If you’re ready to level up your PowerApps game, you’re in the right place. Today, we’re breaking down how to build a content submission form using PowerApps. We’ll cover a few essential tips, including how to use modern controls for seamless navigation and tackle issues like the SharePoint People Picker bug. This is part of a series, so get ready for a deep dive into creating smooth, data-driven apps that look great and run efficiently.

Building the Content Submission Form Using a Gallery

The first step in our app? Setting up a gallery to display content submissions. A gallery in PowerApps is a list view where users can see all of their submissions, filtered by different criteria. For this app:

• Custom filters: We’re allowing users to sort and filter submissions based on variables like approval status or priorities (high, medium, low, etc.).
• Dynamic user view: Not all users are the same. Admins may want to see all submissions, while regular users will only be able to view their own. We’ll set that up with conditional formatting.

This makes the app not only useful but also personalized—no need for users to sift through irrelevant data.

Creating Modern Tab Controls for an Enhanced User Experience

Modern tabs make user interfaces more intuitive. In this app, we’ll use tabs to show different sets of data without cluttering the screen.

For example:

• Admins will be able to check submission details, access attachments, and leave approval notes within the app.
• Tabs will dynamically show or hide certain data based on user interaction, like whether a submission is in “pending” or “approved” status.

This tab feature is a powerful tool for organizing large chunks of information and keeps things clean and easy to navigate.

The Power Automate Integration: Approvals Workflow

After building the main interface, we’ll bolster functionality with Power Automate for approvals. While we won’t cover the full details here, know that the form is linked to a two-stage approval workflow:

1. Initial Review: First-round approvals get notifications directly in their inbox.
2. Final Sign-Off: After the approval stage, another notification goes out, letting everyone know the submission is done.

If you’re working in a collaborative environment, this is an essential step. The trigger for these notifications and approval processes ensures that everything moves forward without needing to constantly follow up manually.

Unlocking New Levels of Control with Modern Buttons

Modern PowerApps buttons come loaded with new customization options. Microsoft recently rolled out a feature that lets you add icons directly into buttons. Want an “Add” button with a plus symbol? No problem. You can dynamically set buttons to display an icon before, after, or without text.

In this app’s case:

• Sort icons change dynamically. For instance, if users sort by a column, the button will use up/down arrows, but if not, it’ll show a neutral double arrow.
• This functionality makes the user experience more intuitive, communicating how the data is being manipulated with just a glance.

So whether your user is viewing, adding, or sorting, the interface always provides a clear and engaging experience.

Modern Forms: Streamlined User Input

Modern forms in PowerApps drive the main data input in our app, though there are some kinks. Specifically, you’ll run into trouble with SharePoint People Picker not working in certain situations. Fortunately, there’s a quick workaround: Use classic forms to handle the People Picker issues.

Example: Working Around the People Picker Problem

Here’s how we do it:

• First, bring in a classic form to ensure the People Picker fields function correctly.
• Copy the combo box from the classic form.
• Paste it into the modern form to get both the advantages of modern design and the correct functionality for the People Picker.

This workaround allows continued use of the sleek modern form while maintaining necessary functionality.

Rich Text Editing in Modern Forms

Another often-requested feature is rich text editing. While older forms in PowerApps allow users to input rich text out of the box, modern forms don’t support that functionality yet.

Again, we have a solution:

• Simply replace modern multi-line text boxes with a classic rich text input control.
• You’ll need to update the form’s data card settings to support the HTML text input.

Once set up, users can input rich text right into the modern form, without clunky workarounds in user experience.

Modern Tabs in Action: Dynamic Data Display

The modern tab controls go beyond just showing separate sections. With the right code, you can tie each tab to specific containers of information, such as submission details, attachments, and approval status.

Here’s the beauty of the system:

• Tab-based visibility: Each tab shows or hides containers of data depending on user selection. Admins might see everything, while regular users only see their part of the process.
• This gives you a single screen as a source of truth, instead of bouncing between multiple screens.

PowerApps has made this process much simpler by allowing us to ditch the use of buttons and manipulate tabs natively.

Wrapping Up: What’s Next?

We covered some heavy yet essential groundwork here, including modern form controls, tab navigation, and solving SharePoint-integrated issues like the People Picker bug. What’s next in this series?

We’ll dive into filtering galleries with modern controls, applying approvals, and fine-tuning those dynamic buttons we briefly mentioned earlier. By the time we’re done, you’ll have a fully functioning content submission flow that’s both polished and powerful.

If this all sounds exciting, keep an eye on the next part of the series! And don’t forget to share this post with your team or friends working on PowerApps. Your feedback and questions could shape our next demo, so drop a comment if you’re curious about anything we’ve covered.