What's in it for you
With Showpad for Salesforce, available in the Salesforce AppExchange, you can view all logged Showpad activity as Insights information in Salesforce. In this article, you will learn how to install and configure Showpad for Salesforce.
Key benefits
- Search and access all of your sales material that's available in Showpad
- Get notified when prospects interact with your shared documents
- Easily log all meetings and sharing activities to Salesforce
- Instantly find and share recommended content for any opportunity in Salesforce
You need this to succeed
- Admin privileges on both the Showpad and Salesforce platforms
- Showpad Ultimate plan
- Salesforce Enterprise or Unlimited plan
Select your Salesforce Experience
 Classic |
 Lightning |
See how it's done on Salesforce Classic
1. Install Showpad for Salesforce
- Click here to find Showpad for Salesforce on the AppExchange.
- Click the Get it Now button and follow the installation instructions.
Note: The Showpad for Salesforce app in the AppExchange is free. Due to SFDC prerequisites, it shows a symbolic $1 fee.
- Confirm the terms and conditions.
- Log in with your Salesforce credentials and select to install for all users.
- Showpad for Salesforce is now available in the list of Installed Packages.
2. Configure Showpad for Salesforce
- When the installation is completed, click Setup in the top menu.
- In the left menu select Build and click Installed Packages.
- Find the ShowpadForSF package and click Configure.
- Enter your organization’s Showpad subdomain. The subdomain is the Showpad organization name you use to log into Showpad. Click Save.
Note: Do not include Showpad's domain. Enter your organization name only, all in lower case.
- Click Setup in the top menu.
- In the left menu find Administer, click Manage Apps, Connected Apps.
- In the Connected Apps list, find the Showpad App and click Edit.
- In OAuth Policies, open the Permitted Users drop-down list and choose Admin approved users are pre-authorized. When you’re ready, select the Save button. This is the permission setting required for the integration with Showpad to work for users.
- In the Connected Apps list click on the Showpad App.
- Scroll down and in the Profiles section click the Manage Profiles button. Select the profiles you want to authorize to access the app. When you’re ready, click the Save button.
3. Configure profile access for Visualforce Pages
- Click Setup in the top menu.
- In the left menu find Build, click Develop, Visualforce Pages.
- Click Security for the Showpad App page you want to configure profile access for.
- Add profiles from the Available Profiles list to the Enabled Profiles list to grant users with these profiles access to the Showpad App Visualforce Pages.
- Repeat these steps for any additional Showpad App pages you want to configure profile access for.
4. Customize Page Layout
- Click Setup in the top menu.
- In the left menu select Build, click Customize, Opportunities, Page Layouts and click Edit for the existing Page Layout you want to edit.
- In the left column of the Layout Editor click Fields and drag the Section element to the appropriate place in the page layout.
- In the Section Name field enter a name for the section and uncheck the Edit Page checkbox.
- In Layout, click the 1-Column radio button and click the OK button.
- In the left column of the Layout Editor scroll down, click Visualforce Pages and drag the Showpad App element under the new section that you just created in the page layout.
- It is strongly recommended that you increase the default sizes of the section to improve usability for your end users. To do so, move your mouse over the Visualforce Page you just created and click on the properties icon.
- In the Height field, enter a value of at least 400, select Show scrollbars, and click the OK button.
- When you’re ready, click the Save button to save your page layout. The Showpad information will now be displayed on the Opportunity page of every Opportunity record.
- Repeat these steps to customize page layouts for the Account, Contact and Lead pages.
5. Updates
You should check for updates in the AppExchange periodically. When a new version is available, you can download an updated package from the AppExchange manually.
6. Temporarily disable triggers
If you need to temporarily disable triggers on activities and opportunities from the Showpad app, for example if you are importing high volumes of data, you can select to bypass apex triggers so it does not affect your reporting. It is important to return to this set up and uncheck the box once you are done with your data import or migration so the reporting connection functions again.
- Navigate to Setup in Salesforce and search the quick find menu for Installed packages.
- Click Configure for the Showpad for Salesforce App.
- Select Advanced Config. Check the box for Bypass Apex Triggers. Click Save. The triggers from the package will be inactivated.
- Once you are done with your data migration, be sure to return to the configuration and uncheck the box to activate the triggers.
7. Common Showpad for Salesforce errors
The user is not found in the Salesforce app or you receive an Error 400: Bad Request.
When this occurs, the organization name is incorrect. The Salesforce Administrator should verify the Installed Packages and configure the Showpad account.
It's also possible that the Showpad login (email address) does not match the email address field in Salesforce.
To fix this, the Salesforce Administrator needs to verify the following:
- In Salesforce, navigate to 'Setup', 'Build', 'Develop', 'Installed Packages'.
- Look for the ShowpadForSF package and then click ‘Configure’
- Web App URL = organization.showpad.biz
- Showpad Subdomain = organization
Now that the organization is filled in correctly, the user should show up in the Salesforce App.
No Showpad account could be found for this Salesforce account.
When the Showpad login or email address doesn't match the email address field in Salesforce, you will receive an error message that the user could not be found.
This issue often occurs when testing in Sandboxes or when companies have multiple domains. (John.Doe@showpad.com is not the same as John.Doe@showpadinc.com)
Email aliases can cause issues as well. (John@showpad.com is not the same as John.Doe@showpad.com)
The Salesforce Administrator can update the email address field for all affected users in Salesforce. Each user can update their own email address or the email address can be updated in Showpad.
- Navigate to 'Setup', 'Administer', 'Manage Users', 'Users'.
- Find user in the list and click ‘Edit’.
- Update Email Address field to match the Showpad username.
- The user must confirm the email address change.
Individual updated email address in Salesforce:
- Select the 'username' menu.
- Select the ‘My Settings’ option.
- Click ‘Edit my personal information’
- Update email address field to match the Showpad username.
The Showpad for Salesforce app has not been configured correctly.
- The OAUTH Policy's Permitted Users are incorrectly set. When this occurs, it means that the users have not been authorized to view the app.
When you receive an error that the Showpad for Salesforce App is not configured correctly, it means that the users have not been authorized to view the application.
To fix this error message, the Salesforce Administrator needs to verify this:
- In the Salesforce console, navigate to 'Setup', 'Administer', 'Manage Apps', 'Connected Apps'.
- Look for the Showpad App and click ‘Edit’.
- Find the ‘Permitted Users’ field under the ‘OAuth Policies’ section and select the option: ‘Admin approved users are pre-authorized’.
- Once this is selected and saved, the Salesforce Admin can now select user roles that will be given permission to view the App.
- Scroll to find the ‘Profiles’ section and click the ‘Manage Profiles’ button.
- Select the user profiles that should have access to the App and click ‘Save’
The users are now correctly authorized to use the App.
Certain User Profiles cannot access the Showpad for Salesforce App.
If a particular user profile cannot access the Showpad for Salesforce App, it's highly possible that you will see a permission error.
Once you, as a Salesforce Administrator, issue the Admin-Approved authorization, the following needs to be checked:
- Scroll down to find the ‘Profiles’ section.
- Click the 'Manage Profiles’ button.
- Select the user profiles that should have access to the Salesforce App.
- Click 'Save'.
The user will now have the correct permissions and will be able to access the Salesforce App.
Server Error
The subdomain is incorrect in the configuration of the package. 
- Navigate to 'Setup', 'Installed Packages', and select Configure for the Showpad for Salesforce app.
- The subdomain field should contain only the name of the organization. For example, using myorganization.showpad.biz will generate a server error. You would want to only input myorganization.
See how it's done on Salesforce Lightning
- Install Showpad for Salesforce
- Configure Showpad for Salesforce
- Configure profile access for Visualforce pages
- Add Showpad as a tab to Opportunity pages
- How to install updates
- How to temporarily disable triggers
- Common Showpad for Salesforce errors
1. Install Showpad for Salesforce
- Click here to find Showpad for Salesforce on the AppExchange.
- Click the Get it Now button and follow the installation instructions. To follow this guide, install the app in production.
Note: The Showpad for Salesforce app in the AppExchange is free. Due to SFDC prerequisites, it shows a symbolic $1 fee.
- Confirm the terms and conditions.
- Log in with your Salesforce credentials and select to install for all users.
- If all went well, you'd now see the Showpad for Salesforce in the list of Installed Packages.
2. Configure Showpad for Salesforce
- When the installation is completed, click Setup in the top menu.
- In the left menu under Platform Tools, select Packaging then Installed Packages.
- Find the Showpad for Salesforce app, then click Configure.
- Enter your organization’s Showpad subdomain. The subdomain is the Showpad organization name you use to log into Showpad.
Note: Do not include Showpad's domain. Enter your organization name only, all in lower case.
- If you need to temporarily disable triggers on activities and opportunities from the Showpad app, for example if you are importing high volumes of data, click Advanced Config. Check Bypass Apex Triggers. The triggers from the package will be inactivated. Once you are done with your data migration, return to the configuration and uncheck the box to activate the triggers.
- In the left menu under Platform Tools, then click Apps. Select Connected Apps and click Manage Connected Apps.
- In the Connected Apps list, find the Showpad App and click Edit.
- In OAuth Policies, open the Permitted Users drop-down list and choose Admin approved users are pre-authorized. When you’re ready, select the Save button. This is the permission setting required for the integration with Showpad to work for users.
- In the Connected Apps list click on Showpad App.
- Scroll down and in the Profiles section click the Manage Profiles button. Select the profiles you want to authorize to access the app. When you’re ready, click the Save button.
3. Configure profile access for Visualforce Pages
- Click Setup in the top menu.
- Use the quick find menu to search for and select Visualforce Pages.
- Click Security for the Showpad App page you want to configure profile access for.
- Add profiles from the Available Profiles list to the Enabled Profiles list to grant users with these profiles access to the Showpad App Visualforce Pages.
- Repeat these steps for any additional Showpad App pages you want to configure profile access for.
4. Add Showpad as a tab to Opportunity pages
The following set up will add Showpad as a tab to the Opportunity object pages. This can also be done for other objects that make sense for your organization, such as Accounts, Contacts, or Leads.
- Navigate to an Opportunity record in your Salesforce instance. Click the set up gear and then Edit Page.
- If you have a Tabs component on the page layout already, click on it and select Add Tab. If not, drag and drop it from the component menu to the page layout, then click Add Tab.
- Click on the newly added tab and select Custom from the dropdown menu as the Tab Label. Add a name for the label, such as Showpad. Click Done.
- Click on the new Showpad tab within the page layout. From the left side menu, drag and drop the Visualforce Page component into the Showpad tab.
- If you have multiple Visualforce Pages, select Showpad App from the Visualforce Page Name drop down menu.
- Change the height to 400 pixels, then click Save.
- The Showpad Tab should now be present on all Opportunity record pages. Repeat these steps for any other record types relevant for your organization.
4. Updates
You should check for updates in the AppExchange periodically. When a new version is available, you can download an updated package from the AppExchange manually.
6. Temporarily Disable Triggers
If you need to temporarily disable triggers on activities and opportunities from the Showpad app, for example if you are importing high volumes of data, you can select to bypass apex triggers so it does not affect your reporting. It is important to return to this set up and uncheck the box once you are done with your data import or migration so the reporting connection functions again.
- Navigate to Setup in Salesforce and search the quick find menu for Installed packages.
- Click Configure for the Showpad for Salesforce App.
- Select Advanced Config. Check the box for Bypass Apex Triggers. Click Save. The triggers from the package will be inactivated.
- Once you are done with your data migration, be sure to return to the configuration and uncheck the box to activate the triggers.
7. Common Showpad for Salesforce errors
The user is not found in the Salesforce app or you receive an Error 400: Bad Request.
When this occurs, the organization name is incorrect. The Salesforce Administrator should verify the Installed Packages and configure the Showpad account.
It's also possible that the Showpad login (email address) does not match the email address field in Salesforce.
To fix this, the Salesforce Administrator needs to verify the following:
- In Salesforce, navigate to Platform Tools, Apps, then click Installed Packages. Find the Showpad App, then click Configure.
- Make sure the Showpad Account Subdomain is set up correctly. If the Web App URL is organization.showpad.biz, the Showpad Subdomain = organization
Now that the organization is filled in correctly, the user should show up in the Salesforce App.
No Showpad account could be found for this Salesforce account.
When the Showpad login or email address doesn't match the email address field in Salesforce, you will receive an error message that the user could not be found.
This issue often occurs when testing in Sandboxes or when companies have multiple domains. (John.Doe@showpad.com is not the same as John.Doe@showpadinc.com)
Email aliases can cause issues as well. (John@showpad.com is not the same as John.Doe@showpad.com)
The Salesforce Administrator can update the email address field for all affected users in Salesforce. Each user can update their own email address or the email address can be updated in Showpad.
- Navigate to Setup. In the left side menu find Administer, Users, and select Users.
- Find user in the list and click Edit.
- Update Email Address field to match the Showpad username.
- The user must confirm the email address change.
Individual updated email address in Salesforce:
- Select the 'username' menu.
- Select the ‘My Settings’ option.
- Update email address field to match the Showpad username.
The OAUTH Policy's Permitted Users are incorrectly set. When this occurs, it means that the users have not been authorized to view the app.
When you receive an error that the Showpad for Salesforce App is not configured correctly, it means that the users have not been authorized to view the application.
To fix this error message, the Salesforce Administrator needs to verify this:
- In the Salesforce Lightning console, navigate to Setup. From the left side menu, go to Platform Tools, Apps, then select Manage Connected Apps.
- Look for the Showpad App and click Edit.
- Find the ‘Permitted Users’ field under the ‘OAuth Policies’ section and select the option: ‘Admin approved users are pre-authorized’.
- Once this is selected and saved, the Salesforce Admin can now select user roles that will be given permission to view the App.
- Scroll to find the Profiles section and click the Manage Profiles button.
- Select the user profiles that should have access to the App and click ‘Save’
The users are now correctly authorized to use the App.
Certain User Profiles cannot access the Showpad for Salesforce App.
If a particular user profile cannot access the Showpad for Salesforce App, it's highly possible that you will see a permission error.
Once you, as a Salesforce Administrator, issue the Admin-Approved authorization, the following needs to be checked:
- Scroll down to find the ‘Profiles’ section.
- Click the 'Manage Profiles’ button.
- Select the user profiles that should have access to the Salesforce App.
- Click 'Save'.
The user will now have the correct permissions and will be able to access the Salesforce App.
Server Error
The subdomain is incorrect in the configuration of the package.
- Navigate to 'Setup', 'Installed Packages', and select Configure for the Showpad for Salesforce app.
- The subdomain field should contain only the name of the organization. For example, using myorganization.showpad.biz will generate a server error. You would want to only input myorganization.
