Understanding the Panes in Power Apps: A Beginner-Friendly Guide
Power Apps Studio: A Simple Guide to Every Pane You’ll Use (and Love)
Whether you're just starting out with Microsoft Power Platform or you've been tinkering with apps for a while, one thing's for sure: understanding the Power Apps Studio interface can save you tons of time and confusion.
Power Apps is all about low-code, rapid app development—and the studio gives you all the tools you need, neatly packed into different panes.
So let’s break down the main areas (aka panes) you’ll be using, what they do, and how to make the most of them.
You’ll find this one on the left side of the screen.
This pane shows a hierarchical structure of everything in your app: screens, buttons, labels, icons, and more. It helps you navigate and manage all the components in your app. Think of it like the file explorer for your app design.
-
Rename elements
-
Reorder screens
-
Quickly find any control
From buttons to charts, sliders to forms — this pane is your toolbox.
You can:
-
Browse by categories (Text, Media, Input, AI, etc.)
-
Drag and drop controls
-
Search for specific elements
As a developer you should explore all controls — there are tons of hidden gems.
Want to use SharePoint, Excel, SQL, or Dataverse in your app? This is the place.
The Data Pane lets you:
-
Add and manage data sources
-
View connected tables/entities
-
Refresh or remove connections
This is essential if your app interacts with external data (which it almost always will).
This one's super handy when you're using logic and need to keep track of data temporarily.
Use this to:
-
View all global and context variables
-
Inspect collections (like temporary tables)
-
Debug your app’s behavior
Essential when using Set() , Collect(), or UpdateContext().
Need to add a company logo? An instructional video? This is where you upload and manage media files.
You can insert:
-
Images
-
Audio files
-
Video clips
Be cautious though — media gets embedded in the app, so too much can bloat your file size.
Power Apps controls come with tons of properties — but here are the most relevant ones when building role-protected screens like an Admin Dashboard.
🛠 Summary Table
| Property | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Visible | Show/hide controls | Visible = IsAdmin |
| DisplayMode | Make controls read-only or disabled | DisplayMode = If(IsAdmin, ...) |
| OnVisible | Redirect or run logic when screen opens | OnVisible = If(!IsAdmin, ...) |
| OnSelect | Control button behavior | OnSelect = If(IsAdmin, Navigate()) |
| Text | Personalize labels/buttons | Text = If(IsAdmin, ...) |
| Fill | Role-based UI design | Fill = If(IsAdmin, Color.Blue) |
| Tooltip | Explain control behavior | Tooltip = If(!IsAdmin, ...) |
This is the main center area, and where you’ll drag and drop controls to design your app’s screens.
You can:
-
Arrange elements
-
Resize and align
-
Test layouts in real-time
Click the play button (top-right) to preview your app live 👀 on the canvas.
It sits right up top and works kind of like Excel’s formula bar—but with Power Fx.
Use it to define:
-
Button actions:
Navigate(Screen2) -
Visibility rules:
If(condition, true, false) -
Data filtering:
Filter(DataSource, Condition)
Think of this as where you add logic and behavior to your UI elements.
This is the right sidebar that pops up when you select any control on your canvas.
Here’s where you tweak:
-
Colors
-
Text
-
Alignment
-
Borders
-
Data source connections (for forms or galleries)
Pro Tip: Use this pane to style your controls visually without needing to write formulas.
Found under the File menu, this is where you configure your app’s overall setup:
-
App name and icon
-
Screen size and orientation
-
Theming
-
Share and publish settings
-
Version history
Come here when you're ready to finalize, test, or share your app.
That little play icon (top right)? It launches your app in preview mode.
This allows you to:
-
Test navigation
-
Submit forms
-
Run all the logic as if it were live
Always preview often — it helps you catch issues before publishing.
Final Thoughts
Once you get familiar with these panes, Power Apps becomes a super intuitive, flexible, and fun tool to work with. Whether you’re building a leave tracker, an inventory system, or a customer feedback form — the Power Apps Studio gives you everything you need, all in one place.
