SharePoint and PowerApps are powerful Microsoft tools that empower organizations to improve productivity, enhance collaboration, and streamline processes. SharePoint serves as a robust platform for content management and collaboration.
While PowerApps allows users to create custom applications without the need for extensive coding skills! Integrating PowerApps as a web part within SharePoint pages brings together the best of both worlds, enabling users to build dynamic, user-friendly applications seamlessly integrated into their SharePoint environment.
So, let’s begin with Embedding PowerApps in SharePoint:
The integration of PowerApps as a web part in SharePoint is a straightforward process that enhances the functionality and user experience of SharePoint pages.
Here is a step-by-step guide to embedding PowerApps in a SharePoint page:
Let’s begin by navigating to your Site Contents and then to your Pages library (or Site Pages). If you have a specific page in mind, ensure that it supports web parts. If not, you can either select an existing page or create a new one by navigating to the “File” menu. Any page with web parts capability will suffice.
Once your page is created, proceed to edit it. Click on the web part zone where you want to add your PowerApp. In the above case, since I’m using a tablet view, I usually opt for a layout with a large focus section and a small sidebar for links/CTAs. Note that for mobile layouts, you can place the mobile app in the sidebar, which can look impressive depending on the app design. After accessing the page editing mode, add a “Page Viewer” Web Part to your chosen area.
Now, edit the settings for the web part (the web part will prompt you to click on the tool pane). Configure the settings, ensuring to set a fixed height. PowerApps use the height of their container to determine component positioning, crucial for mobile or tablet views. For better responsiveness on smaller screens, I recommend a minimum height of 400 pixels. If you use a page header, hide the border and display only the title. Set the Web URI for the PowerApp.
To obtain the web URI of your PowerApp, go to the PowerApps portal (powerapps.microsoft.com), access the details of your app, and find the “Web Link.” Copy this link and paste it into your Page Viewer web part. Click ‘Ok,’ and your app will render on the page. Publish the page to see the full rendering and adjust the chrome settings to remove the title/border. Tablet layouts generally work well for web apps, though you can experiment with displaying mobile apps in sidebars.
There’s one additional step: turn off the locked aspect ratio in the PowerApp settings. Navigate to web.powerapps.com, open your app in the preferred editor, go to File, access the screen orientation settings, and set “lock aspect ratio” to off.
This method is not only applicable to PowerApps but also works effectively for Power BI dashboards.
When embedding Power BI dashboards, use the iFrame snippet provided by Power BI. However, for better responsiveness, opt for the Page Viewer instead, using the src from the iFrame. With a set height, the Page Viewer ensures the Dashboard/PowerApp remains contained and prevents it from overflowing its container. With this if you are looking for PowerApps and SharePoint services then you can contact leading offshore software development company near you.
Conclusion
Embedding PowerApps as a web part in SharePoint pages is a powerful strategy for organizations seeking to maximize the value of Microsoft’s collaborative tools.
The seamless integration of PowerApps and SharePoint not only optimizes processes but also elevates the overall user experience by establishing a unified environment for both content management and application interaction.
As organizations increasingly harness the capabilities of PowerApps and SharePoint, this smooth integration is set to play a pivotal role in nurturing innovation, fostering collaboration, and enhancing operational efficiency.
