You’ve got sales content in one place, CRM data in another, and your reps are wasting time flipping between tabs. If you’re looking to connect Showpad with Salesforce, you’re probably tired of the manual workarounds and want salespeople focused on selling, not hunting for files. This guide is for admins, ops folks, and anyone who wants a step-by-step walkthrough of integrating these two platforms—without a bunch of hand-waving or “digital transformation” hype. Let’s get your content and data actually working together.
Why Integrate Showpad and Salesforce?
Before we jump in, let’s level-set: integration isn’t magic. If your sales team isn’t using Showpad or Salesforce well on their own, connecting them won’t fix deeper adoption problems.
But, if you’re already in both ecosystems, integrating can:
- Let reps find, share, and track content from right inside Salesforce.
- Auto-log content sharing to leads and opportunities (no more “I forgot to attach that PDF”).
- Give marketers real feedback on which materials actually move deals.
- Reduce toggling, duplicate data entry, and those “where did I save that file?” moments.
It’s not going to close deals for you, but it’s a nice step toward less friction.
Step 1: Check Your Prerequisites
Don’t skip this. Getting halfway through and hitting a “permission denied” wall is no fun.
You’ll need: - A Salesforce admin account (with permission to install apps and manage objects). - A Showpad admin account. - API access enabled on both platforms. - A clear idea of which Salesforce objects (Leads, Contacts, Opportunities, etc.) you want to connect to Showpad. - The Showpad for Salesforce package (from the Salesforce AppExchange).
Pro tip: If you’re a consultant or admin, get sign-off from both sales ops and marketing before you start. Nothing’s worse than setting this up only to find out half your team is still using old Google Drive folders.
Step 2: Install the Showpad for Salesforce Package
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Go to the Salesforce AppExchange and search for “Showpad for Salesforce.”
(Here’s the direct link, but always double-check vendor authenticity.) -
Click “Get It Now.”
You’ll need to choose whether to install in production or sandbox. If you’re not 100% sure, start with a sandbox. -
Follow the prompts:
- Agree to terms.
- Choose which users get access (just admins for now is safest).
- Let the package install. This can take a few minutes.
Heads up: If the install fails, check your Salesforce version. Showpad supports Lightning; Classic is increasingly a dead end.
Step 3: Connect Your Showpad Account to Salesforce
Now you need to tell the two systems to talk to each other.
- Log in to Showpad as an admin.
- Navigate to “Integrations” or “External Apps.”
(Location may vary—Showpad’s UI likes to move things around.) - Find the Salesforce integration and click “Connect.”
- Authorize the connection.
You’ll be prompted to log in with your Salesforce admin credentials and grant permissions.
Watch for these common issues: - If you see “insufficient privileges,” log out of all Salesforce accounts and try again. - If you have SSO enabled, you may need to use an admin account that can bypass SSO.
Step 4: Configure What Data Gets Synced
This is where you decide what actually gets shared between platforms. Don’t just click “Sync All”—you’ll regret it.
Think about: - Which Salesforce objects should Showpad interact with? (Leads, Contacts, Opportunities—probably. Cases—maybe not.) - Should all users see the integration, or just the sales team? - Are you syncing activity (who viewed what), or just content access?
In Showpad: - Map Salesforce fields to the content or activity types you care about. - Set up rules for when to log activity (for example: only when content is shared externally).
In Salesforce: - Decide which page layouts get the Showpad widget (just Opportunities? Or everywhere?) - Set permissions so only relevant teams see the Showpad panel.
Pro tip: Keep it simple at first. The more objects and custom fields you sync, the more things can break (and the more Salesforce data you risk cluttering up).
Step 5: Add the Showpad Widget to Salesforce Layouts
Now let’s give your reps access to Showpad right inside Salesforce.
- Open Salesforce Setup.
- Navigate to Object Manager > (e.g., Opportunity) > Page Layouts.
- Edit the layout where you want Showpad to appear.
- Drag the Showpad widget (usually a Visualforce or Lightning component) onto the page.
- Save and assign the layout to your sales roles.
Test it out:
Open an Opportunity as a sales user. You should see a Showpad panel where you can browse, share, and log content.
If you don’t see it:
- Double-check user permissions.
- Make sure you added the widget to the right layout (and that the user profile matches).
- Sometimes browsers cache old layouts—try a hard refresh.
Step 6: Test the Integration (Don’t Skip!)
This is where most integrations go sideways. Don’t trust that “Success!” message—test the actual workflow with a real user.
Test Cases: - Can a rep share content from Salesforce and have it log automatically? - Do activities sync back to both systems? - Is the right content available (or is it showing random folders)? - Are permissions respected (no random users seeing confidential decks)?
Get feedback from a couple of real salespeople, not just admins.
You’ll find weird edge cases—missing permissions, unexpected errors, or just UI confusion.
Step 7: Train Your Team (and Set Realistic Expectations)
Even a perfect integration won’t matter if no one uses it. Roll it out with a quick training session:
- Show how to share content from within Salesforce.
- Explain what activity gets tracked (and what doesn’t).
- Be honest: this won’t do everything. Reps still need to write good emails and follow up.
Pro tip:
Set a “pilot” period with a few reps before rolling out to everyone. Let them break things and give honest feedback.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What Works: - No more hunting for sales decks; reps can share content in a couple clicks. - Activity logging cuts down on “did you send that yet?” confusion. - Marketers see real data about which assets get used.
What Doesn’t: - It won’t fix bad data hygiene—if your Salesforce is a mess, the integration just copies the mess. - If adoption is low, no integration will magically change behavior. - The mobile experience is… fine, but don’t expect miracles.
What to Ignore: - Overly complex automation—start simple. - “AI-powered insights” unless you’ve got a huge pipeline and someone to actually look at the reports. - Any feature you have to force people to use. If your reps are finding workarounds, listen to them.
Summary: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
You don’t need a consultant or a six-month project plan to get Showpad and Salesforce working together. The basics—content access, sharing, and activity logging—cover 90% of what most teams actually use. Start with the essentials, get feedback fast, and only add new features when people ask for them.
Most integrations fail because they’re too complicated or nobody actually uses them. Keep yours simple, make it useful, and let real users drive what comes next. That’s how you get closer to “seamless”—without losing your sanity.