Connecting a Steam account
For SteamMarketRunner to trade on your behalf, each Steam account needs three things: Steam credentials, a maFile authenticator file for mobile confirmations, and a proxy.
Add an account from the dashboard with Add account. The wizard has four steps: Connection → Proxy → Strategy → Review. You do not enter SteamID manually; it is detected after the first login.
What you need
| What | Why it is needed |
|---|---|
| Steam login and password | signing in and keeping a web session alive |
| maFile | Steam Guard codes and mobile confirmation signatures for orders/listings |
| Proxy | all Steam traffic goes through your proxy for session isolation and stability |
Where to get maFile
A maFile is an export of the Steam mobile authenticator: a JSON file containing shared_secret for Steam Guard codes and identity_secret for trade confirmations. The wizard requires it on the first step; without it, automated trading cannot confirm actions.
Common ways to obtain it:
- Steam Desktop Authenticator (SDA) — a desktop application that stores exported maFiles in its
maFilesfolder. - Android export with root access — extracting the authenticator file from the Steam mobile app.
On the Connection step, drop the file into the maFile upload area. .maFile and .json are accepted.
Without a valid maFile, the account cannot be added for trading. If the file is damaged or is not JSON, the wizard asks you to attach a valid maFile.
Wizard steps
Step 1 — Connection
Fill in display name, Steam login, Steam password, and attach the maFile. SteamID is filled automatically after login.
Step 2 — Proxy
Enter a proxy URL, for example:
http://user:pass@ip:port
Supported protocols are http, https, socks4, and socks5. If no credentials are needed, use http://ip:port or just ip:port (the UI assumes http://). Expected IP is optional and is used as a self-check for proxy egress.
Proxy hosts are validated at save time and at connect time. Loopback, local, private, link-local, and metadata addresses are blocked to prevent SSRF. Use a dedicated external proxy for each Steam account; residential/mobile proxies are usually more reliable than datacenter proxies.
Step 3 — Strategy
Choose an initial preset. You can edit it later on the Strategy tab:
- Safe — wider margin, lower volume, capital preservation.
- Balanced — default preset with median-like pricing and reasonable guards.
- Aggressive — tighter undercutting and faster turnover with higher risk.
Step 4 — Review
Check the summary: account, Steam login, proxy, and strategy. Click Add account. The account workspace opens after creation.
Account security
- Login, password, maFile, and proxy string are stored encrypted and isolated per owner. They are not logged or returned in plaintext; decryption happens only when a Steam request must be made.
- Steam microban risk increases when one session is hit too aggressively. SteamMarketRunner serializes per-account Steam actions and spreads them over time, but an aggressive strategy still carries more risk. Use a separate proxy per account.
Account statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | created but not ready yet; secrets, proxy, or first sync are missing |
| Ready | session is valid and wallet/inventory are synced; trading can start |
| Blocked | trading was stopped by the system, usually after session reconnect failed |
| Steam cooldown | Steam temporarily limited the account; trading resumes automatically |
| Buying paused | inventory is full or funds are low; buying pauses while selling continues |
| No sync | Steam has not been reached for a while; the next sync should refresh data |
What gets synchronized
After connection, the system periodically fetches:
- wallet balance and currency;
- inventory per game: which items you own and how many;
- active listings and pending confirmations.
This runs even before trading starts, so the dashboard has fresh data. The account System tab passively shows session, wallet, proxy, and inventory status.
Auto-block and auto-reconnect
If the Steam session expires, SteamMarketRunner first tries to reconnect with the maFile. If reconnect succeeds, trading continues. If it fails, the account becomes Blocked, and the runner stops placing trades until you fix the connection on the System tab.