Create a canvas app using Microsoft Dataverse

Microsoft Dataverse provides a secure, cloud-based platform for storing and managing business data. With Power Apps, you can create canvas apps that connect directly to Dataverse to display, edit, and manage your organization's data without complex data connections.

This article shows you how to build canvas apps using Dataverse tables. You'll learn three different approaches: generating apps from existing data, creating new tables and apps together, and building custom apps from scratch. Whether you're working with standard tables or custom organizational data, these methods help you create functional business apps quickly.

Prerequisites

• Switch to an environment where a database is created with sample data. If you have an appropriate license, you can create an environment to meet this need.
• Ensure you have the Environment Maker security role, either directly or through a Dataverse team that is part of the AAD Security Group category. Custom security roles aren't currently supported for Canvas App maker scenarios.

Create an app

1. Sign in to Power Apps.

2. From the home screen, choose one of the following options based on how you want to create your app using Dataverse:

   Create options using Dataverse	Benefits	Navigation
   A single-page gallery app	Use your existing business data in Dataverse and create a lightweight responsive app.	Select Start with data > Dataverse. Select a table and select Create app.
   Create new data and build an app	Set up structured tables in Dataverse to organize data and build secure, scalable apps.	Select Start with data > Create new data. Use the table designer or Copilot to create tables, then select Save and exit.
   Blank app that uses data from Dataverse	Use your existing business data in Dataverse to tailor your app with flexibility, free from the limitations of predesigned templates.	In the left navigation pane, select Create > Start with blank canvas > Phone size.

   Note

   The Power Apps home screen now surfaces a vibe.powerapps.com prompt, introducing a new experience that brings together generative design, AI agents, and plan-driven workflows. You can try this experience to go from idea to a working app faster.

3. The app is created and Power Apps Studio opens, where you continue building the app.

Start with data using Dataverse

The Start with data experience lets you quickly connect to an existing Dataverse table and generate a canvas app. You can also create new tables directly from this experience.

Connect to an existing Dataverse table

1. Sign in to Power Apps.

2. From the home screen, select Start with data.

3. On the Create an app page, select Dataverse.

4. Select an existing Dataverse table and select Create app.

Power Apps Studio opens with a gallery app connected to your selected table.

Create new data

If you don't have an existing table, you can create one directly from the Start with data experience.

1. From the home screen, select Start with data.

2. Select Create new data.

3. In the Create new tables designer, you can:

   • Add a new table by selecting + New table.
   • Add an existing table by selecting + Existing table.
   • Use Copilot to describe your tables, columns, rows, and relationships, and it generates them for you.
   • Import data from Excel or .CSV files, or SharePoint lists by selecting Import data in the Copilot pane.

4. When you finish defining your tables, select Save and exit to generate the app.

Add a Dataverse table in a blank app

To help you understand how to create an app with data from Dataverse, start by creating a blank app and then adding data from Dataverse.

1. Sign in to Power Apps.

2. In the left navigation pane, select Create > Start with blank canvas > Phone size.

3. When Power Apps Studio opens, go to the app authoring menu and select Data.

   Note

   If this is your first time connecting to Dataverse, you're prompted to create a connection. Select Create to establish the connection.

4. Select Add data, enter Accounts in the search box, and select it.

5. Close the Data pane by selecting the close icon in the upper right corner.

   

Add a list screen

1. On the command bar, select New screen > List.

2. In the left navigation bar, select BrowseGallery1, and then set the value of the Items property to this formula:

   SortByColumns(Search(Accounts, TextSearchBox1.Text, "name"), "name", If(SortDescending1, SortOrder.Descending, SortOrder.Ascending))

   This formula specifies that:

   • The gallery shows data from the Accounts table.

   • The data is sorted in ascending order until a user selects the sort button to toggle the sort order.

   • If a user types or pastes one or more characters into the search bar (TextSearchBox1), the list shows only those accounts for which the name field contains the characters that the user specified.

     You can use these and many other functions to specify how your app appears and behaves.

     

3. In the gallery's Properties pane, set the Layout to Title.

4. Edit the Title text property and rename it to Browse. For more information, see Customize a gallery.

   

5. In the left app authoring pane, hover over Screen1, select the ellipsis icon (...), and then select Delete.

6. In the left app authoring pane, hover over Screen2, select the ellipsis icon (...), and then select Rename.

7. Type or paste BrowseScreen, and then rename the gallery in that screen as BrowseGallery.

   

Add a form screen

1. Repeat the first step of the previous procedure, but add a Form screen instead of a List screen.

2. Set the form's DataSource property to Accounts and its Item property to BrowseGallery.Selected as the Advanced tab of the right-hand pane shows.

3. On the Properties tab of the right-hand pane, select Edit Fields to open the Fields pane.

4. Select Add field, and then select the checkboxes for these fields:

   • Account Name
   • Address 1: Street 1
   • Address 1: City
   • Address 1: ZIP/Postal code
   • Number of Employees
   • Annual Revenue

   Note

   Outside of this scenario, you can create a custom field by selecting New field, providing the required information, and then selecting Done. For more information, see Create a column.
   
   

5. Select Add.

6. Set the title bar's Text property to show Create/Edit.

   The screen reflects your changes.

   

7. Rename this screen FormScreen.

Configure icons

1. On the BrowseScreen, set the OnSelect property of the circular icon near the top of the screen to this formula:

   Refresh(Accounts)

   

2. Set the OnSelect property of the plus icon to this formula:

   NewForm(EditForm1); Navigate(FormScreen, ScreenTransition.None)

   

3. Set the OnSelect property of the first arrow pointing to the right to this formula:

   EditForm(EditForm1); Navigate(FormScreen, ScreenTransition.None)

   

4. On the FormScreen, set the OnSelect property of the cancel icon to this formula:

   ResetForm(EditForm1);Navigate(BrowseScreen, ScreenTransition.None)

   

5. Set the OnSelect property of the checkmark icon to this formula:

   SubmitForm(EditForm1); Navigate(BrowseScreen, ScreenTransition.None)

   

6. On the Insert tab, select Icons, and then select the Trash icon.

7. Set the Trash icon's Color property to White and its OnSelect property to this formula:

   Remove(Accounts, BrowseGallery.Selected); Navigate(BrowseScreen, ScreenTransition.None)

   

Test the app

1. On the actions menu, select Preview the app. For more information, see Preview an app.

2. Toggle the list between ascending and descending sort orders, and filter the list by one or more characters in the account name.

3. Add an account, edit the account that you added, start to update the account, but cancel your changes, and then delete the account.

See also

• Overview of the new Power Apps vibe experience (preview)
• Customize a gallery
• Create a column