How Steam Algorithm works part 1
for games
This is exactly how Steam’s algorithm works with timing, trending, and visibility windows for:
Coming Soon
Launch / Full Release
Early Access Launch
I’ll explain what matters, when it matters, and how long you have before Steam buries your game.
👀 1. Coming Soon – How long you need to trend
Best timing:
2–6 months before launch.
Why?
That’s the period when Steam’s algorithm actually cares about wishlist velocity.
What Steam tracks during “Coming Soon”:
Wishlist velocity (wishlists per day)
Page activity (people scrolling screenshots, watching trailer)
CTR
Demo installs (if you have a demo)
Follower increases
Dev posts
Traffic source quality
How long you can trend:
You typically have 48–72 hours in “New & Trending (Coming Soon)” when the page first goes live if your CTR is good.
if CTR is weak → you get almost zero time.
📌 Ideal schedule:
Page goes live → send traffic for 2–3 days to push into “Trending Coming Soon”.
Keep building steady wishlists for months, not days.
Push harder again 1 month before launch.
2. Launch Window (Full Release or EA Release)
This is the holy moment for the algorithm.
Steam gives you:
A short testing window
A boost if you perform well
A penalty if you underperform
How long do you appear in “New & Trending” at launch?
This depends entirely on performance:
Strong launch → 48–72 hours
Very strong → up to 5–7 days
Weak launch → 6–12 hours… sometimes even less
Steam literally tests you hour by hour.
What matters most in the first 48 hours:
Wishlist → purchases conversion
CTR from discovery traffic
Review velocity (how many reviews per hour)
Demo conversions (if demo exists)
Playtime retention
Refund rate
Price perception (is your price right for this genre)
Golden rule:
Your entire launch success is determined by the first 48 hours.
3. Early Access Launch
🤪 algorithm rules
Early Access launch is treated exactly like a full launch, but with some differences:
Steam evaluates:
Wishlist conversion
Review velocity
First-week playtime
Retention
Refunds
Page CTR
Trailer playthrough rate
⏳ Time in New & Trending (EA):
Same as full launch:
Strong EA launch → ~48–72 hours
Average → 24 hours
Weak → <12 hours
Good EA timing:
Tuesday–Thursday
Avoid holidays
avoid big releases
Avoid Steam Next Fest overlap unless you have a great demo
4. How long do you have to “scale up” before Steam buries the page?
You MUST hit these milestones fast:
🔹 Coming Soon:
Steam expects 200–1000 wishlists per week to consider you healthy.
If you go <50 per week → your visibility drops sharply.
🔹 Launch Window:
Within the first 48 hours, you need:
~3–8% wishlist conversion
At least 10+ reviews within 24 hours
Solid CTR (2%+)
Low refund rate (<10%)
Good retention
If you fail these → you drop off trending instantly.
5. Steam Algorithm Key Variables (simple list)
Steam prioritizes:
CTR
Conversion (wishlist → buy)
Review velocity
Playtime retention
Refund rate
Genre match to audience
Page activity (scroll depth, trailer watched)
Wishlist velocity (not total count)
Total wishlists matter only for your launch spike, not for trending visibility.
6. How to hit Trending during Coming Soon
Steam needs:
First 3 days 👀👀👀👀👀👀
Big traffic push
High CTR (>2%)
Wishlist velocity (100+ per day)
Months after:
Consistent wishlist flow
Community posts
trailer updates
Devlogs
Demo (if possible)
7. How long should a game stay in “Coming Soon” before launch?
2–6 months is optimal.
1 year+ is bad unless you are a top-tier studio.
Too long → the algorithm “gets bored” and your velocity dies.
notes:
Coming Soon:
Trend for 2–3 days first
Build wishlists for months
Push again 1 month before launch
Launch (EA or Full):
First 48 hours decide everything
Good numbers → you stay in Trending 2–4 days
Bad numbers → you disappear in hours
Steam algorithm tracks:
CTR
Wishlist conversion
Reviews/hour
Refund rate
Player retention
Genre alignment
If you fail to scale fast, Steam hides your page.
Let me know if i can help you with game marketing.