Steam Tightens Store Page Rules: Developers Can No Longer Add External Links

Valve is tightening the reins on Steam store pages with a new set of rules. These regulations are aimed at refining the way game descriptions are presented.

Starting in early September, developers will be prohibited from including external links within the text of their game pages..

Valve's New Rules For Steam Store Pages

The new restrictions apply to four sections: ‘About the game,’ ‘Short description,’ ‘Special announcements,’ and ‘Awards.’

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Valve's goal is to ensure that users can focus on the game at hand without being distracted by extraneous links to other websites or other games on Steam.

This change responds to developers increasingly using these sections to promote other games or external sites, distracting users.

“We have been seeing more and more store pages that are effectively advertisements for OTHER [emphasis original] store pages on Steam,” Valve stated in their announcement.

The company said that it's not uncommon for a game's store page to feature a list of multiple other games before getting to the details of the game being viewed.

“We don’t think that’s great for customers trying to learn about a game on Steam,” Valve added.

What Developers Need To Know About Steam's Latest Store Page Restrictions

For developers, this means a notable shift in how they can market their games on Steam. Previously, linking to social media pages, other games, or external websites directly within the description was a common practice.

However, Valve now emphasizes that social media links are adequately covered by existing fields on the store page, removing the need for additional links within the main text.

Developers will also need to reconsider their approach to promoting other games in their portfolio. Valve's new guidelines prevent store descriptions from being used as a space to advertise other titles, ensuring that each game page is dedicated solely to the game in question.

These updates to store page descriptions are part of a broader effort by Valve to refine the user experience on Steam. This includes recent changes to how game demos are handled on the platform.

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