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Share content and view insights

    Generate a link for sharing your content

    • Updated

    In Showpad, you can seamlessly share your content across various platforms, including instant messaging and other sharing services not directly integrated with our system. Generate a link to your content and paste it into your preferred platform. Whether using our iOS, Android, or Web app, you can share content with or without creating a Collection. Your recipients will view the shared content within the same branded environment as if sent via email.

    For more flexibility, you can generate dynamic links on the Web app and Windows Desktop app. This method allows you to auto-populate the sender and receiver of your link. It also lets you see who opened the content, while a simple link only shows the location or device in the sharing insights.

    When reviewing your insights in the Share menu, you may notice slight differences in statistics compared to content shared via email. Since Showpad doesn't track individual recipients of generated links, the Share insights provide details such as device, browser, and, if available, the recipient's location.

    Tip: When generating a link, add a detailed description in the Name field. Include the contact's name in the Name field to prevent confusion when viewing the sharing insights later.

    See how it looksShowpad.png

    Key features

    • Copy and paste a link to share Showpad content
    • Add a link name to see it in your sharing insights
    • Add multiple files to your sharing link
    • Use simple and dynamic links on the Web and Windows Desktop apps
    • Generate dynamic links to auto-populate recipients on Marketo, Outreach, or a custom platform

    Choose your success platform


    iOS
    Android
    Windows Desktop App
    Web App

    See how it's done on iOS

    1. You can create a link by tapping the share icon when a file or a Collection is open. Select Get a Link.
      iOS_Share_Get_a_Link.png
      • On an iPhone you'll find the share icon at the bottom of your screen.iPhone_share_button.png
    2. Choose to share the Entire document and Select pages.iOS_Entire_Doc_or_Select_pages.png
    3. Edit the Link Name. It is recommended to add a detailed description when generating a link. Adding the name of the contact in the Link Name can prevent some confusion. By default, you'll see an autogenerated name containing the filename or Collection name, together with the date, and time stamp. The name you give the file will only be seen internally, not by your prospect.
      iOS_Link_Name.png
    4. By default, prospects can download the file locally on their device. To change this, tap the settings icon and slide the toggle next to Allow Downloads.
      iOS_Allow_Downloads.png
    5. Choose a Theme the recipient will see when viewing the shared content.iOS_Theme.png
    6. To set an expiration date for the link, toggle on Link Expires After and either tap 1 week to select a time frame or tap the date to select a date from the calendar.ios_Expiriation_of_share.png
    7. If enabled, choose to log the Share to your CRM, such as Salesforce.
      log_to_sfdc_ios.png
    8. Tap the share icon, then tap Copy to save the link to your clipboard. You will see a notification that the link was generated. Share the link with your prospect.
      iOS_Copy_link.png
    9. Alternatively, select an app you use for sharing, such as WeChat. The insights from this share will show that someone opened the link and when but not which app was used.iOS_Copy_link.png
      • On an iPhone, the screen looks slightly different, but the process is the same. Tap the share icon and select how you would like to share the link.
        iPhone_Copy_Link.png   iPhone_App.png
    10. In the Share view, you will see the insights of the link you shared. Notice that it shows the system, browser, and, if the recipient allows, the location where the document was opened.
      IMG_0059.png

    See how it's done on the Android app

    1. You can create a link by tapping the Share icon when a file or a Collection is opened. Android_Share.png
    2. Select Get a Link. Android_Share_Options.png
    3. If the file has multiple pages, choose to share the entire document or select the pages you'd like to share.Android_EntireDoc_SelectedPages.png
    4. Add a Link Name. It is recommended to add a detailed description when generating a link. Adding the name of the contact in the Link Name can prevent some confusion. By default, you'll see an autogenerated name containing the filename or Collection name, together with the date, and time stamp. The name you give the file will only be seen internally, not by your prospect. Android_Get_a_link_new_name.png
    5. By default, prospects can download the file locally on their device. Slide the toggle if you want to prevent downloading.Android_Get_a_link_new_name.png
    6. To set an expiration date for the link, toggle on Link Expires After and either tap 1 week to select a time frame or tap the date to select a date from the calendar.Android_Get_a_link_new_name.png
    7. If enabled, choose to log the Share to your CRM, such as Salesforce. Android_Get_a_Link_Log_to_CRM.png
    8. Tap Copy Link, and the link will be copied to the clipboard. You will see a notification that the link was generated. Share the link with your prospect.Android_Get_a_link_new_name.png
    9. Alternatively, tap Share.Android_Get_a_link_new_name_SHARE.png
    10. Select an app you use for sharing, such as WeChat or WhatsApp. The insights from this share will show that someone opened the link and when but not which app was used.Android_Share_Sheet.png
      • On a phone, the screen looks slightly different, but the process is the same. Select either Copy Link or Share and share the link using your preferred method.
        Android_phone_get_a_link_share.png   Android_phone_Get_a_link_Share_Sheet.png
    11. In the Share view, you will see the insights of the link you shared. Notice that it shows the system and, if allowed by the recipient, the location where the document was opened. The name you gave the file will appear at the top. Android_Share_Insights.png

    See how it's done on the Windows Desktop app

    1. When you open the Share view, you can create a link via the Compose menu.
      link_web1.png
    2. You can also generate a link in the Experience or Collection you are working in by hovering over the asset you'd like to share.
    3. Or, when your file is open, you can click the link icon at the top of the screen. Select if you want to share the entire document or only selected pages.Showpad.png
    4. You will be notified to fill in the necessary information before you receive the link to your shared content. If you connect with Salesforce, your sharing activities will also be visible there.

    With a simple link, you can generate a URL that can be copied and pasted anywhere, including messaging tools of your choice. However, using this method will limit the insights available, as it's impossible to track individual users who open the link without obtaining their email addresses. Consequently, this user-specific information is unavailable in simple links. Nevertheless, our insights feature will still indicate when the content has been accessed, specifying the platform and browser used by the viewer.
    Consider adding an informative name to the link to identify this type of Share.Showpad.png

    You can generate dynamic links that automatically populate sender and recipient details. This option is ideal for platforms like Marketo and Outreach, enabling automatic content sharing through email templates, campaigns, and sequences. This functionality streamlines the tracking of individual recipient engagement. With dynamic links, user-specific information is available in the insights, as the recipient's email addresses are known.
    If you use a custom lead-generation platform, refer to their guidelines for naming conventions and fill in the dynamic fields accordingly.
    Showpad.png

    Note: When selecting Marketo or Outreach, the generated link automatically adds the dynamic fields to the URL. The options to modify the sender and recipient email addresses are greyed out.

    1. Add a Name for the link. When generating a link, it is crucial to add a detailed description to track your Share easily. Adding the contact's name in the name field can, for example, prevent later confusion when consulting the Sharing Insights.
    2. If you want to add additional files, you can browse and add content by clicking the Browse button. Select your additional content and click Next.
    3. Select the Link type:
      • Simple link
      • Advanced dynamic link
    4. The Link Settings allow you to configure the download option and expiration date. To prevent content downloads, uncheck Allow downloads. Your recipients can see the file's content but can't download a copy of the original file. You can also provide an expiration date for the link.Showpad.png
    5. Select the preferred theme.
    6. Click Generate Link.Showpad.png
    7. You will receive a link, which you can copy and paste.

    In the Share view, you will see the insights of the link you shared. Notice that it shows the recipient's system and browser information. This is why adding a detailed name to the Share can give you more information if the link was shared with a single recipient.
    link_web2.png

    Sharing links with Salesforce integration activated

    If activated on your organization, you can log Content Sharing for an Account or Opportunity in Salesforce.

    Note: Logging to Salesforce works with the Simple link type.

    1. Check Log to Salesforce.
    2. If you start typing the Account Name, information will be automatically populated. Contact or Lead information will be automatically populated as well.47-7.png
    3. Fill out the remaining details for the link and share it with your prospects or customers.Showpad.png
    4. In Salesforce, when your Contact or Lead activates the content via the received link, that information will be visible in the Activity History.sfdc_activity_log.png

    See how it's done on the Web App

    1. When you open the Share view, you can create a link via the Compose menu.
      link_web1.png
    2. You can also generate a link in the Experience or Collection you are working in by hovering over the asset you'd like to share.
    3. Or, when your file is open, you can click the link icon at the top of the screen. Select if you want to share the entire document or only selected pages.get_a_link_to_content_with_present_mode.png
    4. You will be notified to fill in the necessary information before you receive the link to your shared content. If you connect with Salesforce, your sharing activities will also be visible there.

    Simple links

    With a simple link, you can generate a URL that can be copied and pasted anywhere, including messaging tools of your choice. However, using this method will limit the insights available, as it's impossible to track individual users who open the link without obtaining their email addresses. Consequently, this user-specific information is unavailable in simple links. Nevertheless, our insights feature will still indicate when the content has been accessed, specifying the platform and browser used by the viewer.
    Consider adding an informative name to the link to identify this type of Share.Showpad.png

    Advanced dynamic link

    You can generate dynamic links that automatically populate sender and recipient details. This option is ideal for platforms like Marketo and Outreach, enabling automatic content sharing through email templates, campaigns, and sequences. This functionality streamlines the tracking of individual recipient engagement. With dynamic links, user-specific information is available in the insights, as the recipient's email addresses are known.
    If you use a custom lead-generation platform, refer to their guidelines for naming conventions and fill in the dynamic fields accordingly.
    Showpad.png

    Note: When selecting Marketo or Outreach, the generated link automatically adds the dynamic fields to the URL. The options to modify the sender and recipient email addresses are greyed out.

    Fill in the link details

    1. Add a Name for the link. When generating a link, it is crucial to add a detailed description to track your Share easily. Adding the contact's name in the name field can, for example, prevent later confusion when consulting the Sharing Insights.
    2. If you want to add additional files, you can browse and add content by clicking the Browse button. Select your additional content and click Next.
    3. Select the Link type:
      • Simple link
      • Advanced dynamic link
    4. The Link Settings allow you to configure the download option and expiration date. To prevent content downloads, uncheck Allow downloads. Your recipients can see the file's content but can't download a copy of the original file. You can also provide an expiration date for the link.Showpad.png
    5. Select the preferred theme.
    6. Click Generate Link.Showpad.png
    7. You will receive a link, which you can copy and paste.

    In the Share view, you will see the insights of the link you shared. Notice that it shows the recipient's system and browser information. This is why adding a detailed name to the Share can give you more information if the link was shared with a single recipient.
    link_web2.png

    Sharing links with Salesforce integration activated

    If activated on your organization, you can log Content Sharing for an Account or Opportunity in Salesforce.

    Note: Logging to Salesforce works with the Simple link type.

    1. Check Log to Salesforce.
    2. If you start typing the Account Name, information will be automatically populated. Contact or Lead information will be automatically populated as well.47-7.png
    3. Fill out the remaining details for the link and share it with your prospects or customers.Showpad.png
    4. In Salesforce, when your Contact or Lead activates the content via the received link, that information will be visible in the Activity History.sfdc_activity_log.png

    Tracking recipients by ExternalId in dynamic links

    For advanced scenarios where recipients are identified by a unique ID from your system (e.g., a CRM record ID) rather than, or in addition to, an email address, you can modify the Dynamic Share URL to track recipients using this ID.

    This ID will then:

    • Appear in the Insights timeline under Sharing, allowing for search and filter options.
    • Be included in the payloads of Email & Link Share webhooks, enabling further integration with other systems and workflows.

    Modify a dynamic link with the ExternalId Parameter

    1. Create a dynamic link in the Web App.
    2. Choose any platform and specify any dynamic fields required.
    3. Generate and copy the link. The link looks like:
      *.showpad.com/catalog/link/vqD9SokMZ9Mtvx0Tk1E9g?emailAddress={{email}}&sender={{sender.email}}
    4. The emailAddress and sender values depend on your chosen platform and specified dynamic fields.
    5. Modify the URL (Optional):
      Remove the emailAddress and sender parameters and add the ExternalId parameter with a relevant value from your system. For example:
      externalId=0001
    6. The resulting link should look like this: 
      *.showpad.com/catalog/link/vqD9SokMZ9Mtvx0Tk1E9g?externalId=0001

    Important Notes

    • The ExternalId parameter does not exclude the use of sender and emailAddress parameters.
    • If the sender parameter is missing, the dynamic share will be linked to the user who created the dynamic link.
    • You can specify a user's email in your organization, and the dynamic share will be associated with that user.
    • While both emailAddress and ExternalId parameters can be used together, it is generally unnecessary since they both serve as identifiers for the created Share.

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