How to customize your Steam profile
The profile design is assembled from several independent layers, and you can buy them in different places. Some are taken for Steam points, some are purchased for money on the Marketplace, some are unlocked with an account level. Let's look at what a profile consists of and where to start.
What does the design consist of, what is bought for points, what is paid for money on the site, what display cases open by level and how to put it all together into a single view.
The elements of a profile
The profile background is the most noticeable layer and sets the entire mood of the page. It can be static or animated.
Avatar and avatar frame. Animated avatars and frames are purchased with Steam points.
Mini-profile is a pop-up trading card that appears when you hover over your nickname. It has its own background and its own frame, separate from the main profile.
Showcases - blocks on the page: favorite game, badges, screenshots, artwork, items for exchange, groups. The number of available showcases grows with the account level.
Profile theme and chat effects are purchased with points and change the entire design.
Where to find each element
Steam points store: animated avatars, frames, backgrounds and mini profile frames, stickers, chat effects, themes. Points are awarded for purchases at Steam. Separately, there is a free section - that’s where you should start.
Steam Marketplace: Profile backgrounds and emblems that drop from trading cards packs. They can be bought with money like any other item, and the prices for most are symbolic.
Badge crafting: some backgrounds and emoticons are awarded when you craft a badge from trading cards. Crafting also increases your profile level.
Important: items from the Points Store cannot be sold or exchanged, but backgrounds from the Marketplace can.
- First choose the background, then select the rest to match it.
- Check how the profile looks on a narrow screen - the display cases are being rearranged.
- Preview in the points Store works before purchase, but no return after.
Putting it all together
Start with a background and two accent colors. Everything else is tailored to them: frame, mini-profile, theme. A profile where each element is bright on its own looks worse than a restrained but collected one.
Check the readability of the nickname and text over the background. Animated backgrounds are often beautiful, but the name gets lost on them.
Remove display cases that are not filled with anything. An empty block is worse than a missing block.
Privacy settings
A beautiful profile does not require you to open everything. Inventory, game history and friends list are configured separately in the privacy settings.
A public inventory of high-value items is an invitation to those seeking targets for trade-in schemes. If you don't need to be seen, close it.
And separately: do not give access to your account to people who offer to “create a profile for you.” All design is done using standard Steam tools; no scripts or external inputs are needed for this.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set a Steam profile background?
Buy or receive a background, then open the profile edit and select it in the appropriate field. Backgrounds are sold on the Marketplace and drop for badge crafting.
Where can I get an avatar frame?
In the Steam Points Store for points that are awarded for purchases in Steam. Frames from there cannot be exchanged or sold.
Why do I have only a few showcase slots?
The number of available showcases depends on the account level and grows as it increases.
Can I sell my profile background?
Backgrounds obtained from trading cards - yes, they are traded on the site. Items from the Points Store are not.
Does customizing my profile require a public inventory?
No. Inventory privacy is configured separately and does not affect the appearance of the profile.
Steam friend requests: filtering spam and scams
Why strangers are added as friends, what scenarios follow, how to set up privacy against spam and what to do if you have already added them.
Read guide
How to find your SteamID and permanent profile URL
How does SteamID64 differ from a custom profile URL, where can you find it in two clicks, and why do you need to look at it when checking an exchange partner?
Read guide