Create and manage Brainsharks (beta)

Brainsharks are AI-narrated, interactive presentations you build and manage directly in Showpad. Create narrated slides, quiz questions, and closed captions without switching tools or managing separate accounts.

Brainsharks live in your library alongside your other assets, so you manage them the same way you manage any other content.

Note: Data used in the Brainsharks you create is stored on servers in the United States.

See how it looks

Key features

• Build narrated, interactive presentations in the Showpad Admin App
• Import PowerPoint slides or Google Slides as a starting point, or build from a blank Brainshark
• Add AI-generated voice narration, or record your own audio or video
• Insert question slides, web content, and chapter titles
• Edit properties such as name, description, tags, and Cover Image at any time
• Preview a Brainshark before you distribute it to sellers

You need this to succeed

The quick way

1. Go to Libraries and select Brainsharks.
2. Click Create Brainshark.
3. Fill in the details.
4. Click Create to open the authoring editor.
5. Add slides and build your Brainshark.
6. Click Exit to save.
7. To edit later, click the Brainshark name to reopen the editor, or use the side panel to update its properties.

Do this step by step

Find Brainsharks in your library

1. In the Admin App, go to Libraries.
2. Under Content, select Brainsharks.
3. The list shows every Brainshark in the selected Library/Division, with columns for Title and Tags.

Tip: Use the search bar to find a Brainshark by name, and the items-per-page control at the bottom to page through the list.

Create a Brainshark

1. In Libraries > Brainsharks, click Create Brainshark in the top right.
2. Fill in the following fields:
   • Brainshark name: the title shown to sellers (required)
   • Description: a short summary of the content (optional)
   • Tags: add tags to help with filtering and discovery (optional)
   • Cover image: drag and drop an image or click to upload. Files up to 5 MB are supported. Leave it blank to set one later.
3. Under Select template, choose Blank Brainshark to start completely from scratch.
4. Click Create. The authoring editor opens in a new view.

Note: The editor may take a moment to load. This is expected during the Beta.

Build your Brainshark in the editor

The authoring editor is where you add and arrange your content. A new Brainshark opens with no slides.

1. Click Add slides, or use the menus at the top of the editor.
2. Open the Slides menu to:
   • Import: upload a PowerPoint file, add Google Slides, or another Brainshark slide. Each slide becomes a separate slide in your Brainshark.
   • Create a Question, Video, Web content, or Chapter title slide.
   • Export PowerPoint slides or Replace slides under Edit.
3. Use the Narration menu to add narration and make your slides come to life.
   • Upload narration to add a previously recorded narration.
   • Record narration to record a new narration.
   • Generate narration to add AI-generated narration.
4. Use the Tools menu to:
   • Translate text or audio.
   • Merge slide content to merge content from different presentations.
   • Manage attachments to manage uploaded attachments in your slides.
5. The Slide properties let you update your slides:
   • Add a Slide name and control Playback in the General tab.
   • Add narration for your notes in the Notes tab.
   • Upload or generate captions in the Captions tab.
   • Add attachments and manage your assets in the Attachment tab.

Tip: For the best AI narration, add speaker notes to your PowerPoint slides before importing. Brainshark uses those notes as the narration script and places them in the notes of each slide.

Tip: Add the <que> tag in your slide notes to pause the narration at a specific point during a slide.

Additional Brainshark configuration

The icons in the top right let you preview and add more media to your Brainshark presentation.

1. Click the eye icon to preview your Brainshark presentation.
2. Click the folder icon to open the Media Library. Here, you can:
   • Add Presenters.
   • Use Question templates to add questions in a predefined format.
   • Add Background music to make your Brainsharks sound professional.
   • Create Custom voices for narration by uploading voice samples. You can keep them private or share them across your organization.
   • Create Custom avatars. You can keep them private or share them across your organization.
3. The gear icon lets you access the Settings.
   • The General tab lets you control the visibility of your Brainshark presentation and set an Expiration date. You can update the Title, Description, and the cover image (thumbnail). The Presentation ID is randomly assigned and cannot be edited.
   • In the Completion tab, you either enable or disable the completion requirements. This setting lets you control when a Brainshark presentation can be marked as completed, based on the Percentage of slides viewed, Percentage of audio played, or Test score needed to pass if a test is available. You can decide whether the completion indicator should be visible in the player.
   • In the Player tab, you select which theme should be used for the player. Select whether the Presenter information, the Score, notes, FAQ, and captions should be visible. Update the Playback/Navigation options to customize the player, so it displays speed and loop settings. You can also decide whether viewers can print the slides and resume where they left off.
4. Click Save to return to the library.

Edit a Brainshark

To edit the content:

1. Click Libraries.
2. Select Brainsharks.
3. Click the name of the Brainshark you want to edit.
4. Select Edit Brainshark.
5. The authoring editor opens.
6. Make your changes, then Exit to save.

To see the properties of a Brainshark:

1. Select the Brainshark to open the side panel.
2. The Overview shows you the release and expiry date, added and updated dates, description, and author. Click the fields to edit the values.
3. Brainshark Insights shows you the number of views and the number of slides, attachments, and questions.
4. Update the Tags and Permissions to make your Brainshark available in the appropriate Library/Division. You can see where the Brainshark is used.

Preview a Brainshark

1. Click Libraries, Brainsharks, then select the Brainshark to open the side panel.
2. Click the eye icon in the thumbnail to open the Brainshark in the Asset Viewer.

The preview loads the Brainshark in the same player that sellers see.

Note: Loading may take a moment during the Beta.

Delete a Brainshark

1. Go to Libraries, Brainsharks, and click the Brainshark to open the side panel.
2. Click the trash icon.
3. Confirm the deletion by clicking Delete.

Note: Deleting a Brainshark removes it from every Experience, Page, or Homepage it has been added to.

Presenting and sharing Brainsharks

Sellers can open and present a Brainshark, but they cannot share it with a prospect through a link or email.
To make a Brainshark available to sellers, add it to an Experience instead.