Create and enter a CS2 GSLTGame Server Login Token for public servers

Published on August 3, 2026 · last updated on November 4, 2026

What is a GSLT and when do I need it?

A GSLT is a free token that assigns your game server to your Steam account. Valve requires it for every CS2 server that is to be listed publicly in the community server browser. Without a valid token, a public server remains invisible or is refused registration with the Steam master servers.

For a purely private server that friends only connect to via connect IP:port, no GSLT is needed. As soon as the server is to be publicly visible, it is mandatory.

Create a GSLT - step by step

1. Open steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers and sign in with your Steam account.
2. Enter 730 under App ID (that is Counter-Strike 2).
3. Add a note under Memo by which you recognize the token (e.g. "MainHoster 5v5").
4. Click Create - Steam shows you a long login token string. That is your GSLT.

Note: your Steam account must be in good standing for this (no VAC ban for CS2, game purchased/present). You can create several tokens for several servers.

Enter the GSLT on the CS2 server

The token is set at server startup via the parameter +sv_setsteamaccount:

+sv_setsteamaccount YOUR_GSLT_TOKEN

On a server rented from MainHoster.de, you conveniently enter the token in the startup parameters or the field provided for it in the web interface - no command-line tinkering required. After a restart, the server registers with your token and appears in the community browser.

Why a token gets banned

A GSLT is tied to your Steam account and can be banned by Valve. This usually catches server operators by surprise, because the server simply disappears from the browser. The most common reasons:

• Inactivity. A token that is not used for several months expires. It can usually simply be reactivated in the Steam account.
• Multiple use. A token belongs to exactly one server. If it runs on two at the same time, neither of them registers reliably.
• Violations of the terms of use. Advertising in the server name, forced redirects or a server that redirects players without their consent - all of this leads to a ban, and it affects your Steam account as a whole.

Therefore: use a token of its own for each server and treat them like credentials. A GSLT does not belong in a public Discord, a screenshot or a shared document.

When you can do without a token

Not every server needs a GSLT - and for the initial setup, that is a useful shortcut:

To join via the fixed address made up of IP and port, connect ip:port in the console is enough - that works without a token too. But as soon as Workshop content comes into play, there is no way around it, see Workshop maps.

The server does not appear despite the token

Then this order helps:

1. Check in the Steam account whether the token is still active and has not been marked as banned.
2. Check the startup parameter for typos - +sv_setsteamaccount with a plus sign, and the token without quotation marks.
3. Check whether the token was created for the right app ID (Counter-Strike 2).
4. Look in the server console: with an invalid token, there is a clear message at startup.

If the token is fine and the server still cannot be found, it is usually not the GSLT at all, but the sheer length of the server list. Give your group the address directly - via connect, the server is reachable regardless of the browser.

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