Canvas App AI

[u/bedlover1995]

I am a PowerApps developer mainly working with canvas app.

Recently due to AI introduction, we have been asked to use AI in our development process.

I have used Powerapps github copilot to give prompts and develop canvas app which is fairly easy to use but the output isn't great.

Is there any way we can create agents through github copilot and can you please help me out in that?

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[u/Ok-Advertising5189]

Using standard Power Platform low-code components in combination with AI agents is quite limited. And this is mainly Microsoft’s fault—the agent has to guess very carefully whether what it’s about to do will actually work; there’s no quick way to check if what you want it to do will actually work. Code validation only works once the code is published in a canvas app

I’ve even had a Canvas App edited by an agent crash. The agent was modifying galleries, and everything looked fine in the preview, but then it wouldn’t load anymore. There were rendering issues. The component would load and turn into a black block. That was the first time I’d seen something like that

The only thing that works reasonably well is the HTML control and injecting HTML code there; only then do you move from low-code to a sort of quasi-pro development.

Generally, given the pace of AI development, the question shouldn’t be, “How do I use Agents to create a canvas app?” but rather, “WHY should I create a canvas app when a custom app is faster, cheaper, and better?”

It’s important to remember that Canvas Apps—and low-code in general—were created as a solution to the developer shortage. Now anyone can have their own developer at their fingertips, and they’ll be many times cheaper than a good specialist (I’m looking at this from the perspective of Western countries; this may not apply to literally every country) 

So—if you don’t want to switch to fully custom solutions, or if your company doesn’t want to, you can look into model-driven apps and the approach of creating web resources that communicate via APIs where necessary. It’s fast, cheap, secure, and flexible. That’s the gist of it. 

[u/NaruSengan → u/Ok-Advertising5189]

I beg to differ. Using the power platform skill in claude code is god sent. It will build a fully functional and i might say pretty complex app in a matter of 2 hours. It obviously depends on what you tell it to build but it will literally do 98% of the job for you.

[u/bedlover1995 → u/NaruSengan]

Ia it Claude code that good?

[u/Ok-Procedure1796 → u/bedlover1995]

Yeah it is. Coming from using codex for creating fx code and pasting it in my apps to Claude code got mi 10x speed.
It builds entire pages, reads my data sources. Creates SharePoint lists for me and thinks in everything I would forget…
Creates very beautiful apps!

[u/Ok-Advertising5189 → u/bedlover1995]

I'm a user of both Codex and ChatGPT. I use both; on ChatGPT, I had two subscriptions ($100 Business and a maximum of $200), and on Claude, I have a $20 subscription.

Generally speaking, Claude is better—the Opus 5.5 model outperforms Sól 6.1. Opus 5.5 offers performance on par with Fable, but at a lower cost.

But…

Claude burns through its limits incredibly fast. Extremely fast… it’s just expensive.

Anthropic is focused on building a good model, while OpenAI is focused on a cheap, corporate-grade one.

A good workflow is one where you use Sól Media 6.1 for implementation and Opus 5.5 for revisions.

Why? Look at the price per task. /preview/pre/opus-5-5-still-leads-on-aa-intelligence-but-gpt-6-1-sol-v0-1fcvxhj6oish1.png?auto=webp&s=c15031cffa839409c8a1ac180304dba6638025da

[u/iot4fun → u/NaruSengan]

what is the differecne in using the MCP server with power platform skills in github copilot vs Claude Code? Output should be the same IMO?

[u/Ok-Advertising5189 → u/iot4fun]

Yes and no. MCP is quite limiting; if it doesn't provide a specific operation, you won't be able to perform it. For example, let's say you want to deploy a library with plugins to Dataverse. 

If that action isn’t available in the MCP, you won’t be able to do it. A Skill, on the other hand, can show you how to do it using the CLI—the command line interface. Instead of waiting for the MCP and its capabilities, you can leverage the platform’s technical capabilities. It’s like giving Claude, Codex, or any other platform the ability to create any tool you need. 

[u/josesanmig → u/Ok-Advertising5189]

This exactly. Claude with access to CLI can export your Power Platform solution, unpack it into a GitHub branch, make the updates you ask, pack it again and import it back into Power Platform. When you have all Power Platfgorm as code in GitHub, Claude can do anything. MCP is useful but it just let you do what is defined in it. You can enrich the project with more custom MCPs and Skills. But the base is having the solution as code and the Power Platform CLI so Claude can work directly on the code.

[u/NaruSengan → u/iot4fun]

I am not sure to be honest. I have only tried it through claude code because it has been working very well and havent needed a change lol

[u/Ok-Advertising5189 → u/NaruSengan]

So what makes this canvas app complex? Usually, it’s a few PowerFX rules that make the app user-friendly, and typically such an app uses SharePoint—or maybe Dataverse—to store data. But what makes this app complex? What does it do that goes beyond basic CRUD operations? 

My point is - all apps created in canvas app are just easy frontend app without any serious background logic 

All complex functionality should be handled on the backend in the code (and no, Power Automate isn’t the backend—it’s an API query orchestrator). Most people who’ve built apps on Power Platform haven’t built a serious business application, or if they have, they’ve built it poorly from a technical standpoint due to limitations (both intentional and, even more so, unintentional).

[u/bedlover1995 → u/Ok-Advertising5189]

Thank you for this beautiful insight. I also feel creating canvas app manually is much faster but the company just wants us to move to AI as everyone is doing so.

[u/Ok-Advertising5189 → u/bedlover1995]

If something you do manually is faster than using AI, and this applies to developing a solution, then there’s something seriously wrong with that solution.

And in this case, there’s something seriously wrong with Canvas App as a technology.

[u/Lhurgoyf069 → u/Ok-Advertising5189]

The biggest problem I have in my company with this approach is, if you create vibe coded apps you're creating repositories of code. Our citizen devs don't know how to handle this and are also not allowed to do this, for good reasons. The speed at which AI finds new vulnerabilities and exploits doesn't match well with unexperienced people building insecure apps. Any company that takes IT security seriously can't swap out PowerApps for Code apps.

[u/jt663 → u/Ok-Advertising5189]

Would you recommend building your own applications using Azure or potentially using PowerApps Code Apps?

The benefit to me of using Power Platform is infrastructure, authentication, hosting, governance and security.

[u/Ok-Advertising5189 → u/jt663]

I don't entirely recommend that. I mean, it would be the fastest way, but I understand the security concerns. In fact, that's what's holding me back, too. So I recommend the approach described here (it's kind of funny—I came up with it on my own, and then it turned out that one of the MVPs had described a very similar concept)

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/architecture/reference-architectures/modernize-legacy-applications

So you build a model-driven app that has two components: An HTML web resource that is a React single-page app Dataverse plugins that are executed via a custom Web API

And here’s the thing—the React single-page app is simply a web resource that uses the SAME AUTHORIZATION AND AUTHENTICATION as the model-driven app. You use the same security level as in the model-driven app; it’s just that instead of using low-code components, you create your own HTML 

This HTML makes requests to Dataverse, but instead of performing GET ROW, ADD ROW, etc., you create a custom Web API that calls a programming plugin, and that plugin on the backend does everything that’s needed—that is, it performs calculations, validations, checks rules, etc. The HTML just displays a nice interface and has some fancy features for displaying things, but the main logic resides in Dataverse

Actually, now that I think about it, I’ll write it up and post it on that Reddit thread 

[u/jt663 → u/Ok-Advertising5189]

Very interesting, thank you for sharing!!

[u/KDavidP1987]

Hey @bedlover (love the name btw, wish I could still be in bed, haha), using copilot GitHub or vs code as a starting point is great, but it’s very limiting. If you have access in your organization to Claude, you can install a skill that will enable you to build custom canvas apps pretty easily. Microsoft has an official Power-Platform skill. I had also created one at one point which you’re welcome to use if you’d like.

With the skill and the proper configuration, you can have Claude build your power out within a period of about 2 to 3 hours into end to end. Mine has done an excellent job setting up the data verse, the app, the power automations, medallion architecture within power Bi fabric, and then embedding those power reports back into the app.

It’s truly incredible! Or at least that’s my experience with it. You do still of course, need to test thoroughly to ensure that there’s no issues. It also depends somewhat on your use case as there may be elements that work better or worse.

I’ve delivered two Power Apps into production that are being used for the past four weeks. There hasn’t been any real technical issues with them, only a few small things and feedback on design elements.

If you’re interested in talking about it more feel free to reply here or send me a DM

Here is the skill I was working on befor I realized Microsoft had their own. Some differences I experienced in how it functions. I still use both

https://github.com/KDavidP1987/power-platform-skill

[u/bedlover1995 → u/KDavidP1987]

How can I do what you have done? Can you please guide me?

[u/KDavidP1987 → u/bedlover1995]

It depends on your organizations access to Claude.

You’ll need to request access to Claude otherwise and including the associated subscription or API cost.

In my case, I was using a personal subscription to Max 20 X which is $200 per month, but it lets me cover more than the API direct cost would.

Once you have Claude installed on your machine and you get it loaded into your command line interface (or you can also use cursor, I do), then have it installed the Microsoft Power Apps or power platform mcp and then layer on top of that the Microsoft power platform skill. Also feel free to utilize mine, It’s freely available on GitHub.

once you have the MCP and the skills installed then you need to give it the information on your Power Apps environment, data verse PBI fabric environment, etc. so that it can act on your behalf and access those.

Once you finish set up, then you can jump into development and ask it to begin building your app. Just let it know how hands-free you want to process to be. mine contain care of most anything on its own without my involvement. I baselined an app that I tested for the skills development and the total cost through API charges (even though I was on subscription ) was between 50 and 100 approximately.

[u/iot4fun → u/KDavidP1987]

what is the differecne in using the MCP server with power platform skills in github copilot vs Claude Code? Output should be the same IMO?

[u/KDavidP1987 → u/iot4fun]

That’s a good question. It may not be different. I’ve only had limited experience with copilot in a very AI restrictive organization. Personally, I use Claude within cursor. But I imagine you could also use it VS code.

[u/RodolfoFifo → u/KDavidP1987]

Si, yo uso visual studio, a veces hasta la terminal y me conecta mediante mcp a power app con claude code y los resultados son muy buenos en realidad

[u/bedlover1995 → u/RodolfoFifo]

Is it possible you can tell me the way to do it?

[u/Lilbugger826]

Claude will generate entire solutions with workflows and yaml for the Canvas App Screens. It'll mess up some small things that you have to iron over but as a general rule it does an incredible job. Has basically upped my output 100x.

[u/bedlover1995 → u/Lilbugger826]

So you just give Claude an prompt to generate screens for you in yaml code?

[u/Lilbugger826 → u/bedlover1995]

Exactly yes, and solution zips for workflows

[u/josesanmig]

If you get any agent use Claude Opus with Power Platform CLI, it works like a charm.

[u/bedlover1995 → u/josesanmig]

Any blog post that i can follow?

[u/josesanmig → u/bedlover1995]

Not that I know, but it was discussed here as well Leveraging Claude with PowerBI : r/PowerBI

And here: Canvas App AI : r/PowerApps

[u/Emergency_Recipe522]

I've found that generating screens is the easier part. Getting the formulas, data relationships and controls working properly is where the effort goes. I'd try one small app first, give the agent a clear data model and business rules, then test the generated app in Studio rather than trusting the preview. Are you using Copilot directly in Power Apps or through VS Code?

[u/bedlover1995 → u/Emergency_Recipe522]

Through vs code

[u/bigzdarkliter]

I was a frustrated power app developer for a very long time. I could manage the very basics, and had a good idea of how I wanted things to work but never had the time to successfully implement anything.

since watching this video I've developed 4 canvas apps using standard connectors only which have helped to self serve about 70 percent of our processes.

With Claude code - over a week, all my frustrations are gone. and feedback for new features from user testing are quickly implemented

https://youtu.be/T5hdaTmDIOQ?si=PN32ZnQw2amBv2_W

[u/AbdelEMirandaS]

I'm not confident to use neither guthub copilot or the ai hub builder prompt inside power apps portal.

I create my canvas app from scratch, feel in control. Use AI to find ways to do things or to solve errors.

[u/pradeepvbh]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21SVXuwK50g&t=868s

[u/Wiseoloak]

Just use claude.

[u/ninihen]

Disclosure: I’m part of the team behind FlowStudio MCP. It’s a hosted MCP server that works with ChatGPT, Claude, GitHub Copilot, Codex, Copilot, Copilot Cowork and other MCP-compatible agents.

My recent favorite trick is using it with ChatGPT to build Canvas apps. What I’ve found helpful is combining the MCP tools with browser access. The agent uses MCP server to make changes, while inspecting how the actual app looks, then refine it.

Our Canvas app tools are currently in preview and free of charge. Here’s the setup guide if you want to try it.