How to enable offline access to sales content in Showpad for remote teams

If you’ve got sales teams working out of airports, basements, or anywhere the WiFi is spotty, you know how frustrating it is when they can’t pull up the latest pitch deck. This guide is for sales enablement managers, content admins, and anyone who needs to make sure their team can actually use your best sales content—even when the internet flakes out. Showpad (showpad.html) makes a lot of noise about being “anywhere, anytime,” but you’ll need to set up offline access the right way. Here’s how to do it, what actually works, and what you can skip.

Why Offline Access Matters

Let’s be real: remote teams don’t always have a reliable connection. Maybe it’s a rural customer site, a plane, or just bad hotel WiFi. If your sales content is locked behind a cloud, it’s useless when you need it most. Offline access in Showpad means your team has what they need, wherever they are—no excuses.

But it’s not magic. Offline access in Showpad is only as good as your setup. You have to prep content, make sure permissions are right, and train your team to download what matters. Otherwise, you’ll get panicked calls from the field about missing files.

Step 1: Understand How Showpad Handles Offline Content

Before you start tinkering, know what Showpad actually does offline:

  • Not everything is available offline by default. Users have to select content to save locally on their device.
  • Offline works on the Showpad mobile apps (iOS and Android)—not really on web browsers.
  • File types matter. PDFs, images, videos, and PowerPoints generally work fine. Interactive HTML content can be hit-or-miss.
  • Admins can’t force content offline for everyone. You can recommend or pin content, but users need to sync/download before disconnecting.

Pro tip: If you want “set-and-forget,” Showpad isn’t there yet. You’ll need to remind your team to keep their content up to date.

Step 2: Prep Your Content for Offline Use

Not all sales decks and collateral are created equal. If you want a smooth offline experience, do a little housekeeping:

  • Keep file sizes reasonable. Huge videos or gigantic PDFs will eat up device storage and take forever to sync.
  • Stick to standard formats. PDFs, JPGs, and MP4s work best. Fancy HTML5 brochures? Test them offline—many features may break.
  • Organize by relevance. Make sure folders/Experiences are logical so reps can quickly select what they need.

What works: - Static files—PDFs, images, standard videos. - Slimmed-down decks with just what’s needed for the field.

What doesn’t: - Complex interactive files. - Stuff that changes daily—unless your team is religious about syncing.

Step 3: Enable and Communicate Offline Features

For Admins

There’s no magic “offline” switch in Showpad, but you can make it easy for users:

  • Highlight key content. Use Showpad’s “pin” or “featured” functions to surface must-have files.
  • Train your team. Send a simple “how to download for offline” guide (see below).
  • Set expectations. Remind users that they need to download and sync while online.

For End Users

Here’s what you should tell your team (in plain English):

  1. Open the Showpad app on your mobile device.
  2. Navigate to the content you want.
  3. Tap the three dots (•••) next to the file or folder.
  4. Select “Make Available Offline” or “Download.”
  5. Wait for the sync to finish before going offline.
  6. To update, re-sync regularly when you’re back online.

Pro tip: Encourage reps to do a “pre-flight check”—make sure everything’s downloaded before they leave WiFi.

Step 4: Test It—Don’t Trust the Checkbox

This is where most teams mess up. Don’t just assume offline works because someone checked a box or set a flag.

  • Try it yourself. Go offline, open the Showpad app, and make sure content opens without a connection.
  • Spot-check different devices. iPhones, iPads, Androids—they don’t all behave the same.
  • Test updates. Modify a file in Showpad, sync, then go offline. Is the new version there?

What doesn’t work: Relying on users to notice missing files after they’re already in the field.

Step 5: Keep Content Up To Date (and Clean)

Offline content can get stale, especially if your team rarely connects to WiFi. Here’s how to avoid “old version” headaches:

  • Set a schedule. Remind users to sync at least once a week.
  • Purge outdated stuff. Remove or archive old decks so they don’t show up in downloads.
  • Communicate big changes. If there’s a must-have update, blast out a message to all users.

Pro tip: If you’re rolling out something truly time-sensitive (like new pricing), don’t rely solely on offline access—follow up.

Step 6: Troubleshooting Common Offline Issues

Even with prep, things break. Here are the real-life snags and what to do:

  • “Content won’t sync.”

    • Check device storage. If it’s full, nothing downloads.
    • Make sure the app is updated to the latest version.
    • Try logging out and back in.

  • “Downloaded files disappeared.”

    • Some mobile OS updates clear app data. Warn your team after big iOS or Android updates.
    • If a user logs out, offline files usually vanish.

  • “I see the folder but not the files.”

    • Users might have downloaded just the folder structure, not the content inside. Remind them to select individual files or subfolders.

  • “Interactive content won’t load.”

    • Not much you can do—Showpad’s offline mode isn’t great for web-based or script-heavy files.

  • “Old versions are showing up.”

    • The user hasn’t synced in a while. Encourage regular refreshes.

What To Ignore (and What Not To Promise)

  • Don’t promise 100% offline parity. Some things just won’t work—especially if they rely on the web.
  • Skip browser-based offline access. Showpad’s offline mode is really for mobile apps, not your laptop browser.
  • Don’t expect admin control over user downloads. You can guide, but not force, what’s saved offline.

Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often

Offline access in Showpad isn’t rocket science, but it’s not “set and forget,” either. Prep your content, train your team, and test regularly. Don’t try to make every single piece of content available offline—pick the essentials, keep them updated, and ask your team what’s actually useful in the field.

Keep it simple. Iterate as you go. And remember: the best offline content is the stuff your team actually uses—so listen to their feedback, and don’t be afraid to trim the fat.