coming Soon page. The public store page of a game that is not out yet. It turns on wishlists and the Community Hub, and a new product must have one up for at least two weeks before it can release. Games with a Coming Soon page can already run a store page broadcast. Store page checklist →
Store review. Valve checks your store page and your build before release. The store page review typically takes 3 to 5 business days, and Valve suggests submitting at least 7 business days before you want the page live. Once approved, you can update the page and the game without a new review. Steam launch checklist →
Capsules. The images that stand for your game across Steam. The header capsule (920 x 430) sits at the top of the store page; the small capsule (462 x 174) is used in search results and lists, so its logo has to stay readable when it shrinks. The main and vertical capsules are required too. Steam capsule art sizes →
Tags. Labels for genre, visuals, themes and features. Developers, players and Steam moderators can apply them. Valve requires at least 5 before launch and recommends up to 20; only the top 20 are shown and used to decide who sees the game, and which themed fests invite it. Store page checklist →
Demo. A free, separate app linked to the base game, with its own App ID. When it goes public you can send one notification to everyone who wishlisted the game, at a time you choose within two weeks of the demo's release. Steam Next Fest requires one. Broadcasting a Steam demo →
Visibility and wishlists
Wishlist. A player's list of games to keep track of. Steam emails everyone with the game on their list when it releases (in Early Access or in full), when it leaves Early Access, and when it is discounted by 20% or more for over 8 hours on its cheapest package. A player gets at most one such email per game every 2 weeks (the rules). Valve says wishlists are mostly not a factor in algorithmic visibility. Do broadcasts help wishlists? →
Popular Upcoming. A Steam store tab of games that are not out yet. Valve names it as the exception where wishlists do count toward visibility. Steam visibility rounds →
Discovery Queue. A personalised queue of games Steam suggests to a signed-in player, one after another. Valve lists it among the places a released game may be recommended. Steam visibility rounds →
Launch visibility. The free exposure a game gets at full release and when it leaves Early Access: a place in the New Releases queue, where the titles with the fewest views go first, and in the All New Releases list. Steam visibility rounds →
Update Visibility Round. A spot in "Recently Updated" on the front page, shown to people who own or wishlisted the game, for a major update. Five per product, each up to 30 days or 1 million home page impressions, and each needs a community announcement from the last 30 days. Steam visibility rounds →
Traffic Breakdown. The Steamworks report that shows every place on Steam your game was shown, with impressions and the clicks that reached your store page. Steam UTM analytics → · Steam visibility rounds →
Events and sales
Steam Next Fest. A weeklong event for upcoming games with playable demos, held three times a year, in February, June and October. A game can take part only once, its store page must be public, its demo must be playable by the start, and it cannot release before that Next Fest ends. Steam Next Fest checklist →
Seasonal sales. Steam's Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter sales. Update Visibility Rounds get no front page visibility while they run, but those days still count toward the round. Steam events calendar →
Free Weekend. A Valve-approved promotion that lets anyone play your full paid game for free, usually Thursday to Monday, on the base game's App ID. Eligible games get one per calendar year, and it is only promoted on your own store page unless paired with a curated discount. Steam free weekends →
Store page broadcasts
Store page broadcast. A live stream shown on your store page, above the screenshots, sent over RTMP. Steam does not save or replay it. Prerecorded video is allowed, as often and as long as you want. What are Steam store broadcasts? →
RTMP URL and token. The server address and the secret key (often called the stream key) you paste into your streaming software. Both come from steamcommunity.com/broadcast/upload, signed in as the broadcasting account. Finding your Steam stream key →
Non-limited account. A Steam account that has spent at least $5 USD on Steam. Only a non-limited account that owns the game can broadcast it. Store page broadcast setup →
Broadcast whitelist. The list of accounts allowed to broadcast on a store page. Add an account on a broadcast event's Broadcasting tab (Valve's preferred way) or in the store page's Special Settings. Store page broadcast setup →
Friends Only and Public. A broadcast's visibility setting. New broadcasts start as Friends Only, and only Public streams appear on the store page. Your own account sees both, so check from a logged-out window. Steam broadcast troubleshooting →
Keyframe interval. How often the encoder sends a full frame. Steam needs one every 2 seconds; Valve says the stream fails to start without it. Steam broadcast video specs →
Re-Broadcast. Valve's suggested label for footage that is not live, such as a banner on a prerecorded stream. Prerecorded video on Steam →
Broadcast statistics. Four numbers per broadcast: maximum concurrent viewers, total viewers, average watch time and total watch time, kept for the last 30 days. Reading broadcast statistics →
24/7 loop. A video played on repeat so a broadcast never ends. Steam has no loop button: something has to keep sending the stream, which is what Loopcast does. What a 24/7 loop is →
Valve changes these rules. Each definition here was true on 25 Oct 2026. When something matters for a launch or a festival, check the Steamworks page in the sources below.
Sources: Coming Soon, Review process, Standard store assets, Steam Tags, Wishlists, Free Weekends, Visibility on Steam, Update Visibility Rounds, Steam Next Fest, Steam broadcast FAQ, Setting up a broadcast, Livestreaming a game demo, Broadcast viewership statistics. Checked 25 Oct 2026. Valve updates these pages; the Steamworks docs always win.