Your Steam Trade Link is a unique URL that lets other players send you items without needing to be on your friends list
A Steam Trade Link is a special web address that gives other players permission to send you in-game items — skins, cards, cosmetics, anything tradeable in your inventory. Instead of adding someone as a friend first, they can use your trade link to start a trade directly. Steam generates this link for your account and keeps it the same unless you reset it.
You'll find your trade link in your account settings under the Inventory section. The link looks like a long string of numbers and letters starting with https://steamcommunity.com/tradeoffer/new/?partner=. Once you have it, you can share it anywhere — on Discord, in game forums, on marketplace sites — and anyone with that link can send you trades.
Key Takeaways
- Your Steam Trade Link is found in your account settings under Inventory, and it never changes unless you manually reset it.
- The link allows strangers to send you trades without being friends, which is useful for buying and selling items on third-party sites.
- You can reset your trade link at any time if you lose it or want to block someone from using it.
- Never share your full account URL or login details — only share the trade link itself, which has limited permissions.
How to locate your trade link in Steam settings
Open Steam on your computer and log in. Click your account name in the top right corner, then select Account from the dropdown menu. On the Account page, look for the left sidebar and click Inventory.
Scroll down on the Inventory page until you see a section labeled Trade Offers or Who can send me trade offers? Below that, you'll see your trade link — a long URL starting with https://steamcommunity.com/tradeoffer/new/?partner=. Click the Copy button next to it, or highlight and copy the entire link manually.
If you don't see this section, make sure your account has Steam Guard enabled (a security feature that requires a code from your email or phone to log in). Steam requires Steam Guard to be active before you can see or use trade links. You can turn it on in Account settings under Security.
When and where to share your trade link
Share your trade link when you're buying or selling items on third-party marketplaces like CSGOFloat, Skinport, or other community trading sites. These sites ask for your trade link so they can send you items you've bought or receive items you're selling. Paste the link into the field they provide, and they'll be able to send trades to your account.
You can also share it with friends or in gaming communities if you want to make trading easier — they won't need to add you as a friend first. Some players post their trade link in Discord servers, Reddit communities, or game-specific forums when they're looking to trade.
Never share your trade link in public chat channels, on your Steam profile comments, or anywhere a bot might scrape it. Bots can use trade links to send you spam trades or attempt scams. Keep it in private messages or on trusted sites only.
How to reset your trade link if needed
If you've shared your trade link with someone you no longer trust, or if you think it's been compromised, you can reset it. Go back to your Account settings, click Inventory, and find the Trade Offers section. Look for a button or link that says Create New Trade Link or Reset Trade Link. Click it, and Steam will generate a brand new URL.
Your old trade link stops working when ready. Anyone who had the old link can no longer send you trades — they'll get an error if they try. This is useful if you've given your link to someone and later want to block them, or if you're concerned about security.
You can reset your trade link as many times as you want. There's no limit, and it doesn't affect your account or inventory in any way.
The difference between a trade link and your account URL
Your trade link is a limited-permission URL that only lets people send you trades. Your account URL (or profile URL) is your full Steam profile page, which shows your username, friends, game library, and other public information. Never confuse the two.
A trade link starts with https://steamcommunity.com/tradeoffer/new/?partner= and contains only numbers. Your account URL looks like https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/[your ID]/ or https://steamcommunity.com/id/[your username]/. Only share the trade link, not your full account URL or any login information.
Troubleshooting: why you can't see your trade link
If you log into your account settings and don't see a trade link option, check these things first. Make sure Steam Guard is turned on — go to Account settings, click Security, and enable it if it's off. Steam requires this for trade link access. You'll need to verify your email or set up a phone authenticator.
If Steam Guard is on and you still don't see the trade link, wait 15 days. New accounts or accounts that just enabled Steam Guard have a waiting period before they can trade. Once the 15 days pass, the trade link section will appear in your Inventory settings.
If your account is very old and you've never seen this section, try logging out completely, clearing your browser cache, and logging back in. Sometimes the page doesn't load properly the first time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone use my trade link to steal my items?
No. A trade link only lets people send you trades — it doesn't give them access to your inventory or the ability to take items. You have to accept or decline every trade manually. They can't withdraw items or change your account settings.
What happens if I share my trade link publicly?
Bots and scammers may use it to send you spam trades or phishing attempts. You'll see these trades in your pending offers and can straightforward decline them. If it becomes a problem, reset your trade link to generate a new one.
Do I need a trade link to trade with my Steam friends?
No. You can trade directly with anyone on your friends list without a trade link. The trade link is only useful for trading with people who aren't your friends or for using third-party marketplace sites.
Is my trade link the same as my API key?
No. Your trade link and your API key are two different things. A trade link lets people send you trades. An API key is a separate code used by websites to read your inventory data. Never share your API key with anyone.