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Error handling in Power Apps is one of those topics everyone knows they should care about… but very few people actually implement well. Most apps rely on a red error bar, maybe a Notify(), and then hope the user doesn’t notice when something quietly fails like below. BTW - How is it that users manage to not see that big pink bar? It happens so often and breaks my brain, Power Apps errors are often not secrets. Anyway, the built in Power Apps error handling works right up until your app is in production, users are clicking fast, data isn’t perfect, permissions change, or a flow decides to fail on a random Tuesday afternoon. I don't know why it is always Tuesday, but it is. If you are building Power Apps that real people depend on, you need a real error handling strategy. Not something fancy. Not something over-engineered. Just something... that works. This post walks you through a practical approach to Power Apps error handling, by showing you three tools every app builder should know: IfError to catch errors you expect OnError to catch errors you didn’t expect And how to add logging so you don’t lose errors if they happen Why error handling in Power Apps matters Power Apps will happily let your app continue running even when something fails. A Patch can fail. A flow can fail. A connector call can fail. Sometimes you get a red bar. Sometimes you get nothing. Either way, your app often keeps going like everything is fine. One of the biggest mistakes I see here, is when you Patch and Navigate. If you just separate the two functions with a ; then Power Apps will take them to the next screen no matter how loudly Patch screams. Below is the most common way we see it written OnSelect for a button. That’s the dangerous part. Without error handling: Users don’t know their action failed Data doesn’t save the way you think it did You have no idea something broke until someone emails you Reproducing bugs becomes guesswork Good error handling isn’t about preventing errors. It’s about detecting them, responding appropriately, and giving yourself enough information to fix them later. (But of course, writing formulas without errors is always a good idea also) Catching expected errors with IfError The first layer of Power Apps error handling should always be IfError. IfError is designed for situations where you already know something might fail. Common examples include: Patch operations Collect or Remove calls Submitting data to SharePoint or Dataverse Calling a Power Automate flow Writing to a data source with required columns or permissions IfError does not fix anything, it simply gives you control when something goes wrong. Check out the example below: This tries a Patch. If the Patch fails then it triggers a variable that makes a giant error screen shows up and it uses a User Defined Function to save the error details to your error logging table. If the Patch works, it navigates to the next screen as expected. The key idea is this: if you can predict that an operation might fail, wrap it in IfError and decide what should happen next. That might mean: Showing a friendly message to the user Logging the error Preventing the user from navigating away Retrying the operation What you should not do is let the app fail silently and hope the red bar is enough. You want to create a Handled Error . This means that instead of letting Power Apps just fail and deal with it, you say if this error happens, then handle it like so. Check out the video on the Power FX IfError function to see in detail how to use the function. Catching unexpected errors with OnError Even if you are disciplined about using IfError, you will miss things and end up with UnHandled Errors . Large apps have lots of formulas, screens, controls, and connectors. Some errors only show up at runtime. Others happen before your variables finish loading. That’s where the Power Apps property App.OnError comes in. OnError is global. It fires when an unhandled error occurs. Think of it as a safety net, not a replacement for IfError. This is especially useful for things like: Runtime formula errors Connector timing issues Noisy errors from connectors like Office 365 profile calls that briefly fail and then succeed A great real-world example is Office 365 user profile calls. Many apps briefly throw an error while profile data is loading, even though everything works a moment later. UGH. Wrapping every single call in IfError is messy and repetitive. Using OnError gives you a single place to suppress or handle that noise intelligently. The important rule here is intent. OnError is not for ignoring real failures. It is for catching things you didn’t plan for or filtering out errors that are not actionable. Important: OnError is not a function, it is a property of the App object that runs when an Error occurs. As seen above, what you do inside of there is up to you. You can do everything from reinvent the error message screen, to logging, or even suppressing. The world is your oyster. To see OnError in action check out this video H andling the unexpected errors in Power Apps with OnError . Do you have errors in your Power Apps and need a helping hand? Hit the Contact button and let us know. We are happy to give you a nudge, hop on a screen share, or do the whole project. Understanding Errors and FirstError Power Apps gives you two related tools for viewing error details that often get mixed up: Errors() and FirstError. Errors() is tied to a specific data source. It returns a table of errors from the most recent operation against that source. This is useful when you know exactly what failed and want detailed information. Use it with IfError. FirstError is global. It does not require a data source. It works with App.OnError and in situations where you don’t know what just failed, only that something did. Understanding this distinction alone clears up a lot of confusion around Power Apps error handling. Each is shown in the related video for IfError or OnError. FirstError has the most details but sadly doesn't work with IfError. Logging errors so you don’t lose them Catching errors is only half the job. If you never see them again, you’re still guessing. This is where logging comes in. A simple SharePoint list is more than enough for most apps. You don’t need a monitoring platform. You don’t need dashboards on day one. You just need a place to write errors down. At a minimum, logging should capture: What app the error came from What screen it happened on What control or action triggered it The error message itself SharePoint already tracks who created the record and when, so you get user and timestamp data for free. Once you are logging errors, notifications become optional. An email when something critical fails can be helpful, but the real value is having a history you can review later. If you want to get real fancy, then check this out. An example of using a User Defined Function (UDF) for the error logging: By using a UDF you make the error handling easy to reuse throughout the app. Also, in this example, it has logic to suppress multiple error messages. Not saying suppression is a good idea, but sometimes it is a necessary evil until you get things sorted. In the third video of the series, I show how to log errors to SharePoint and optionally send an Outlook email, using a reusable User Defined Function so the same logic works from IfError, OnError, or both. Video: Power Apps Error Logging and Notifications Why this layered approach works The mistake most people make is looking for a single “error handling solution” in Power Apps. There isn’t one. Instead, think in layers: IfError for expected failures OnError for unexpected or noisy failures Logging so nothing disappears Each layer does one job. Together, they make your apps more reliable, easier to debug, and far less stressful to support. Final thoughts Power Apps error handling doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be intentional. If you only rely on the red error bar, your app is lying to you. If you never log errors, you are flying blind. The good news is that a small amount of structure goes a long way. Once you start thinking about failure paths instead of just success paths, the quality of your apps improves fast. If you want to see these patterns implemented step by step, there are three companion videos that walk through use the links to the specific videos above, or you can use the whole Power Apps Error Handling playlist . That’s how you stop guessing, stop losing errors, and start building Power Apps that behave like real production apps.

If you are using Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central , you already have a powerful ERP that sits inside the Microsoft ecosystem.  That is both a blessing and a trap.  Because Business Central integrates so well with Microsoft tools, it is tempting to customize it heavily. Before long, finance teams end up managing workflows, forms, approvals, and reporting inside the ERP that were never meant to live there.  This is where the Microsoft Power Platform comes in. Not to replace Business Central or turn it into a low-code playground, but to extend it in the right places.  What you’ll learn in this article: When to extend Business Central instead of customizing it How Power Apps improves processes for non-ERP users Why Power Automate is better for complex approvals How Power BI and Microsoft Fabric improve ERP reporting How to reduce upgrade risk while improving visibility   The Guiding Principle  Business Central should remain the system of record for financials and operations.  The Power Platform should handle:  User interaction  Workflow and approvals  Automation across systems  Analytics and visibility  When each tool stays in its lane, Business Central stays stable and scalable.    Use Power Apps for Processes That Involve Non-ERP Users  One of the most common mistakes we see is forcing everyone into Business Central.  Not everyone needs ERP access. In fact, many people should not have it.   Using Power Apps , teams build lightweight apps for things like:  Purchase requests  Vendor intake  Expense submissions  Project or job setup requests  Customer-facing forms  These apps collect clean, structured data and apply business rules before anything touches Business Central.  Finance teams stop fixing inputs. Business Central stays cleaner. Users get a simpler experience that does not require ERP training.    Handle Approvals With Power Automate, Not Custom Logic in Business Central  Business Central has approval capabilities, but they can become complex quickly when approval paths vary by amount, department, or role.  With Power Automate , approvals can be handled outside the ERP while still integrating cleanly with it.  Common scenarios include:  Multi-level approvals based on dollar thresholds  Conditional routing based on department or job  Escalations when approvals stall  Full audit trails with timestamps and comments  The result is stronger controls without cluttering Business Central with workflow logic that is hard to maintain.    Automate Integrations Instead of Building Everything Inside Business Central  Business Central often sits at the center of many systems.  CRM, time tracking, payroll, support platforms, and project tools all need to interact with it.  Rather than embedding custom integrations directly into Business Central, Power Automate is often the better integration layer.  Examples we see frequently:  Syncing customers and jobs from CRM  Bringing approved time and expenses into Business Central  Pushing status updates back to teams  Coordinating data flow across multiple systems  This approach keeps Business Central focused on core ERP functions and reduces upgrade and maintenance risk.    Use Power BI to Make Business Central Data Easier to Consume  Business Central has reporting, but most leaders want answers, not ERP screens.  With Power BI , Business Central data can be turned into dashboards that show:  Budget versus actuals  Job or project profitability  Revenue and margin trends  Cash flow visibility  Security can be applied so users only see what they should. Finance teams spend less time exporting data and more time analyzing it.    Where Microsoft Fabric Fits In  As reporting and data needs grow, some organizations hit the limits of direct ERP reporting.  This is where Microsoft Fabric becomes a strong addition.  Fabric allows Business Central data to be combined with data from other systems in a centralized analytics layer.  This is especially valuable when teams want to:  Analyze multi-year history  Combine financial and operational data  Answer cross-system questions about profitability or performance  Standardize reporting across departments  Business Central remains the system of record. Fabric becomes the analytics foundation.    When to Extend Business Central vs Customize It  A good rule of thumb we share with clients is this:  Customize Business Central when the logic is core to accounting or operations. Extend with Power Platform when the logic is about people, process, or visibility.  Examples that belong outside Business Central:  Intake forms  Department-specific workflows  Cross-system approvals  Executive reporting  Examples that belong inside Business Central:  Core posting logic  Financial controls  ERP-native configuration  This balance keeps Business Central maintainable long term.    The Bottom Line  Business Central works best when it is not asked to do everything.  By using the Power Platform and Microsoft Fabric around it, organizations get:  Better user experiences  Cleaner data  Stronger controls  Better insight  Less risk during upgrades  Business Central stays stable. The business stays flexible.    Want Help Extending Business Central the Right Way?  At PowerApps911, we help teams use the Power Platform and Microsoft Fabric to extend Business Central without turning the ERP into a bottleneck.  If you are debating customization, struggling with approvals, or trying to get better insight out of your Business Central data, we can help you map a safer, more scalable approach.  👉 Reach out to talk through your use case or start with a small pilot that actually solves a real problem.

What you’ll learn in this article: How to extend Sage Intacct without risky customizations Where Power Apps fit into finance and accounting workflows How Power Automate improves approvals and integrations How Power BI makes Sage Intacct data easier to understand Why this approach improves controls without slowing the business If you are using Sage Intacct, your accounting system is probably doing its job well.  What usually is not working as well are the processes around it.  Purchase requests arrive by email. Approvals get lost in inboxes. Data is incomplete by the time it reaches accounting. Finance teams spend more time fixing inputs than reviewing results.  This is where the Microsoft Power Platform fits in. Not by replacing Sage Intacct or heavily customizing it, but by handling the workflows, automation, and visibility Sage was never designed to own.  Below are examples of how organizations use the Power Platform to integrate with and extend Sage Intacct safely.    Use Power Apps to Clean Up Data Before It Reaches Sage Intacct  One of the most effective ways to improve Sage Intacct is to stop bad data from getting there in the first place.  Using Power Apps, teams build simple apps for things like:  Purchase requests  Vendor onboarding  Project setup  Expense submissions  These apps enforce required fields, validation rules, and business logic before accounting ever sees the data.  The result is fewer corrections, fewer back-and-forth emails, and much cleaner records inside Sage Intacct.    Replace Email Approvals With Automated, Auditable Workflows  Approval workflows are one of the most common customization requests we hear from Sage Intacct users.  Email works until someone needs an audit trail.  With Power Automate, approval processes can be automated based on:  Dollar thresholds  Department or cost center  Project or customer  Role or responsibility  Approvals are logged, time-stamped, and tied back to the original request. Sage Intacct stays clean, and finance gets stronger controls without slowing the business down.    Automate Integrations Without Heavy Sage Customization  Many organizations assume that integrating Sage Intacct requires deep customization inside the platform. In practice, it is often safer to automate around it.  Common examples include:  Approved purchase requests creating records in Sage Intacct  Customer and project data syncing from CRM  Approved time and expense data flowing into accounting  Status updates flowing back to business users  Power Automate acts as the integration layer so systems stay in sync without creating fragile custom logic inside Sage.    Use Power BI to Make Sage Intacct Data Easier to Understand  Executives and managers often need financial insight but do not want direct access to Sage Intacct.  With Power BI, Sage data can be surfaced in dashboards that show:  Budget versus actuals  Project profitability  Revenue trends  Cash flow visibility  Security can be applied so leaders only see what they should. Finance teams stop exporting spreadsheets and answering the same questions every month.    Monitor Exceptions Instead of Reviewing Everything  Another powerful use of the Power Platform is exception monitoring.  Rather than reviewing every transaction, you can flag only the ones that need attention, such as:  Spend outside policy  Missing required dimensions  Thresholds exceeded  Unusual patterns worth reviewing  This allows finance teams to focus on risk and oversight while keeping Sage Intacct compliant and defensible.    Why This Approach Works for Sage Intacct Users  Sage Intacct is very good at accounting. It does not need to be your intake system, approval engine, or reporting portal for the entire organization.  Using the Power Platform around Sage Intacct helps you:  Reduce manual work  Improve data quality  Strengthen internal controls  Increase visibility for leadership  Avoid risky customizations  Accounting stays accounting, and the business moves faster.    The Bottom Line  If you are asking how to customize Sage Intacct, the better question is often how to support it.  When Sage Intacct holds the financial truth, and the Power Platform handles interaction, automation, and insight, both systems do what they do best.  That is where we see teams finally move out of spreadsheet chaos and into something scalable.    Want Help Designing This the Right Way?  At PowerApps911, we help teams use the Microsoft Power Platform to integrate with systems like Sage Intacct without breaking accounting or governance.  If you are considering automation, approvals, reporting, or integrations around Sage Intacct and want to do it safely, we can help you map the right approach before anything gets built.  Reach out to talk through your use case or start with a small pilot that actually solves a real finance problem.

Howdy! A lot has changed over the last year in the Power Apps and Power Automate world, and most of it has been driven by AI. As we head into 2026, a lot of teams are asking the same questions: Are we behind? Are we over-investing? Are we focusing on the right things? That’s exactly why I put this together. Before I share my take on where things are heading, I want your help, and in return, I want to give you something genuinely useful. I created a short survey (about 5–10 minutes) to capture what’s really happening inside organizations right now: what people are actually using, what they’re struggling with, and where they plan to invest next. If you fill it out and choose to leave your email, you’ll get a copy of the full results once the survey closes. That means real data you can use to sanity-check your plans, justify decisions, or simply see how your Power Platform and Copilot usage compares to companies like yours. The more people who participate, the more valuable the insights become. I’ll aggregate the responses into a single report and also break down the findings in a follow-up blog post and YouTube video, calling out the trends, surprises, and gaps I see across the community. Alright, with that context set, here’s how I see 2026 shaping up. AI Prompts will lead the way AI Prompts in Power Apps and Power Automate work well and they’re easy to use. I think 2026 is the year the light bulb really comes on for a lot of people. Prompts are a low-risk, low-friction way to start using AI without having to go all in. Things like augmenting user input, extracting information from emails or files, generating summaries, charts, or documents… these are practical, approachable use cases. They deliver value quickly, and they don’t require rethinking your entire solution. Power Apps won’t change much and that’s a good thing Over the last year, the core Power Apps experience, especially Canvas Apps, didn’t change dramatically. We saw incremental improvements, Copilot added in more places, and continued work on modern controls, but nothing earth-shattering. That’s not a bad thing. Stability is a win. There are millions of apps running today and moving away from “change for the sake of change” makes the platform more reliable for everyone. This doesn’t mean Power Apps or Power Automate are going away. They’ve just reached a more mature, steady state. Anyone claiming they’re being replaced or phased out is missing the bigger picture: For many, they are the pathway to bringing AI to their business. Copilot Studio usage will take off Not in a dramatic explosion way, but in adoption. The demand for agents is very real. A lot of people are asking questions, experimenting, and watching from the sidelines. I think many of them are about to jump in. The good news is that if you already know Power Apps and Power Automate, you know most of what you need to get started with Copilot Studio. You’re already 70–75% of the way there. This is a huge opportunity to lead agent adoption inside your organization. There’s a reason I spent a large chunk of last year focused on agents. They’re coming and being ready matters. Code-first and vibe-style apps are interesting… but still a question mark Microsoft has invested heavily in things like Vibe apps, generative pages, and more code-forward approaches inside the Power Platform. They’re impressive and they open new doors, but they’re also different enough that it’s not totally clear where they’ll land long term. I’ve built some cool demos with them and they work really well. The open question for me is adoption. Will someone in Finance actually open a tool and say “build me an app that does X”? Maybe. And if they do, I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised. I’m just not convinced that’s the common path... yet. The number of apps and flows will continue to grow I see this happening for two main reasons. First, the rise of AI tools is making more people think, “Hey, maybe I can build something myself.” When they hit the question of where to build, many will realize that low-code tools like Power Apps are easier, faster, and safer than spinning up custom code somewhere else. Second, we’re seeing it firsthand with customers who come to us asking about agents. When we dig into their actual business problem, the solution often includes an app, a flow, or both. Agents are powerful, but they don’t replace everything. Data entry is still easiest in a form. Processing emails, extracting information, and notifying people is still a great fit for flows. In many cases, adding AI to an existing app or flow delivers more value than building a fully autonomous agent right now. The short version I expect investment in Power Apps and Power Automate to increase in 2026. Some projects slowed down in 2025 while people waited to see if AI would magically solve everything. Now that expectations are more realistic, it’s clear that AI helps, but apps and flows are still the best way to solve a lot of real-world problems. That combination is going to lead to a burst of new solutions this year. Your turn If you want real-world context instead of guesses, take a few minutes to fill out the survey and opt in for the results. You’ll see what tools others are actually using, where teams are investing, and how your plans compare to organizations dealing with the same challenges you are. And, if you look at the results and realize you need help turning plans into working apps, flows, or agents, that Contact button at the top of the page is an easy next step. No pressure, just a conversation if you need it.

If you’re trying to build a workflow and find yourself asking “Should I use Power Automate or Copilot Studio for this?”, you’re not alone. This is one of the most common questions people have right now. Power Automate cloud flows have been the standard for years. Then Copilot Studio introduced Agent Flows, and suddenly we have two workflow tools that look almost identical but behave a little differently under the hood. So, in this post, I am going to help you break down the confusion. To put simply, they are 98% the same but the key difference are: Licensing - Credits vs direct license Human in the loop features Express Mode Below I will break down all of the details about Power Automate vs Copilot Studio flows for you. But if you are more interested in seeing and details about Agent flows vs Cloud flows then check out the video: Real World - Cloud Flows vs Agent Flows What are Power Automate Cloud Flows? Power Automate cloud flows are Microsoft’s original workflow engine in the Power Platform. A cloud flow is built around a trigger and one or more actions. Something happens, the flow wakes up, and automation takes over. Triggers can include emails, SharePoint changes, Power Apps buttons, scheduled jobs, or external system events. Once triggered, cloud flows can connect to hundreds of services using thousands of connectors. Cloud flows are extremely flexible and are used to automate everything from simple notifications to complex, multi-system business processes. This is the workflow tool most organizations are already using today. What is Copilot Studio Agent Flows? Copilot Studio Agent Flows are workflows built inside Copilot Studio. At first glance, they look exactly like Power Automate cloud flows. That’s because they’re based on the same underlying flow engine and designer. The easiest way to think about Agent Flows is this: Microsoft forked cloud flows and started adding new AI-focused capabilities specifically for agents. About 98% of what you can do in a cloud flow can also be done in an agent flow. The real difference is not basic automation, but where Microsoft is investing in AI-driven workflow features. Want to learn how to build Agent flows? Check out our Copilot Studio training course . What are the key differences? Human in the loop actions Agent Flows introduce new human-in-the-loop actions that don’t exist in traditional Power Automate cloud flows. One example is Request for Information , which allows a flow to pause, send an email, collect structured responses directly from that email, and then continue execution. Agent Flows also support multi-stage approvals with AI stages . These AI stages can reason over data instead of blindly following a predefined approval chain. This enables scenarios like auto-approving low-risk requests, escalating exceptions, or analyzing content before deciding what happens next. Express Mode Agent Flows also introduce Express Mode, which is designed to speed up workflow execution. This matters most when flows are triggered by Copilot Studio agents, since those calls have a two-minute execution limit. Express Mode helps AI-heavy or compute-intensive flows complete more reliably within that window. While still evolving, Express Mode is another signal that Agent Flows are being optimized for AI-first scenarios. Licensing Licensing is the biggest practical difference between Power Automate cloud flows and Copilot Studio Agent Flows. Cloud flows are licensed through user plans, per-flow plans, or process licenses depending on how they’re built and shared. Agent Flows are licensed entirely through Copilot credit consumption. There are no user licenses tied to the flow itself. If it’s an agent flow, it consumes Copilot credits. One important detail: you can convert a cloud flow into an agent flow, but that change is permanent. There is no way to convert an agent flow back into a cloud flow. Final thoughts Power Automate cloud flows and Copilot Studio Agent Flows solve many of the same problems using the same building blocks. For most scenarios, either tool will work. The decision comes down to whether you need agent-specific AI features, whether Copilot credit-based licensing makes more sense, and whether the workflow is part of a broader agent strategy. You don’t need to change everything today. But understanding the difference now will help you design smarter, more future-proof solutions as AI becomes a bigger part of how workflows operate. If we can help you with this decision or you need someone to build it for you let us know, we are experts at this stuff and happy to help. Just click the Contact Us button and lets get your workflows working!

If you missed Microsoft Ignite this year, don’t worry, you’re about to get caught up on all the biggest news that actually matters for your Power Apps and Copilot journey. Ignite was absolutely packed with announcements, but instead of reading a 200-page Book of News, you’re going to get the highlights in a nice, easy walkthrough. This is also available in Video and Newsletter format. We are trying to give you as many options as possible for keeping up with the constant onslaught of news. 🙂 Alright, let’s dig in. What Is Agent 365? Microsoft loves the word “Agent” so much that they created a whole new umbrella concept called Agent 365. It’s not a product, instead think of it as a marketing family for every new tool, server, or framework related to agents inside Microsoft 365. At a high level, Agent 365 treats AI agents like coworkers. They have identities. They have permissions. They have audit trails. And they help you get rid of repetitive, boring tasks. If you’re an IT admin, developer, or maker, this shift will matter a lot. Key points you should know: • Agents can be managed almost like users. They can have Exchange mailboxes, access SharePoint sites, and be assigned permissions. • New MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers remove many of the complex steps we used to do manually in Copilot Studio tools. • A brand-new Agents panel is coming to admin.microsoft.com so you can manage agents in one place. • Every agent has a unique ID, with full auditing of what they touched, viewed, or updated. Office MCP Servers For Agent developers, the MCP servers are a big deal. Instead of wiring up 10–12 tools to talk to SharePoint or Outlook, you can now drop in a single “SharePoint MCP Server” and immediately say things like “Create a list” or “Update this file.” It drastically lowers friction. This is one that has me very excited. Making it easier to build Agents. It was the first thing I tried in their announcements. Below are just a few of the new Frontier MCP servers. I am certain they will get their own video soon. Introducing Work IQ Work IQ is one of the sleeper announcements that will become extremely important over the next year. Work IQ is a blend of Graph API intelligence and AI intelligence rolled into one. It understands: • Who you work with • What department you’re in • What types of documents you create • What processes you repeat • What tasks you struggle with This context powers Microsoft’s new application-level agents in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and beyond. It also becomes something Copilot Studio agent developers will be able to tap into. If you’re building custom agents, Work IQ will help those agents feel far more “aware” and useful. Vibe Power Apps – A Brand-New Way to Build Apps One of the biggest surprises is Vibe Power Apps, available at vibe.powerapps.com . For the first time in years, we have a new app type in Power Apps to join Canvas apps and Model-driven apps. These “Vibe Apps” are built completely with your words. You describe what you want: “Build me an app to track customer issues with severity, status, and history.” And Power Apps generates: • Data tables in Dataverse • Relationships • A full UI • Hundreds of lines of React code Then you validate the structure, tweak anything you want using natural language, and publish. The app below was built from one sentence. This isn’t just a toy—it’s a serious new app creation path that lowers the barrier even further for new makers. If you want to see this one in Action, check out the full Vibe Coding Power Apps video . App Builder Agent and Workflows Agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot A couple weeks before Ignite, Microsoft announced two more powerful agents inside Microsoft 365 Copilot: • App Builder Agent • Workflows Agent These let everyday users build apps and workflows directly inside Microsoft 365—no Power Apps studio required. They use the same vibe-coding engine as Vibe Power Apps, but inside Outlook, Teams, or Office.com . This is the “starter path” for millions of people who don’t even know Power Apps exists yet. Once they outgrow the lightweight apps, they can move into full Power Apps. You can see each of these in action with App Builder Agent video and Workflows Agent video . Application Agents in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint This is where Ignite delivered some real wow moments. Microsoft is embedding agents directly inside Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. With deep knowledge of your organization, your processes, and your files. Think of this as having an Excel analysts or Power Point Ninja at your fingertips. If you saw the example from the video version of the news show, an Excel agent took a badly structured dataset and, in a few minutes, rebuilt it into a clean table, added formulas, summarized the data, and generated multiple charts. This was work that normally takes hours. I basically did nothing. Word Agent can draft structured documents like statements of work or contracts, based on your organization’s past patterns. And PowerPoint Agent can turn rough ideas into polished slide decks that don’t look like they were made in kindergarten. This: Becomes: These are the agents that will introduce AI to everyday users long before they touch Copilot Studio. SharePoint and OneDrive News (Or Lack Thereof) SharePoint and OneDrive were not major stars of Ignite this year. The focus was almost entirely on Copilot and agents. What did appear: • SharePoint Knowledge Agent updates (mostly things already announced earlier in the year) • Metadata reasoning improvements (the agent can now understand metadata, not just create it) • OneDrive referenced mainly as the storage location for agent outputs There were no big UI updates, no major new collaboration features, and no headline overhauls. Microsoft’s energy is clearly going into making SharePoint the backend intelligence layer for AI, rather than delivering new front-end features. The New Copilot Retrieval API in Microsoft Graph This announcement happened right before Ignite and it’s one of the most important developer updates. Microsoft added a new endpoint to Graph: POST /copilot/retrieval This lets you call the same retrieval engine used by Microsoft 365 Copilot to query SharePoint, OneDrive, and Copilot Connector content using natural language. Instead of building your own index or writing complex search code, you can now send a simple natural language request: “Find all safety policy updates in SharePoint from the past year.” And the API returns: • Extracts from documents • Relevance scores • Metadata • Links to the source files This is one of those features that seems small but is going to enable a whole new class of apps and agents. Final Thoughts Microsoft Ignite 2025 made one thing extremely clear: we’ve officially entered the era where everything is an agent. Power Apps, Microsoft 365, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and even the Graph API are becoming agent-enabled. Whether you’re a Power Apps maker, a consultant, or an IT admin, you’re going to be working with agents more and more. And that’s a good thing because these tools remove complexity and get real work done. If you find this update helpful, you can get it emailed to you every time we post directly. Just add yourself to the newsletter here . And if you need help implementing any of this, remember your friends here at PowerApps911. We can do everything from a 30-minute consultant to a 30-year full project. You just let us know with the Contact Us button.

Welcome to the very first edition of Copilot Weekly , your quick rundown of all the important Microsoft AI and Power Platform updates from the past week. Each week we’ll spend about 5–10 minutes cutting through the noise and highlighting the things you actually care about. Let’s jump right in. Also available on YouTube or via Newsletter . 1. SharePoint Knowledge Agents + Metadata Tags Microsoft has announced SharePoint Knowledge Agents . These agents can help with metadata tagging, understanding your SharePoint sites, and providing richer context around your projects. The bigger deal here is a smaller note tucked into the announcement: starting in October, metadata tags on documents will finally be usable in AI responses . That means SharePoint won’t just look at the content of the document—it will also understand the metadata columns you’ve applied. This is a major improvement for anyone who’s been frustrated that AI could only “see” half the picture. Read more 2. Anthropic added to Copilot Researcher and Studio Microsoft announced last week that you will be able to start using Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1 within the Copilot ecosystem. The first places they show up are with the Researcher Agent in Copilot Chat and as a model for Copilot Studio. Personally I am not sure what to make of this announcement given Microsoft's OpenAI relationship, so will be fun to see play out. Also, as you check this out remember that the Anthropic models are considered "external models" so the data protection story is different. Also, your administrators will have to enable this one to show up. Read more 3. AI Prompts Get Generative Code If you’re not using AI Prompts  yet in Power Apps, Power Automate, or Copilot Studio, you’re falling behind. AI Prompts let you throw data, inputs, or even context at Copilot and have it generate text, tables, or knowledge for you. The latest update adds Generative Code  support. This means prompts can now generate their own code—opening up possibilities like dynamically creating files, images, and even charts. Video demo of AI Prompt to create Dynamic Charts in Power Apps 4. Computer Use in Copilot Studio (Power Automate Desktop) Copilot Studio can now take advantage of Power Automate Desktop  for what Microsoft calls Computer Use . Think of this as RPA (robotic process automation) powered by AI. You can train an agent to open an old-school desktop app, click buttons, fill out forms, and submit info—just like a human would. This is huge for organizations still relying on legacy systems. Read more 5. GPT-5 Is Showing Up Everywhere Not new, just a reminder that Microsoft has (finally) started rolling out GPT-5  as an option in more tools. You’ll now see it in: Copilot Chat AI Prompts Copilot Studio agents If you had mixed results with GPT-4/4.1 before, it’s worth testing GPT-5 for potentially better performance. 6. Microsoft Copilot Agents in Office Apps for Everyone Previously, you needed premium licenses to use Copilot agents in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Microsoft is now rolling these out more broadly across all M365 users . This gives everyone the “first layer” of AI support inside the apps, though you’ll still need premium licenses for advanced features like full semantic search or deeper integrations. Read more 7. Agent Builder → Copilot Studio Lite Microsoft can’t resist a rename. Agent Builder  in M365 Copilot has now been rebranded as Copilot Studio Lite . Functionality hasn’t really changed—it’s mostly a terminology shift—but expect to see this new name going forward. 8. Messages → Credits in Copilot Studio Another terminology update: what used to be called messages in Copilot Studio is now credits . This lines up better with how licensing is structured and should make more sense when you’re planning usage. At the same time, Microsoft made a few small licensing adjustments to the M365 Copilot license. Read more 9. M365 Copilot License Value Expanding Finally, Microsoft continues to add more and more functionality to the $30 per user/month M365 Copilot license . If you looked at it a few months ago and weren’t sure it was worth it, it may be time to revisit. More integrations and features are being tied directly to this license, making it the de facto entry point for many organizations exploring AI. Want to be notified every time we update the Copilot News? If you enjoyed this recap and want these updates delivered directly to your inbox each week, sign up for my free newsletter here: Fancy Newsletter Link You’ll get a summary of all the updates, with direct links to Microsoft announcements and resources. Wrapping Up the Copilot News That’s it for this week’s roundup. SharePoint Knowledge Agents, AI Prompts with Generative Code, Copilot Studio Lite, licensing changes, and more. If you have thoughts on how this could improve will are all ears, just hit the Contact us button. Keeping up is hard, we are hoping to make it easier.

App Builder agent is the new tool from Microsoft to turn your words into a fully working app meant to allow anyone who understands their business needs to build an app. We used to call those people “Information Workers” but today we just call them everyone. Are you everyone? Then you can also build apps. This tool is 100% targeted at non-technical people that are looking to build personal productivity apps for themselves or a small team. Think of it as a replacement for those Excel based solutions you build today more than a replacement fully developed Power Apps. Now speaking of Power Apps, the whole reason I am so interested in these apps is they are built in React (some programming language but we don't care) using the Power Apps framework. That is pretty cool. So, you can have the stability and security of the Power Apps framework from an app that you "vibe coded". This is the same framework that full stack developers are now calling Code Apps. Not important to us other than to note this is taking advantage of the Power Apps world that we already know and trust. Build an App using App Builder Agent Building an app is as easy as getting the Agent, telling it what you want, letting the Agent do all of the hard work of figuring out how to turn your idea into an app, then the Agent creates the SharePoint lists you need to store data, and finally builds the app. You can then test out the app and provide feedback or ask for changes. It really is that easy. Now there is one licensing note here, the App Builder Agent is part of Microsoft 365 Copilot, not Power Platform when it comes to licensing. That means in order to use the tool you must have that $30 per month M365 Copilot license. The same license that lights up Work chat, Copilot in your office clients, and a whole bunch of Copilot Studio scenarios is what allows you to use App Builder and the recently announced Workflows agent . They continue to really drive value in that license. Accessing App Builder To get started with the App Builder Agent navigate to https://m365.cloud.microsoft/chat and on the left click on All Agents. Please note, this feature may not be available yet in your region. From the All Agents screen click on the search Bar and enter App Builder. You may or may not see (Frontier) after it. That is just a reminder this is still early preview. Now click on the Agent and Click Add or Open if you had previously installed the Agent. You are now ready to build your own custom app with your words. Telling the Agent what to build via your prompt From the Home Screen of App Builder enter a prompt. It could be as simple as “Build me an app to track Incidents”. That is enough to start the process. As you build more of them, you will want to learn to write better first prompts. Why? The better your initial prompt is, the less work you will have to do with the follow-up language to get it to where you want it. Also, today it creates the SharePoint structure based on your first prompt. So, you need to get that right from the start. Below is the prompt I used to build this demo. Now if you are reading that and going  “Oh my gosh! I could never write anything that detailed”. Don’t worry, neither could I. What I did was went to regular Copilot and said “I want to build an Incident Reporting app using App Builder. Help me create a detailed first prompt”. Copilot wrote me close to what you see below, I then tweaked it to be exactly what I wanted, and then gave it to App Builder. Cheat code! My Prompt : Create an app called "Incident Report Six" for reporting workplace incidents. Data Storage: -Create a SharePoint list named "Incident Reports" to store all submitted incidents. User Flow: -Start with a Welcome Screen that offers two options: -- Start a New Incident Report -- View Existing Incident Reports New Incident Report Form: -Allow users to select from predefined incident categories (e.g., Safety, Security, Equipment Failure, etc.). -Allow users to select severity levels (e.g., Low, Medium, High, Critical). -Provide fields for: --Incident description --Witness statements --Uploading photos or attachments Submission Flow: -After submitting the report, show a confirmation message. -Include a button to return to the Welcome Screen. Viewing Reports: -From the Welcome Screen, allow users to view a list of previously submitted incident reports from the SharePoint list. Check out your new App After giving the prompt, it went and did some thinking and built my app. You can kind of watch the process via the high level bullets it provides. Looks like my app got built in 16 steps, and it does take a few minutes to run. Once it is finished, the agent provides you with details and a link to the supporting SharePoint list where your data is stored. Make sure you keep the link to the SharePoint list, as it is hard to find later as of right now. That is it, your app is ready. Click on the app icon and see what you got. Looks like an app to me. Now keep in mind the process isn't meant to just work in one go. For me, this looks great, but when I clicked on Start New Incident Report, the screen was blank. Boo! No worries, tell the agent and let it fix it for you. Boom! Fixed. I then filled out the incident report, and it was submitted without issue. I even went and confirmed it was saved to my SharePoint list. Pretty awesome. Now at this point you and the agent can continue to work together to make the changes you want. Maybe you want the viewing incidents to have search and filter. Maybe you want the app to have a retro 8-bit vibe or use Unicorn gradients. If you want it, just ask your agent. Publish and Share your agent Now that you are happy with your app, it is time to release it into the world. You can keep it for just yourself or share it. First thing you want to do is click Update in the top right corner. That is your publish button for making the version you have been working on, the version that is used. Then you can use the Share icon to Copy the link or Share. If you copy the link, you get the usual Office sharing experience. Anyone in your organization that you give the link can view the agent. Or if you hit Share, then you can specify the person(s) that you want to have access. The sharing experience you should be used to in the M365 ecosystem. Finally, if you just want to use your agent later. Then you will return to App Builder, this is where you will see all of your agents that you can use or continue to edit. Things to keep in mind This is early release. So probably shouldn't be building production things with it yet. But you should be trying it out. It will evolve quickly. You have to have that M365 Copilot license to use it. I am also unsure when it will be in what regions, but hopefully you get it soon. In the demo I showed saving files. I am not sure that actually works, I have asked Microsoft for feedback and will update when I know more. My agents says they work but I can't open them and I am skeptical. No, this isn't a replacement for the Power Apps you build today. It is a tool to let others build simple apps. Don't be threatened by it, embrace the empowering nature. Wrapping it up Now anyone can build their own personal productivity app while still having the hosting and security of the Power Apps framework. That is really awesome in my book. I expect this to evolve a lot, and quickly so keep an eye on it. "Vibe coding" has come to M365 agents. And speaking of changing quickly. How are you doing with this whole AI and Copilot world? If you need help or training then hit that Contact button. We can help! We have been teaching classes, mentoring people, and building agents for them and we can do the same for you. Let us help you make the transition to bringing AI to your org. Everything from these App Builder and Workflow agents to full on Autonomous Copilot Studio Agents, we got your back!

If you’ve ever wanted to automate tasks in Microsoft 365 without diving all the way into Power Automate, the new Workflows Agent  might just be your new best friend. It’s basically Power Automate Light. A simple, conversational way to build workflows right inside Microsoft 365 Copilot. It’s still early days (think “Frontier” preview), but you can already see how this feature is going to change the way everyday users create automation. If you are more of a hands-on learner, then check out the quick YouTube video I made: Workflows Agent Explained . What Is the Workflows Agent? The Workflows Agent  is Microsoft’s new way to build automations right inside Microsoft 365 Copilot.  No Power Automate designer, no connectors, no complicated setup screens. You just describe what you want to happen in plain English, and Copilot handles the rest. Think of it like Power Automate with an AI assistant . You might say something like, “When I get an email from my manager, summarize it and post it in Teams.” Copilot then figures out how to make it happen. It sets up the triggers, picks the right connectors, and even handles the logic for you. This is a big deal because it makes automation accessible to everyone , not just the folks who already know how to build flows. It’s designed for anyone who wants to save time, streamline repetitive tasks, or experiment with automation; all without ever leaving Microsoft 365. So, in short: Workflows Agent brings the magic of automation to everyone . It’s early, it’s evolving, but it’s a glimpse into how AI and automation are going to work hand in hand moving forward. How to access the Workflows Agent The agent is part of M365 Copilot, and you access the same way you do your other agents. From https://m365.cloud.microsoft/chat click All Agents and then search for Workflows. If you don't see the Agent, it could be blocked by your administrator or you don't have the required license. You have to have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license to use this Agent. Building Your First Workflow Let’s look at how easy it is to build something from scratch. In Copilot, type something like: Every time I get an email from chewy, read it and send back a thoughtful reply that includes a dog joke. That’s it. No clicking through menus or dragging connectors. Just tell it what to do, hit Enter, and watch Copilot build it out. It’ll automatically recognize that you’re talking about email, set up a trigger for messages from that sender, use AI to generate the reply, and even add an action to send the email back. Below is an example of what that prompt builds. It gives you insight but there is nothing to configure or modify. The Workflows Agent did all of the work. Once it’s created, click Save , then hit the Test  button to see it in action. When the test runs, you’ll see each step: Trigger, AI analysis, and Reply with green check marks if successful. Watching the Workflow Run When the Workflow runs, you can track its progress in real time similar to Power Automate’s run history view. You’ll see when the trigger fires, when AI prompts are processed, and whether the email was sent successfully. It’s worth noting that because this is still a preview, you’ll sometimes get random errors. Don’t panic! Just re-run the test, and most of the time, it works the second go-around. Creating More Complex Workflows The best part about the Workflows Agent is that you can describe just about any automation you’d normally build in Power Automate but in natural language. Here are a few examples I’ve tested: Recurring Flow Example “Every weekday at 8:00 AM, create a new item in the SharePoint list called Employees, then post a summary message in Teams.” This automatically builds a recurring workflow, creates the SharePoint item, and posts in chat. Pro tip: Use the site URL  instead of the site name, it works better. SharePoint + Planner Example “When a new item is created in the SharePoint list Employees, email the creator’s manager, CC me, and create a Planner task to review it.” The Workflows Agent will even ask clarifying questions if it needs more info: like whether it should trigger on “Created” or “Created or Modified.” Planner Automation Example If you include details like the planner group name and plan name, it’ll automatically create the task in the right spot. Otherwise, it tries to guess and sometimes gets it right! What Works (and What Doesn’t Yet) Here’s a quick summary of what Microsoft currently supports with the Workflows Agent: Outlook:  Sending, reading, and replying to emails. Teams:  Posting messages (Adaptive Cards still don’t work for me). SharePoint:  Creating and reading list items. Planner:  Creating tasks and assigning users. Dataverse:  Works with AI prompts User Profile:  Finding managers and related org data. Remember: this tool is still in Frontier  mode. Which means it’s very early. It’s not a full replacement for Power Automate. You can’t edit steps, add conditions, or chain multiple complex branches. It’s meant for lightweight, conversational automation; the kind your users could build in under a minute. Where Does It Fit With Power Automate? You might be wondering: “Do I even need Power Automate anymore?” The short answer is yes . Workflows Agent is perfect for simple, AI-driven automations , but Power Automate still shines when you need fine-tuned control, approvals, loops, custom connectors, or integrations with on-prem systems. Think of it this way: Workflows Agent  = “Hey Copilot, automate this small thing for me.” Power Automate  = “I need a full-blown process with logging, conditions, and approvals.” But there are some direct connections. You’ll find your created Workflows by going to Power Automate > My Flows > Generative Actions . Why It Matters This is a glimpse into the future of automation. One where you describe the what , and AI handles the how . Workflows Agent will empower a whole new group of users who’ve never touched Power Automate before. And for those of us who’ve been automating for years, it’s another powerful tool in the toolbox. One that can handle small, repetitive tasks without breaking stride. And don't be jealous, if an agent can build a workflow in 30 seconds you weren't really providing value building it over the course of week for someone. Be happy to let go of the simple work. Final Thoughts Workflows Agent is one of the most interesting developments in Microsoft 365 Copilot yet. It’s early, sometimes buggy, but clearly the direction Microsoft is going. If you want to stay ahead of these changes, or need help incorporating AI and automation into your business, that’s what my team at PowerApps911 does every day. We teach Copilot, Copilot Studio, Power Apps, Power Automate, AI Builder, and more. Just hit the Contact Us button and let us know what we can do for you.

One of my favorite things we do at PowerApps911 is our annual internal competition, Buddy’s Bark Tank, where teams build creative solutions to real company challenges. AI has shown up in past projects, but this year we made it a requirement. Why? These projects move the company forward, strengthen our team, and fuel learning. We are ALWAYS learning over here, and the best way to do that is by building something real. You push yourself to figure out the solution, and we’d rather our consultants take those first tries on internal projects, not your production app. And boy, did we learn some things! First, a little about each of the five projects: Shane’s YouTube Agent This tool was built to solve a very common question: “Which of Shane’s YouTube videos talks about _____?” This team built a Copilot Studio Agent that accesses the transcripts of ALL of Shane’s YouTube videos. And since it’s AI, you don’t need to worry about exact keyword matching. No more posts on Teams with “Hey, does anyone remember which video Shane talks about cascading drop-downs?” Nope, just go to the Copilot Agent, type your question, and get an answer! This solution is being used internally now, but we can see a few people being interested in it. 😊Check out all the tech used in it! Project Task Tracking Organizing tasks, change requests, and bugs on projects with external clients can be time-consuming and messy. This tool fixes that, and not only does it fix it, but AI also analyzes the meeting transcripts and suggests tasks based on items discussed in the meeting. The project manager reviews the suggestions and adds them to the project task board. Tasks can also be added manually by the project team, and customers have external access to see status and submit tasks, bugs, and change requests. We need to implement a few features and do some internal testing, but we cannot wait to start using this with our customers! Quoting Oh man, quoting is a task that in all my years in consulting, I’ve never heard anyone excited to do. This team decided to tackle some of the challenges. Using machine learning, this solution extracted build details from previous statements of work (unstructured data), compared estimates to actuals in our timesheets, and then used that data to generate a quote for new work. It even creates a draft of the statement of work based on that data. All consulting companies need something like this! Here is a sample of the setup for the simple statement of work output: Marketing Data Fabric Project One team used Fabric, Fabric Agents, and machine learning to bring together data from all over our company to make better marketing decisions. This project pulls data from our CRM, QuickBooks, timesheets, ActiveCampaign, LinkedIn, Thinkific, and more into a single Lakehouse to help us make better decisions. The Fabric Agent makes it easy to ask questions and get insights from all that data using natural language, turning complex analytics into quick, actionable answers. Buddy’s Wag Wallet  We love what we do, and we want to celebrate that. Buddy’s Wag Wallet is a solution for company praise. Points can be awarded and redeemed in the company rewards center. There’s even a fun AI tool that uses image generation and modification to create and modify a Buddy image the team can show off in the app. This tool was built using Dataverse, Model-Driven App, Canvas Apps, Power Automate,  Power BI, and AI. It’s not quite ready for release, but it was a fun showcase of what’s possible. These projects all have big impact potential, and even if they never make it to production, the lessons learned were invaluable. Of course, the team learned a bunch of new nuances to building in these tools, but even more importantly, they started to demystify the costs associated with these tools. That learning led us to put guardrails in our own Microsoft 365 environment, the same kind of guardrails you might want to reach out to us about setting up in yours. You know, so you don’t use 1.5 million AI Builder credits when your subscription is for 20,000. We love sharing what our team learns because it often sparks great ideas for others. Contact Us and let us know what it inspired for you!

Welcome back to the Copilot News Show , A quick, executive level look at what’s new across Copilot with a focus on M365 and Power Platform. This time, Shane and Todd are back to tag-team the latest updates, jokes included. Let’s jump right in! 1. AI Builder Credits Are Going Away Big change first: AI Builder credits are being retired. Starting November 1 , you’ll no longer be able to buy AI Builder credits. If you currently have them, you can keep purchasing for another year, but eventually they’ll be replaced by Copilot Credits  (formerly “messages”). That means all your Power Apps, Power Automate, and AI Prompts scenarios that relied on AI Builder credits will move to the new Copilot credit system. Licensing will evolve quickly, so keep an eye on those updates. 2. New Copilot Features in OneDrive OneDrive just got a major Copilot upgrade and it’s a good one. A new floating Copilot agent  now appears across the OneDrive web app, desktop, and mobile. It includes built-in prompts like: Summarize selected files (1–5 files at a time) Compare documents Create a fact sheet or summary You can also open a prompt box  to give Copilot your own commands. But the coolest feature? You can tell Copilot to create an audio summary  or even a podcast-style conversation  about a document. Two AI-generated voices discuss your file like a mini news show. Hopefully it isn't better than our show. 3. Agent Flows + Human in the Loop Agent Flows  are here and they’re the next evolution of Power Automate Cloud Flows inside of Copilot Studio . These flows are designed to support the new “human in the loop”  model. That means AI-driven workflows can now pause and ask for input or validation before taking action. Two examples: Requests for Information:  send questions via Outlook, users fill them out, and responses go straight back into the flow. AI Approvals:  define approval criteria (like “deny all Todd requests”) and let AI handle automatic decisions when conditions are met. These new actions are only available in Agent Flows, not in Cloud Flows via Power Automate, so might be time to look harder there. 4. Vibe Working in Excel Meet Vibe Working , the latest AI experiment in Excel Frontier builds . And maybe a ridiculous name? It’s an agent mode inside Excel: you can ask it to build pivot tables, forecasts, dashboards, and even executive summaries automatically. Just describe what you need (“Create a forecast and executive dashboard from this sales data”) and Copilot does the rest. Right now, it’s rolling out through add-ins  and may require the Frontier rollout  to enable. Word is next on the roadmap. This feature kind of blew our minds on our first test, can't wait to see where it goes. Quick demo in the video version of this update linked at the bottom. 5. Flow Builder in Copilot Chat Now this one’s wild: Flow Builder  has arrived inside Copilot Chat . It lets you create Power Automate flows using just natural language — no setup, no manual steps. Example: “Every time I get an email from Todd, delete it and reply with ‘I can’t stand you.’” Two minutes later it is done. It understood context, built the flow, and deployed it. Flow Builder is included with M365 Copilot licensing , so go experiment (maybe with something friendlier than Shane’s example). 6. New Microsoft App Logos For the first time in seven years, Microsoft Office apps are getting new logos. They look a lot like the old ones, just rounder. So get ready for the inevitable support calls when users think Word or Outlook “disappeared” from their desktops. 7. M365 Premium = Personal + Copilot Pro Microsoft quietly merged M365 Personal/Family  with Copilot Pro  into one subscription: M365 Premium . If you use the consumer side of Microsoft 365, this combo offers better pricing and access to Copilot tools. Business users won’t notice a change, but for home use, it’s worth checking out. Watch the Full Episode Want to hear Shane and Todd banter their way through all of this? Watch the full Copilot News Show #2  here: Copilot News Get the Newsletter Prefer your Copilot updates in writing? Sign up for our free newsletter and get each new post (and all the official links) delivered straight to your inbox. Copilot Newsletter Sign Up Wrapping Up From AI Builder’s retirement to OneDrive’s new Copilot podcast mode, Microsoft’s AI story keeps moving fast. Whenever there’s a full basket of Copilot goodness, we’ll drop another show and blog post to keep you in the loop. Until then, happy prompting!

“We were drowning in PDFs.” That’s how one of our clients described their process before coming to us. Every time they needed information from a customer, whether it was a form to fill out, a document to sign, or a status update to share, they sent an email. Sometimes it included an Excel sheet. Sometimes it was a PDF. And sometimes, the client had to call just to figure out where to send it. It was slow, messy, and left sensitive data scattered across inboxes. Internal teams wasted hours tracking down responses, and customers were left wondering: “Did you get my file?” “Is there a better way to do this?” Like many small and midsize businesses, this client didn’t want to start from scratch or break the bank; they just needed a secure, user-friendly way to exchange data with external users. So we helped them compare two Microsoft tools: Power Pages vs Microsoft Forms.  Here’s what we found. Power Pages vs Microsoft Forms: A Practical Guide Data Collection & Interaction Microsoft Forms: Best for quick, one-way data collection like surveys or basic forms. It’s simple and stored in Excel or SharePoint. Forms don’t allow users to interact with your data after submitting. Power Pages: If you are looking for a two-sided conversation where users submit, update, and get data, Power Pages might be the better fit. Built for external data interaction, Power Pages allows you to create secure, public-facing websites where external users can view, edit, or submit data. It’s ideal for scenarios like partner portals, customer service sites, or registration systems. Lookup and Dropdown Flexibility (referencing other data) Microsoft Forms: Every reference you make in a form (choices and dropdown fields) is configured directly in Forms. If you update your list of options anywhere else, you must also update it in your form because there is no dynamic connection to other data sources. Power Pages: Uses Dataverse to pull real-time data into dropdowns. Add a product list? Done. Update service options? Instantly reflected. Attachments Microsoft Forms: Microsoft Forms currently only supports collecting attachments from internal users. Attachments from external users are not supported. Power Pages: Users can upload and download documents via a Power Pages portal. Data Sources & Security Microsoft Forms: Data is stored in Excel or SharePoint by default. Both sources are great if you have a simple security model or are working with a simple data structure. If you require a more robust data source, you will need to either manually transfer data from Forms or automate the process. Power Pages: Built on Dataverse, which is a robust data platform. Dataverse supports advanced data modeling and security. You can also connect Power Pages to external data sources using Virtual Tables or APIs. Licensing Microsoft Forms: Included with most Microsoft 365 subscriptions, there’s no additional cost, making it a budget-friendly option for basic data collection. Power Pages: Power Pages requires additional licenses based on your expected site traffic. Admins will also require a Power Apps per-app or premium license to access and maintain the underlying Dataverse solution. This cost reflects its advanced capabilities and scalability of solutions in this environment. Our Recommendation In this client’s case, Power Pages was the clear winner. They needed more than just a form; they needed a secure, branded space where customers could upload files, check the status of their requests, and interact with the business without ever touching the internal system. Microsoft Forms simply couldn’t support that level of interaction or security. That’s the key distinction. If you just need to gather a few fields of information quickly, Microsoft Forms is a solid, low-effort choice. But if your process involves sharing files, managing access for external users, or handling sensitive data with care, Power Pages gives you the structure, security, and scalability to get it right. Both tools have their place, but if your story sounds anything like the one above, chances are Power Pages is the better fit. Key Takeaway Microsoft Forms is great for quick, low-effort data collection, but Power Pages delivers when you need secure, interactive, and scalable solutions. The right tool depends on whether you just need answers or a true two-way digital experience. Ready to see how Power Pages could transform your processes? Reach out to our team and we’ll help you get started.