# Turning Steam Linking on

<i class="fa-crown">:crown:</i> **Premium feature.** Steam Linking has two steps.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### Step 1. Have premium

Steam Linking is part of premium. Once your server has premium, Steam Linking becomes available within a few minutes.

Until then, the **Steam Linking Duration** field on the Settings page is disabled with the reason *"Steam linking is not configured for this server"*.

<figure><img src="/files/sUzOsSmcrLZmDawtGm6o" alt="The Settings page Steam Linking Duration field, showing the disabled state with the reason Steam linking is not configur"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Step 2. Require it on each option you want to gate

Even with premium, no panel options require linking by default. You turn it on for each option you choose.

For each panel option you want to gate behind Steam linking:

1. Open the panel editor.
2. Click the button or option.
3. Go to the **Advanced tab**.
4. Find **Steam ID Integration**.
5. Turn the **Require Steam Linking** toggle on.
6. Save.

You can also set this as a panel default under **Panel Defaults**, in **Default Steam ID Integration**. Individual options can then override the default.

<figure><img src="/files/4u4Lih3Yto9y82LTbz29" alt="A panel option&#x27;s Advanced tab with the Steam ID Integration section visible and the Require Steam Linking toggle on"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## What happens after you enable it

* When a member clicks the panel option, the bot first checks whether they have a valid Steam link.
* If they do not, the bot asks them to link with a button. They can open the ticket only after they link.
* Their Steam ID becomes available as a `{STEAM_ID}` placeholder. You can use it in:
  * The ticket name format, for example `bug-{TICKET_NUMBER}-{STEAM_ID}`.
  * The ticket embed content.
  * The staff thread message.

## Disabling it

Turn the **Require Steam Linking** toggle off in the option, or in the panel defaults. New tickets will not require linking. Members who already linked keep their link.

## If premium ends

If your server goes from premium back to free:

* Steam Linking stops working.
* Members who already linked keep their stored Steam ID.
* The `{STEAM_ID}` placeholder stops being filled in.
* The Steam Linking dashboard page becomes locked.

When premium returns, the earlier links work again.

## Related

{% content-ref url="/pages/xl8ZOlixZa4z69uy07g9" %}
[What Steam Linking does](/docs/steam-linking/overview.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/fsVZpDhUPIhDnOhX0o54" %}
[The link duration setting](/docs/steam-linking/link-duration.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}


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