How to run a Steam key giveaway safely
Updated 10 November 2026 · By the Vast team
Request only the keys you need, keep them private until a checked winner gets one, and stay under Valve's 100-key line for free giveaways unless Steam customers get the same deal. Check where your keys can be activated, make entry free, and write rules that say exactly what the winner gets and when.
It's written for studios with keys from Steamworks and for creators handed keys to give away. Valve's rules below were checked in the Steamworks documentation on November 10, 2026. Vast is our product, so weigh that where we describe it. This isn't legal advice; check with a lawyer for your country and prize.
Valve's rules for giving away keys
Valve's Steam Keys documentation sets the ground rules:
- The 100-key line. "Steam Keys shouldn't be given away for free if you aren't also offering the same deal (i.e., give the game away for free) to Steam customers. This includes giveaways for promotional purposes, unless that giveaway is very small (under 100 Steam Keys)."
- Giveaways on Steam itself. "If you want to run a giveaway on Steam, please reach out to us and submit a ticket."
- Only for content on Steam. Keys are for content that's available to buy or download on Steam, such as games, demos and DLC.
- Valve can say no. Valve weighs customer interest on Steam and the keys already issued, and it "reserves the right to reject Steam Key requests." Agreeing a deal before you have keys doesn't oblige Valve to provide them.
- First game wait. Developers launching their first game wait three weeks after creating the AppID before they can request keys.
- Free games. Free-to-play and free-to-download products can't request keys by default; Valve asks you to submit a ticket.
Pick the right kind of key, too:
| Key type | When it unlocks | Valve's limit | For a giveaway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default Release | When the game is released on Steam | Up to 5,000 for retail and other stores at launch, then case by case | The usual choice, within the 100-key line |
| Release State Override | Right away, before release | Generally 2,500 in total, and never to be sold | Meant for small betas and press, so ask Valve first |
| Steam Playtest | When the Playtest is set to Playable | Larger batches; past 50,000 keys, Valve says it's effectively an open beta | For playtest access, never sold or charged for |
| Developer comp | For your own team's accounts | A small number, often none | Never give these to customers |
Valve's Playtest documentation covers Playtest keys, which are often the better tool if what you're giving away is early access.
Two more Steam rules shape the giveaway. Steam's Online Conduct rules list "running contests" among commercial activity that isn't allowed on Steam, so host the giveaway off Steam. And Valve's review rules say: "Don't solicit reviews in exchange for any games, DLC, money, or other rewards." Never make a review an entry action. The same page notes that only purchases, not key activations, count toward a game's review score.
Treat keys like cash
Valve's own advice is to "treat keys like cash." In practice:
- Request small batches. Ask for the number of winners plus a few spares, not thousands.
- Tag each batch. Steamworks lets you tag keys when you request them. A tag such as "November giveaway" lets you trace where a key came from.
- Limit who can see them. Keep keys in a password manager or a file only one or two people can open. Never paste them into a shared channel or a public document.
- Log every key you send. Key, winner, date and how you sent it. Valve's Query Steam Key page lets you look up one key at a time if a winner says theirs doesn't work.
- Ban keys that leak. The Ban or Disable Steam Keys page can ban a whole batch or only its unactivated keys. Valve warns to "be very careful," because you could remove access from legitimate players, and never to ban keys that were sold legitimately.
- Check who's asking. Valve says it has "heard many reports of fraudsters impersonating journalists or storefronts to acquire keys, and then reselling those keys for profit."
On Vast, don't put a Steam key in the instant reward field. An instant reward holds one code or link, and every player who earns it sees the same one.
Bots, alt accounts and resellers
A free key is worth money to anyone who can resell it, so a key giveaway attracts the same people Valve warns about, plus alt accounts that enter many times. You can't stop all of it, but you can make it expensive:
- Use actions tied to a real Steam account. A checked wishlist or Steam group join needs a real Steam account with a public profile, which is harder to fake at scale than a reply on X.
- One prize per person. Say it in the rules, and check for repeats before you send keys.
- Check winners before you send anything. Look at the account, the entries and where they came from. If several winners share an IP address or look brand new, draw again.
- Set a claim deadline. A winner who doesn't reply in time forfeits, and you draw again.
- Never require a purchase. Don't give extra entries for buying the game or DLC. Our rules guide explains why "no purchase necessary" matters.
On Vast, winners are drawn at random, the host can't win, and nobody wins twice in one giveaway. You see each winner's account email, which action their winning entry came from, and an approximate location. In the entries list you can view every entry from one account or one IP address, mark entries invalid, and re-draw a winner. Vast doesn't detect alt accounts automatically today, so that review is your job.
Region locks
Steam keys can be limited to certain countries. Valve's branding guidelines require this line on "any product that uses Steam Keys that are territory restricted": "This product may only be activated and used in the following territories: [territory list]." The European Commission's 2021 decision describes the same tool as "a territory control function, which enables the setting up of geographical restrictions upon activation."
That decision is also a warning for Europe. The Commission fined Valve and five publishers €7.8 million for using locked keys to restrict cross-border sales within the European Economic Area. If you sell or give away keys in Europe, ask a lawyer before you lock them to individual EEA countries.
For a giveaway, the practical rules are simple:
- Find out where your keys work before you write the rules. If you were given keys, ask the studio.
- Match the giveaway to the keys. If keys only activate in some countries, limit entry to those countries, or have region-free keys ready for winners elsewhere.
- Say it in the rules. Name the territories, using Valve's wording if your keys are restricted.
Wishlists and follows as entry actions
A Steam wishlist is the action most studios want, and it's one that can be checked. Our Steam wishlists guide explains why wishlists matter before launch and how to fit a giveaway into a wider plan.
On Vast, these are the Steam and follow actions, and what's checked:
| Entry action | What Vast checks | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Wishlist a game on Steam | The game is on the player's wishlist, or already in their library | Needs a connected Steam account with a public profile and game details |
| Join a Steam group | The player is a member of the group | Needs a public profile |
| Own or play a game on Steam | The game is in their library, or they've played it for the minutes you set | Suits DLC or sequel giveaways for existing players |
| Follow on Twitch | The player follows your channel | Needs a connected Twitch account |
| Follow on X or Kick, join a Discord server | Not checked automatically today | Look over winners before you announce them |
There's no Steam "follow" action on Vast today. A Steam group join or a wishlist is the closest checked option.
A few things to plan for:
- Ask players to make their profile public. Steam actions can't be checked on private profiles, so say so on the giveaway page.
- Owners pass the wishlist action. A player who already owns the game gets the entry too.
- Keys can take a game off a wishlist. Valve notes that if a player with your game on their wishlist activates an early-access key, the game comes off their wishlist. Giving keys to wishlisters trades a wishlist for a player.
- Weight the actions. Make the wishlist worth more entries than a follow if wishlists are what you need most.
Delivering keys to winners
- Draw after the giveaway ends, at the time your rules say.
- Check each winner for eligibility, duplicates and the region their key will work in.
- Contact each winner privately. Email or a direct message, never a public post. On Vast, you see each winner's account email.
- Send one unique key per winner, with how to redeem it: in the Steam client, or on Steam's product activation page (sign-in required).
- Say when it unlocks. Default Release keys activate any time, but the game unlocks only when it releases on Steam.
- Set a claim deadline and draw again for anyone who doesn't reply.
- Log it, and ban any spare keys from the batch you won't use.
- Announce the winners with masked or first-name details, as your rules say.
What your giveaway rules should say
Official rules for a key giveaway need the usual parts (sponsor, dates, eligibility, free entry, odds, winner selection) plus details specific to keys:
- The exact prize: the game or DLC, the edition, that it's a Steam key, and how many keys and winners there are.
- Its value: the approximate retail value, such as the current Steam price, in your currency.
- When it unlocks: at release for a Default Release key, or right away.
- Where it works: the territories, if your keys are restricted.
- What the winner needs: a Steam account, and accepting Steam's Subscriber Agreement when they activate it.
- Age: a minimum age that fits your game's rating.
- Delivery and claiming: how and when you send keys, and the claim deadline.
- Limits: one key per person, keys for the winner's own use, and that you may disable keys obtained by fraud or breaking the rules.
- A platform disclaimer: the giveaway isn't sponsored by Valve or Steam. Valve's branding guidelines say the Steam logo can't be used in a way that implies Valve sponsors or endorses non-Valve materials.
Our giveaway rules template has a fill-in version, and Vast drafts official rules for every giveaway, which you can edit.
Running a Steam key giveaway on Vast
- Choose New giveaway in the hosting menu, and add the key as the prize, with its value and number of winners.
- Set the dates, the minimum age, and a location if your keys need one.
- Under How people enter, add a Steam wishlist action for your game, plus a Steam group join or your other channels.
- Read the generated rules, add the key details above, then preview and publish.
- Share the link on your site, your socials and your Discord, not on Steam itself. After the draw, check winners and email each one their key.
Where Vast is weaker: players sign up for a Vast account and connect Steam for checked actions, which is more friction than a plain form, and you deliver the keys yourself. Location limits cover one country per giveaway and start on the Pro plan; see our plans guide.
FAQ
How many Steam keys can I give away for free? Valve says keys shouldn't be given away free unless Steam customers get the same deal, except for very small giveaways under 100 keys. Ask Valve through a support ticket if you're unsure.
Can I give away Steam keys for wishlists? Valve's key rules don't single out wishlists, and its key limits still apply. Don't reward reviews or purchases.
What if a winner's key won't activate? Check that it's from your batch with Valve's Query Steam Key page, check the winner's region against the key's territories, and send a replacement from your spares if the key is fine but restricted.
Do giveaway keys help my review score? No. Valve counts only purchases, not key activations, toward the review score.
Run a Steam key giveaway with wishlist and group actions checked against each player's Steam account. Start a giveaway
Sources
- Valve: Steam Keys (Steamworks) — the 100-key line, giveaways on Steam, key types and limits, three-week wait, tagging, querying and banning keys, "treat keys like cash", fraud warning, wishlist removal, checked 2026-11-10
- Valve: Steam Playtest (Steamworks) — Playtest keys and the 50,000-key open beta line, checked 2026-11-10
- Valve: User Reviews (Steamworks) — no reviews for rewards, review score counts purchases only, checked 2026-11-10
- Valve: Steam branding guidelines (Steamworks) — territory-restricted key wording, logo use, checked 2026-11-10
- Steam Online Conduct — running contests listed as prohibited commercial activity, checked 2026-11-10
- European Commission press release IP/21/170 (January 20, 2021) — €7.8 million geo-blocking fines and the territory control function, checked 2026-11-10
- Steam product activation — where players redeem keys (sign-in page), checked 2026-11-10
- Vast help center (Connect your accounts, Create your first giveaway, How winners are picked) and Vast's Steam action, draw and winner code — Vast facts, checked 2026-11-10
More guides
- Discord giveaway bot vs giveaway platform: which to use: GiveawayBot, Carl-bot, MEE6 and Dyno run quick giveaways inside Discord. What a bot does well, what a giveaway platform adds, and which one to use when.
- Run a giveaway with an AI agent: Claude, Cursor and Codex: Let Claude Code, Claude, Cursor, Codex or any MCP client draft and track a Vast giveaway. Setup, an example prompt, what stays with you, and the limits.
- Vast plans compared: Free vs paid, Boost and Done for you: Vast's Free, Basic, Pro, Business and Enterprise plans side by side: giveaways, winners, prizes, features and prices, plus the Boost and Done for you add-ons.
- Best giveaway tools in 2026: Gleam, KingSumo and more: Compare Gleam, KingSumo, ViralSweep, RafflePress, ShortStack, SweepWidget and Vast: free plans, prices, entry actions, and which tool fits your giveaway.
- Giveaway rules template: what your official rules need: A free giveaway rules template plus a checklist of what official rules need: no purchase necessary, free entry, prize value, odds, and US, Canada and UK rules.
- How to get Steam wishlists before launch (indie guide): A practical plan for Steam wishlists before launch: when to post your page, demos, Next Fest, press, and how to run a wishlist giveaway within Steam's rules.
- How to run a giveaway on X, Discord, Twitch and Kick: Platform rules, setup checklists and common mistakes for running a giveaway on X (Twitter), Discord, Twitch and Kick, plus one way to run all four at once.