PAD stands for Portable Application Description, and a PAD file is a clear and easy way for software authors to provide online sources with information about their products. The advantage of using a PAD file is that it enables you to store all the descriptions and specifications in one single place - system requirements, price, contact info, file names, download URL's and more.

Another great thing about PAD files is that they're so easy to create - and that it doesn't cost you anything! The Association of Shareware Professionals have put together a range of totally free tools that allow you to create and modify your PAD files. Here at SharewarePromotions, we have also created our own PAD file tools to make life easier for software authors - check out our guide to using PADGen and our PAD validation tool.

Once you have created your PAD file, you should put it in two different places. First in your ZIP file, so that the people who distribute your software can access all the information that they might need. Second, you also want to put your PAD file on your own website, since this is what many of the download sites will ask you for.

Since June 2001, SharewarePromotions has been working exclusively with PAD files. This is because the PAD format allows us to get your software listed on as many sites as possible, in the shortest amount of time.