How to Get Notified When a Steam Game Goes on Sale (Wishlist Alerts)
October 26, 2026
To get notified when a Steam game goes on sale, add it to your wishlist, verify your email address with Steam, and allow wishlist emails and Steam Mobile App notifications. Steam then alerts you when a wishlisted game is discounted or released. For an alert at a price you choose, add a free price tracker.
Key facts
- Valve's documentation says wishlist emails only go to customers with a verified email address.
- Email types are managed under Account details, in your email preferences.
- The Steam Mobile App can send wishlist alerts as phone notifications.
- Following a game shows its news. Only wishlisting triggers sale alerts.
- IsThereAnyDeal offers price alerts, and SteamDB shows a game's price history.
It's the easiest way to stop paying full price, and it costs nothing to set up.
Step 1: Build your wishlist
On any game's store page, click Add to your wishlist. Your wishlist is under your profile name in the Store menu. You can rank games by priority, and the wishlist page lets you sort by discount and filter to games on sale, which is handy during big sales.
Step 2: Make sure your email is verified
Valve's Steamworks documentation, written for developers, is clear that wishlist emails only go to customers who have verified their email address with Steam. If you've never clicked the verification link, you'll never get sale emails. Check under Account details. If your email shows as unverified, there's an option to resend the link.
Step 3: Check your email preferences
In Account details, open Email preferences (Steam's developer docs call it Manage Email Preferences) and make sure emails about wishlist items are allowed. If you ever unsubscribed from Steam emails, this is where they got switched off.
Step 4: Get alerts on your phone
The Steam Mobile App can notify you about wishlist sales too. Install it, sign in, and allow notifications for the app on your phone. The app's notification settings let you choose which alerts you want. Phone alerts are faster than email when a short sale starts.
Why your wishlist alerts aren't arriving
One more thing: following a game and wishlisting it are different. Following shows the game's news in your activity feed. Only the wishlist triggers sale alerts.
Alerts at your own target price
Steam alerts you when a game is discounted at all, but doesn't let you set a price. If you only want to buy at, say, 75% off, free price-tracking sites can do that:
- IsThereAnyDeal lets you build a waitlist and set price alerts. It also tracks other legitimate stores.
- SteamDB shows a game's full price history, so you can see what its lowest price has been and how often it goes on sale.
Price history is the real secret. If a game has dropped to 60% off in every seasonal sale for two years, there's no point buying at 30% off a week before the next one. Steam sale dates for 2026 and 2027 tells you when the next big sales are.
Make the alert count: have money ready
Short sales and daily deals can be over before your next payday. Keeping some Steam Wallet funds ready means you can buy as soon as the alert arrives:
- Wallet money doesn't expire, so it can sit there until the right sale.
- Steam gift cards are an easy way to build it up. XPReward points currently don't expire, so you can bank them and cash out a Steam card when a game you're tracking hits its low.
- If a sale price disappoints after you've bought, Steam's refund policy covers games played under 2 hours within 14 days.
For more ways to pay less, see the cheapest way to buy Steam games.
Frequently asked questions
Does Steam notify you when a wishlist game goes on sale?
Yes, by email and through the Steam Mobile App, as long as your email is verified and wishlist alerts are allowed in your preferences.
Why am I not getting Steam wishlist emails?
The most common causes are an unverified email address, wishlist emails turned off in Email preferences, or Steam's emails going to spam.
Can I set a target price for a Steam game?
Not inside Steam. Price trackers like IsThereAnyDeal let you set your own price alerts, and SteamDB shows a game's price history.
Does Steam tell you when a wishlisted game is released?
Yes. Wishlisted games that launch, or leave Early Access, trigger an alert, which is why developers push wishlists before release.
How can I afford games when they go on sale?
Keep wallet funds ready before the sale starts. Redeeming a code earned on XPReward is one way to top up without a card. Get started free.
Sources
Wishlist alert facts checked on 26 October 2026 against: