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• A novel cold-formed thin-walled steel beam-column joint entirely using self-tapping screws. • Influence of different connection modes on static load carrying effect. • Seismic behavior of H-section beam-square steel column joints connected by self-tapping screws. • The calculation method for yielding moment strength based on the improved component method. This paper proposes a novel thin-walled steel beam-column joint entirely using self-tapping screws. Compared to bolted and welded connections, its advantages of easy construction, low precision requirements, and fast construction are suitable for low-rise steel structures. Four full-scale H-section beam-square steel column joints connected by self-tapping screws were tested and the force transfer mechanism was investigated. Three of the specimens were loaded monotonically at the beam ends. The effects of the L-shaped connecting plate thickness and the arrangement of stiffening ribs on the bending performance of the joints are analyzed. Monotonic loading tests have demonstrated that the increased thickness and the arrangement of stiffening ribs enhance the common forces in the clusters of self-tapping screws, thereby increasing the bending stiffness of the joints. One of the specimens was tested with cyclic loads. The cyclic loading test revealed that the hysteretic curve of the self-tapping screws connection is relatively full, with high energy dissipation capacity and low degradation of strength and stiffness. Finally, the improved component method proposed the calculation method of bending resistance of self-tapping connection joints. The calculation accuracy is within 10 %, which can be used as a reference for the design of bending resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]