Link files, Pages, Experiences, and folders with App-links

Note: This article is about the new beta Admin App, which is still in development. Changes may occur. Please provide feedback directly in the beta app.

App-links are URLs that lead to a file, a Page, an Experience, or a folder in Showpad. You can use them in any type of document, as long as you make sure you export the document as a PDF file or as an HTML Web app. These links are convenient for linking content from an asset or an HTML app to another asset. You can also add optional parameters to the link to access a particular page in an asset.
When users click the link in a document, they are redirected to the Showpad file. To display the file, the user must have access to the Experience, where it's located.

Note: App-links can only be opened by Showpad users. Prospects that receive a shared document cannot open App-links.

See how it works

Key features

• Link content, folders, Pages and Experiences
• Use links in exported PDFs and HTML apps
• Link assets to an HTML app
• Link to a specific page in your documents

You need this to succeed

• The beta Admin App enabled
• Feature availability depends on your subscription package
• Users with access to the Experience, where the asset is located

The quick way

In the example below, we will create an App-link to another asset in Showpad:

1. Copy the asset URL from the asset properties
2. Insert App-links into a PDF file
3. Insert App-links in a Microsoft Office document
4. Add the App-link to your Files library

Do this step by step

Copy the asset URL from the asset properties

First, we will copy the asset URL from the asset we want to link to. We can also add (optional) parameters from the Showpad URL scheme.

1. Click Libraries in the top menu. If your organization uses Divisions/Libraries, choose the relevant one.
2. Select the All files library, then click the asset you want to get the asset URL from.
3. Click the Details tab in the detail panel.
4. In the Overview section, click the copy icon to copy the URL in the App-link field.
5. If necessary, Anonymize analytics to protect user privacy with the Showpad URL scheme and copy the entire URL to your clipboard.
   Example of parameters:
   showpad://file/2301534669417573d1e5e11152c53c97?modal=1&page=5 will open page 5 of our PDF document. It will be displayed in a modal way, meaning it will slide over the currently active asset as a pop-up. Closing the page will take you back to the active asset

Links to Experiences and Pages are created in a similar way. You can copy the App Link from the details panel of Experiences and Pages, .

To copy a link to a specific Classic Experience folder, open the Experience in the Experience Builder. Hover over a folder, then click the gear icon, and click App Link. Copy the link.

Insert App-links into a PDF file

We will use the asset URL in a PDF file and upload it to Showpad. Using the same procedure, you can also add a link to an external website.
In our example, when someone opens the link in the uploaded PDF file, page 5 of the other linked PDF will open in modal mode.

1. Copy the App-link you created.
2. Open the PDF file in Acrobat Pro.
3. In Acrobat Pro, under All tools, click Edit a PDF.
4. Select Link and click Add or edit a link.
5. Select the region in the document you want to link. This will open the Link Properties.
6. As a Link Action, select Custom link and click Next.
7. Select the Actions tab, then select Open a web link from the drop-down menu.
8. Click Add and paste the asset URL that you copied. In this example, we're linking to page 5 in modal mode. You can add ?modal=1&page=5 to add these properties. If you just want to link the full document, you don't need to use the page or modal parameters. Click OK twice when you're done.
9. Save the PDF document.
10. Upload the PDF to Showpad. Make sure the user has access to the Experience that contains the linked files. When the user clicks the link in the PDF file, the other PDF document will open on page 5, per this instruction.

Insert App-links in a Microsoft Office document

If you want to use App-links or any other links in a Microsoft Office document, be aware that any type of link will be removed if you upload that document to Showpad. DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX documents are flattened to a PDF so they can be displayed in Showpad. Find out more about how Showpad handles Microsoft Office files.
After exporting the file as a PDF, you'll need to edit the file in Acrobat Pro.

1. Open your DOCX, XLSX or PPTX document.
2. Export the document as a PDF file. This is very important, as uploading this file directly to Showpad will remove any links, macros, or animations.
3. Open the newly converted PDF in Acrobat Pro and follow the same instructions as the PDF example.

Add the App-link to your Files library

You can add these App-links to your Files library to use them in Courses, Experiences, Pages, Announcements, etc. This allows for the same tracking ability as all other compatible asset types.

Follow the instructions from this article to learn how to add your App-links as URLs to your Files library.

Learn how this feature works in the current Online Platform.