How to show your trade-locked CS2 skins
Freshly traded CS2 skins are hidden from other people viewing your Steam inventory, so buyers and friends cannot see them. With VSkin you can show them anyway: install the Chrome extension, sign in through Steam, and your full inventory, trade-locked items included, syncs to a public showcase page you can share, all without a Steam API key.
What is a trade lock on a CS2 skin?
Steam officially calls this trade protection. When you receive a CS2 item through a trade, it is protected for about a week. You can equip and use it in-game right away, but you cannot trade, sell, transfer, or even modify it (no applying stickers or charms, no opening it) until the protection ends. Counter-Strike 2 is currently the only game with trade protection, and protected items are marked with a yellow shield icon in your inventory.
Steam documents this window as 7 days, timed from the exact moment each item lands in your inventory, and Valve can change it, so the unlock date shown on the item is the source of truth. The window also exists so a trade can be reversed if you lose control of your account: the items return to their original owner and the account that requested the cancellation is restricted from trading and the Steam Community Market for 30 days.
Why can other people not see your trade-locked skins?
A freshly traded skin does not show up for other people looking at your inventory for the first days, because Steam temporarily hides newly acquired CS2 items from outside viewers (a separate behavior from the trade lock), even though you can equip and use it in-game. That is why a skin can be visible on a weapon in a match while it is absent from the public Steam profile it belongs to. For traders this is a real problem: you cannot show a buyer the skin you plan to sell, because it appears nowhere they can look.
This is where VSkin helps. It reads your inventory from your own logged-in session, the trade-locked items included, and publishes them on a public showcase, so people can see what you own before the items unlock.
Is it safe to display your inventory this way?
Yes. VSkin signs you in with Steam OAuth, never asks for a Steam API key, and never requests trade permissions. Your items, your wallet and your trades stay on Steam, between you and the other player. VSkin is a public catalog and discovery platform, it does not hold or move your skins.
The browser extension only reads your inventory when you are on vskin.gg, and after a trade confirmation. It does not run in the background while you browse other sites, and the extension is open-source so anyone can audit exactly what it does.
How to show your trade-locked CS2 skins with VSkin
- 1
Install the VSkin Chrome extension
Add the VSkin extension from the Chrome Web Store. It is what syncs your full inventory, trade-locked items included, to your showcase.
- 2
Sign in through Steam
Open vskin.gg and sign in with Steam. VSkin uses Steam OAuth, so you never share an API key or trade permissions.
- 3
Let your inventory sync
With the extension installed, your inventory syncs automatically when you arrive on vskin.gg and after each trade confirmation. You can also trigger a manual sync from the extension popup.
- 4
Share your public showcase
Your showcase page now displays your full inventory, trade-locked skins included. Share the link with buyers, friends or your community.
Frequently asked questions
Can I show trade-locked skins without a Steam API key?
Yes. VSkin uses Steam OAuth and a browser extension that reads your inventory from your own logged-in session, so you never have to generate or share a Steam API key.
Do buyers need the extension to see my trade-locked skins?
No. Only the owner needs the extension to publish their showcase. Anyone can then view the public showcase page, including the trade-locked items, with nothing installed.
How long are CS2 skins trade-locked?
Items received in a trade are protected for 7 days, counted from the exact moment each item enters your inventory, and Valve can change the rules, so check the unlock date shown on the item. During that time you can use them in-game but cannot trade, sell, transfer, or modify them; afterwards they behave normally.
What is the difference between a trade lock and a trade hold?
Trade protection (often called a trade lock) is a 7-day hold on items received through a trade, and it can be reversed if your account is compromised. A trade hold is different: if you confirm trades without the Steam Mobile Authenticator, your items are held for up to 15 days. Using the authenticator avoids the longer hold.
Show your own CS2 inventory on VSkin
Publish a public showcase of your full inventory, trade-locked skins included, and connect with traders.
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