How to get a Game Server Login Token (GSLT) for CS2
Your Counter-Strike 2 server runs, but nobody can find it in the server browser, or Steam warns that it is not logged in. The reason is almost always a missing Game Server Login Token, usually called a GSLT. It is a short code that ties your server to a Steam account, so that Valve can recognise it, and keep trouble makers accountable.
What a GSLT is
A GSLT is a long string of letters and numbers. You create it on Steam, and give it to your server in its start-up settings. It does two things:
- It lets your server appear in the public server list.
- It links the server to your account, so abuse of the server can be traced to its owner.
A server without a token can still run, and players can join it by typing its address, but it will not be listed.
What you need first
- A Steam account that can create tokens. Steam may refuse accounts that are limited, which usually means an account that has not spent at least a small amount in the Steam store. If creating a token is blocked, this is the reason.
- That account should not have a ban on it. A banned account cannot create working tokens.
- The account should preferably be one you control long-term, and not an account you might lose or share.
Create the token
- Sign in to Steam in your browser and open the Game Server Account Management page, which is on the Steam community site under its game server management section.
- In the App ID box, enter 730. That is the ID of Counter-Strike 2, and also the older CS:GO.
- Add a memo, for example the name of your server, so you can tell tokens apart later.
- Click Create.
- Copy the token that appears. Treat it like a password.
You get one token per server. If you run three servers, create three tokens, because sharing one across servers causes them to knock each other off the list.
Give it to the server
The token goes in the start-up line as +sv_setsteamaccount:
+sv_setsteamaccount YOUR_TOKEN_HERE
On a managed panel, there is usually a field for it on the start-up page, so you just paste the token. Restart the server after saving.
If you prefer, some setups accept it in server.cfg, but the start-up line is the common place, and it keeps the token out of a file you might share.
Check it worked
Watch the console when the server starts. A server that has logged in shows a Steam connection message, and may print its Steam ID. Give it a few minutes, then search for your server by name in the browser, with the same region filter you expect.
To see the server immediately, open the in-game console and use connect with the server's address, which works whether or not it is listed.
If the server is still not listed
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| Token invalid | Re-copy it carefully, with no spaces |
| Token for the wrong game | The App ID must be 730 |
| Two servers using one token | Create a separate token for each |
sv_lan is set to 1 | It must be 0 for internet servers |
| Server not reachable | Open the correct ports. See How game server ports work |
| Account has a restriction | Use a Steam account in good standing |
| Just started | Give it several minutes to appear |
If the server list still does not show you, make sure the name in server.cfg is not empty. Counter-Strike 2 game modes and server.cfg explained shows the file.
Keeping the token safe
- Do not post your token in Discord or screenshots. Someone with the token can run a server under your account.
- If you think it leaked, go back to the management page, delete it and create a new one.
- Tokens can expire if the account is banned or restricted. If a server suddenly drops from the list, check the account first.
After a game update
Tokens survive updates, but updates can change other settings. If a server vanishes from the list after one, read the console, as described in How to read your server logs, and check that the server updated fully. How to keep your game server updated explains why that matters.
Still stuck? Open a ticket on Discord - run /ticket in any channel, pick a department, and include your Server ID or Invoice ID so we can jump straight in.