The Steam Store Page Checklist: Everything Before You Hit Publish
By the Cosindra team · Updated July 26, 2026
Around 14,000 games hit Steam every year. Most of the difference between a page that converts browsers into wishlists and one that doesn’t comes down to a dozen concrete, checkable things — almost all of them above the fold.
This is the checklist we grade pages against, in priority order. Work top to bottom: the items near the top carry far more weight than the ones near the bottom.
1. Capsule — the first filter
- Title readable at ~231 px wide (the search-result render).
- Genre communicated visually, not just in text.
- One focal subject, high contrast, no screenshot-as-capsule.
- Consistent art across header, small and library capsules.
2. Short description — the hook
- Genre and core hook in the first sentence, ideally the first ten words.
- Concrete and specific — mechanics and fantasy, not "epic adventure awaits".
- Under the 300-character limit with room to breathe; 1–3 tight sentences.
3. Tags — how Steam finds your audience
- All 20 tag slots used.
- Most important tags first — genre, then subgenre, then mechanics, then mood.
- Tags match what the game actually is (mis-tagging brings the wrong audience, and the wrong audience doesn’t buy).
4. Screenshots — proof of the fantasy
- At least 5; the first two carry most of the weight.
- Actual gameplay with UI where it matters — pure vista shots read as bullshots.
- Variety: combat/systems, exploration, progression, a moment of spectacle.
- 1920 × 1080, sharp, captured at high settings.
5. Trailer — presence beats polish
- Have one. Pages with a trailer convert measurably better than pages without.
- Gameplay within the first 5 seconds — logos and studio cards up front lose viewers.
- Under 90 seconds is a good default for an indie title.
6. The rest of the fold
- Genres and categories set correctly in Steamworks.
- Release date or a believable window ("Coming 2026" beats a date you’ll miss).
- A demo if you can ship one — demos are among the strongest wishlist drivers an indie has.
- Long description with readable structure: short opener, feature list, GIFs if you have them.
- System requirements filled in — an empty spec box reads as abandoned.
When to publish your page
Earlier than feels comfortable. Your page can go live long before your game is finished, and wishlists accumulate the entire time. A page that goes up a year before launch with a modest capsule beats a perfect page that goes up three weeks before. You can — and should — keep improving every asset on this list after publishing.
Want an honest score for your page?
LaunchKit grades your Steam store page 0-100 — AI vision looks at your actual capsule and screenshots, checks your description and tags, and gives you a prioritized fix list. Paste your store URL, or grade a draft before you publish.
Grade my Steam pageFrequently asked questions
When should I publish my Steam page?
As early as you can show the game honestly. Wishlists accrue from day one and launch visibility is driven partly by the wishlist count you arrive with. Publishing early with imperfect assets, then iterating, is the standard playbook.
How many screenshots should a Steam page have?
Five is a sensible minimum and Steam surfaces the first ones most. Prioritize variety and real gameplay over quantity.
Do I really need a trailer?
Yes. Presence matters more than production value — a simple gameplay montage with readable text beats no trailer, and pages with video convert meaningfully better.