Build a Data Request Tracker

Build a canvas app in Power Apps to track data requests with Dataverse.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

Every team has that one person who gets flooded with data requests. Without a system to track them, requests get buried in email threads and people keep asking "where's my report?"

In this project, you will build a Data Request Tracker app in Power Apps. The app lets operations teams log incoming data requests, search by requester name, and track each one from initial request to completion.

What You'll Build

You open the finished app in your browser, see every data request listed by priority, type a name to filter the list instantly, and tap any request to view or update its details.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

A working browse screen where you type a requester's name and the gallery filters instantly, or click a sort icon to flip the order.
Detail and new-request screens with forms connected to Dataverse, letting you view, edit, or create any request without leaving the app.
Hands-on experience writing Power Fx formulas that you can walk an interviewer through line by line.
Secret Mission: A dynamic status summary label showing live counts of new, in-progress, and completed requests at the top of your screen.

Do I need anything before starting?

You need a school email address backed by Microsoft Entra ID. This gives you free access to the Power Apps Developer Plan, which includes everything you need for this project at no cost.

You will also need a web browser and a stable internet connection. No software installs required.

Before We Start

Before we dive in, let's lock in what you're about to build and why it matters for your interview preparation.

Set Up Your Power Apps Environment

Power Apps needs a development environment before you can build anything. Your school email gives you free access through the Developer Plan.

In this step, you will sign up for the plan and confirm that Dataverse (the database that stores your app's data) is ready to use.

In this step, get ready to:

Sign up for the Power Apps Developer Plan using your school email.
Confirm your developer environment is provisioned with Dataverse.

Sign in to the Power Apps Developer Plan

The Power Apps Developer Plan gives you a free environment for building and testing apps. It requires a work or school email backed by Microsoft Entra ID. Personal email accounts (Gmail, Outlook.com) will not work.

Open your browser and navigate to the Power Apps Developer Plan sign-up page.
Enter your school email address when prompted and follow the sign-up steps.
After sign-up completes, you are redirected to make.powerapps.com.
Look in the top-right corner of the screen for the environment name. It is named something like "[Your Name]'s environment".
If it shows a different environment (such as your school's default), click the environment picker in the top-right corner and switch to your developer environment.

You should now see the Power Apps home page with your developer environment name displayed in the top-right corner.

What is the Power Apps Developer Plan?

The Developer Plan gives you a personal environment with full Power Apps and Dataverse access for free. It is meant for development and testing, not production.

As long as you use it at least once every 30 days, the environment stays active.

Can't complete sign-up?

Make sure you are using your school email, not a personal account like Gmail or Outlook.com. Personal accounts cannot sign up for the Developer Plan.
Your school's admin may have blocked sign-ups. If this happens, contact your school IT department or create a test tenant through the Microsoft 365 Developer Program.
It may take a couple of minutes for the environment to be provisioned. If you do not see it immediately, wait and refresh the page.

Still stuck? Why can't I sign up for the Power Apps Developer Plan with my school email?

Verify Dataverse is available

Dataverse is the cloud database that stores your app's data in tables. Before building your app, you need to confirm it is provisioned in your developer environment.

In the left navigation pane, select Tables.
If Tables is not visible in the left pane, select ...More and then select Tables from there.

Before you check the results, what do you expect to see here if Dataverse is working?

You should see a list of standard Dataverse tables (such as Account and Contact) displayed under the Recommended tab. These built-in tables confirm that Dataverse is provisioned and ready for your custom table.

What are these standard tables?

Dataverse comes with standard tables designed to capture common business concepts. Tables like Account and Contact model customers and people.

You will not use them directly in this project, but seeing them confirms your database is ready. In the next step, you will create your own custom table to store data requests.

Not seeing any tables?

Make sure your developer environment is selected in the top-right environment picker. If you are in a different environment, Dataverse may not be provisioned there.
Your environment may still be provisioning. Wait a few minutes and refresh the page.
If you see a message about Dataverse not being available, try signing out and signing back in.

Still stuck? Help me troubleshoot why I can't see Dataverse tables in my Power Apps developer environment.

Your development environment is ready. Next up, you will create a custom Dataverse table to model your data requests.

Create Your Data Request Table in Dataverse

Your development environment is ready. Now it's time to design the data model that powers your entire app.

A well-structured data model is the foundation of any Power Apps solution. Interviewers value seeing that you understand data modeling with proper column types, not just app building.

In this step, get ready to:

Create a custom Dataverse table to hold data requests.
Add six columns with appropriate data types for each field.
Populate the table with sample data for testing.

Create the Data Request table

Every app needs a place to store its data. In Dataverse, that place is a table. You'll create a custom table specifically designed to track incoming data analysis requests.

In the left navigation pane of make.powerapps.com, select Tables.
On the command bar, select New table.
Select Set advanced properties.
Set Display name to Data Request.
Set Plural display name to Data Requests.
Set Description to Tracks incoming data analysis requests from business teams.
Leave Primary column Display name as the default (Name). This column holds the request title.
Select Save.

After saving, Dataverse creates the table and takes you to the table hub. You should see the table name displayed at the top of the page.

What is a Dataverse table?

A Dataverse table is like a spreadsheet in a database. Each table stores a specific type of record (in this case, data requests), and each column defines a field on that record.

Unlike a basic Excel file, Dataverse enforces data types, supports relationships between tables, and handles security at the row level. This is why enterprise Power Apps use Dataverse instead of SharePoint lists or Excel files.

Add custom columns to the table

Your table currently only has the default Name column. You need six more columns to capture the full picture of each data request.

In the table hub, select the + New column button in the table columns area.
Set Display name to Requester.
Set Data type to Single line of text.
Select Save.

You should see the Requester column appear in your table's column list. This confirms the process works.

How do Choice columns work?

For the next columns, you'll use the Choice data type instead of text. A Choice column gives users a dropdown menu of predefined options to pick from. This keeps data consistent (no one types "hi priority" when you meant "High").

When you select Choice as the data type, you'll see a Sync this choice with area. Select + New choice to create a fresh set of options, enter each label, then save the choice set. After saving, select it from the dropdown and save the column.

Now add the remaining five columns one at a time by selecting + New column after each:

Display name: Request Type, Data type: Choice. Under Sync this choice with, select + New choice, then add these labels: Data Extract, Ad Hoc Report, List Pull, Trend Analysis. Save the choice set, select it from the dropdown, then save the column.
Display name: Priority, Data type: Choice. Create a new choice with labels: Low, Medium, High. Save the choice set, select it, then save the column.
Display name: Status, Data type: Choice. Create a new choice with labels: New, In Progress, Completed. Save the choice set, select it, then save the column.
Display name: Due Date, Data type: Date only. Save the column.
Display name: Data Source, Data type: Choice. Create a new choice with labels: SAP, Oracle, Excel, SQL Server. Save the choice set, select it, then save the column.

After adding all five, you should now see six custom columns in your table alongside the default Name column.

Don't see all six columns?

Make sure you selected Save after each column. If you navigated away from the New column pane without saving, the column was not created.

For Choice columns, make sure you saved the choice set first (inside the + New choice pane), then selected it from the Sync this choice with dropdown before saving the column itself.

Still stuck? Help me troubleshoot my missing Dataverse columns.

Add sample data to the table

Your table structure is complete. Now you'll add a few sample rows so you have real data to work with when building the app screens.

In the table columns and data area at the bottom of the table hub, click + New row.
Fill in the row with: Name = Monthly usage extract, Requester = Sarah Chen, Request Type = Data Extract, Priority = High, Status = New.
Add a second row: Name = Q3 sales trend report, Requester = Marcus Johnson, Request Type = Trend Analysis, Priority = Medium, Status = In Progress.
Add a third row: Name = Active vendor list pull, Requester = Priya Patel, Request Type = List Pull, Priority = Low, Status = Completed.
Add a fourth row: Name = Regional outage ad hoc, Requester = Sarah Chen, Request Type = Ad Hoc Report, Priority = High, Status = New.

Mix your statuses and priorities

Use different combinations of Status and Priority across your sample rows. This makes it much easier to test search and sort features later in the project.

Before moving on, take a moment to predict what you expect to see in the table. Do you think all four rows will display with the correct dropdown values?

Look at the data grid at the bottom of the table hub. You should see all four rows listed with their Name, Requester, and choice values filled in correctly.

Rows not showing choice values?

If a Choice column shows blank for a row, click into that cell and select the correct value from the dropdown. Sometimes the inline editor requires you to click the cell before it registers the selection.

Need help? My sample data rows aren't displaying correctly in Dataverse.

Your data model is complete. You have a properly structured Dataverse table with typed columns and real data to work with. Next up, you'll build the app screen that displays these requests in a browsable gallery.

Build the Browse Screen

Your Data Request table is ready with columns and sample data. Now it's time to build the actual app that your team will interact with.

The browse screen is the first thing a user sees when they open the app. You'll create a canvas app and use a gallery control to display your data requests in a scannable list.

In this step, get ready to:

Create a blank canvas app in Power Apps Studio.
Connect a gallery to your Data Requests table.
Add a title label to complete the browse screen layout.

Create a blank canvas app

A canvas app gives you full control over the screen layout, controls, and formulas. You'll start from a blank canvas so you can learn each building block.

In the left navigation pane of make.powerapps.com, select Create.
Select Create from blank.
In the dialog that appears, choose Tablet size.
Enter Data Request Tracker as the app name.
Select Create.

Power Apps Studio opens with a blank screen called Screen1. This is your app editor where you'll add controls and formulas.

What is Power Apps Studio?

Power Apps Studio is the browser-based editor where you build canvas apps. The left pane shows the Tree view (all your screens and controls), the center is the canvas where you arrange controls visually, and the right pane shows properties for whatever is selected.

In the Tree view on the left, hover over Screen1 to reveal the overflow menu (the three dots).
Select the three dots, then select Rename.
Type BrowseScreen and press Enter.

The Tree view now shows BrowseScreen as your screen name.

Why rename screens?

Meaningful screen names make your formulas easier to read later. When you write Navigate(BrowseScreen) in a later step, you'll immediately know where it goes.

Connect to your Data Request table and add a gallery

A gallery is a control that displays multiple records from a data source. Each row in the gallery shows one record with the fields you choose.

On the command bar, select + Insert.
Select Vertical gallery.
A data source picker appears. In the search box, type Data Request.
Select your Data Requests table from the results.

The gallery populates with your sample data. You should see rows of text from your table appearing on the canvas.

With the gallery selected, look at the Properties pane on the right side.
Set the Layout dropdown to Title, subtitle, and body.
Select Edit next to Fields.
Set the Title field to Name.
Set the Subtitle field to Requester.
Set the Body field to Status.

Your gallery now shows each data request with its name, who requested it, and its current status.

What is data binding?

When you connect a gallery to a Dataverse table, Power Apps automatically pulls records from that table and displays them. This connection between a control and a data source is called data binding.

Any changes you make to the data (adding rows, editing fields) are reflected in the gallery the next time the app loads.

Don't see your data in the gallery?

Make sure you selected the correct table (Data Requests, not a standard Dataverse table like Account). If the gallery is empty, confirm your table has sample rows by going back to Tables in the left navigation and checking the data.

help me connect my gallery to the Data Requests table

Add a title label

On the command bar, select + Insert.
Select Text label.
Drag the label to position it above the gallery on the canvas.
With the label selected, find the Text property in the formula bar at the top and set it to:

"Data Request Tracker"

In the Properties pane on the right, increase the Font size to 24.
Set the font weight to Bold.

Your browse screen now has a clear title above the gallery. Before you preview, what do you expect to see when you run the app?

Press F5 on your keyboard to preview the app.

You should see your sample data requests listed in the gallery with the request name, requester, and status visible for each item. Press Esc to exit the preview.

Gallery looks blank in preview?

Check that you selected Data Requests (your custom table) as the gallery's data source. Also confirm you added sample rows in Step 2. If the layout looks wrong, re-check that Layout is set to Title, subtitle, and body in the Properties pane.

help me fix my gallery preview

Your browse screen is taking shape. Next up, you'll add search and sort so users can quickly find the request they need.

Add Search and Sort with Power Fx

Your gallery is live and showing all sample data requests. That works great with a few records, but imagine this list growing to 50 or more entries from different business teams.

Without filtering, a user would scroll endlessly to find their request. Power Fx formulas solve this by adding search and sort capabilities directly to the gallery. This is the skill interviewers test when they ask about Power Apps development.

In this step, get ready to:

Add a search input that filters requests by requester name.
Write a Power Fx formula combining Search() and SortByColumns().
Add a sort icon that toggles between ascending and descending order.

Add a search box

The gallery currently shows every record with no way to narrow the list. You need a text input where users can type a requester's name to filter results in real time.

From the + Insert menu on the command bar, select Text input.
Position the text input above the gallery, below the title label.
In the Properties pane on the right, set the HintText property to:

Search by requester name

In the Tree view on the left, click the control name (it defaults to something like TextInput1) and rename it to SearchBox.

You should see a text input control sitting between your title label and the gallery on the canvas.

Don't see the text input on screen?

Make sure you have BrowseScreen selected in the Tree view before inserting. If the control ended up behind the gallery, drag it upward or adjust its Y position in the Properties pane so it sits between the title and the gallery.

Still stuck? Help me position my text input control on the BrowseScreen.

Set the gallery Items formula to enable search and sort

The formula bar is where Power Fx formulas live. You will replace the gallery's default Items formula with one that searches by requester name and sorts results.

Select Gallery1 in the Tree view.
In the formula bar at the top of Power Apps Studio, make sure the property dropdown on the left shows Items.
Select all the existing text in the formula bar and replace it with this formula:

SortByColumns(
    Search('Data Requests', SearchBox.Text, "cr_requester"),
    "cr_name",
    If(SortDescending1, SortOrder.Descending, SortOrder.Ascending)
)

What does this formula do?

Search('Data Requests', SearchBox.Text, "cr_requester") filters the Data Requests table. It returns only rows where the Requester column contains whatever text is typed in the search box.
SortByColumns(...) wraps the search results and sorts them by the Name column.
If(SortDescending1, SortOrder.Descending, SortOrder.Ascending) checks a variable to decide the sort direction. You will create this variable in the next substep.

What are those schema names in quotes?

The column names in quotes (like "cr_requester" and "cr_name") are Dataverse schema names, not display names. Dataverse auto-generates these with a publisher prefix.

Your prefix might be different (like crf8a_ instead of cr_). To find your exact schema name, go back to Tables > Data Request > select the column > look at the Name field under Advanced options.

Before you test, what do you think will happen when you type a name in the search box? Will the gallery update immediately, or will nothing change?

Press F5 to preview your app.
Type the first few letters of a requester name from your sample data into the search box.

The gallery filters in real time. Only requests matching that requester name appear. Press Esc or click the X to exit preview mode.

Gallery showing no results or an error?

Check that your schema name prefix matches your environment. If you see a red error in the formula bar, the column name string is likely wrong. Look up the actual schema name under Advanced options for the Requester and Name columns.
Confirm you renamed the text input to SearchBox. If the formula references SearchBox but your control is still named TextInput1, you will get a name-not-found error.

Help me fix my Search formula. My gallery Items formula is showing an error after I added the Search and SortByColumns formula. Help me debug it.

Add a sort icon

Search narrows the list, but users also need to flip the order. A sort icon lets them toggle between ascending and descending with a single click.

From + Insert, select Icons and choose the Sort icon (up/down arrows).
Position it next to the search box (to the right of SearchBox).
Select the sort icon on the canvas, then in the formula bar make sure the property dropdown shows OnSelect.
Enter this formula for the OnSelect property:

Set(SortDescending1, !SortDescending1)

What does this formula do?

Set() creates or updates a global variable. Each time the icon is clicked, SortDescending1 flips between true and false. The gallery's Items formula reads this variable to decide the sort direction, so the gallery re-sorts automatically.

Before you test, do you think clicking the sort icon will reverse the gallery order immediately, or will you need to refresh?

Press F5 to preview your app.
Type a requester name in the search box and confirm the gallery filters.
Click the sort icon and watch the list reverse order.
Click it again to flip back.
Press Esc to exit preview mode.

Both search and sort work together. Typing a name filters the gallery, and clicking the sort icon toggles the order between ascending and descending.

Sort icon not changing the order?

Make sure the icon's OnSelect property is set (not OnChange or another property). Check the property dropdown in the formula bar.
Confirm your gallery Items formula references SortDescending1 (matching the variable name in the icon's OnSelect exactly).

Help me fix the sort toggle. My sort icon click doesn't change the gallery order. Help me debug the connection between Set(SortDescending1) and my gallery Items formula.

Your browse screen now has real filtering power. Next up, you will build the detail and new request screens so users can view, edit, and create records.

Build the Detail and New Request Screens

Your browse screen lists all requests and lets users search and sort. But listing records is only half the story.

Users need to tap a request to see its full details, edit it, and submit changes back to Dataverse. They also need a way to create brand-new requests. In Power Apps, Edit forms handle both jobs. A single form control can read from and write to your data source depending on which mode it is in.

In this step, get ready to:

Build a detail screen with an edit form that displays a selected request's full information.
Wire gallery navigation so clicking a request opens the detail screen.
Build a new request screen with a form for creating records.

Create the detail screen with an edit form

An Edit form in Power Apps binds to a data source and automatically generates editable field cards for each column you choose. You will create a new screen, drop in an Edit form, point it at your Data Request table, and tell it which record to show.

On the command bar, select New screen > Blank.
In the Tree view on the left, click the new screen's name and rename it to DetailScreen.
From the Insert menu (+ Insert on the command bar), select Edit form.
In the Properties pane on the right, set Data source to Data Requests.

You should see field cards appear inside the form on your canvas. This confirms the form is connected to your table.

Select the form (it will be named Form1 in the Tree view).
In the formula bar at the top, make sure the property dropdown shows Item.
Set the Item property to:

Gallery1.Selected

In the Properties pane, select Edit fields and add these columns: Name, Requester, Request Type, Priority, Status, Due Date, Data Source.

What does the Item property do?

Setting Item to Gallery1.Selected tells the form which record to display. Whichever row the user taps in the gallery becomes the record loaded into this form. The form then shows that record's field values and lets the user edit them.

Now add navigation buttons so the user can go back or save changes.

From Insert, select Icons > Back arrow.
Position the back arrow at the top-left of the screen.
Set its OnSelect property to:

Back()

From Insert, select Button.
Set its Text property to "Save".
Set its OnSelect property to:

SubmitForm(Form1); Back()

What does SubmitForm do?

SubmitForm(Form1) takes whatever the user typed into the form fields and writes those changes back to Dataverse. Because the form is in Edit mode, it updates the existing record rather than creating a new one.

Back() then returns the user to whichever screen they came from (the BrowseScreen).

Don't see Form1 in the Tree view?

Power Apps names controls sequentially. If you deleted and re-added a form, it might be named Form1_1 or Form2. Check the Tree view on the left for the actual name and use that in your formula.

Help me troubleshoot my form name

Wire the gallery to navigate to the detail screen

The detail screen exists but there is no way to reach it yet. You need to tell the gallery what to do when a user clicks a row.

In the Tree view, select BrowseScreen to switch back to it.
Select Gallery1 in the Tree view.
In the formula bar, set the property dropdown to OnSelect.
Set the formula to:

Navigate(DetailScreen)

Before you preview, what do you think will happen when you click a request in the gallery?

Press F5 to preview the app.
Click any request in the gallery.

You land on the DetailScreen and see the selected request's full details populated in the form fields. Click the back arrow to return to the BrowseScreen.

Press Esc or click the X in the top-right to exit preview mode.

Clicking a gallery row does nothing?

Make sure you selected the gallery itself (Gallery1) and not an individual label inside it. Check that the OnSelect property shows Navigate(DetailScreen) in the formula bar.

Also confirm the screen is named exactly DetailScreen (case-sensitive). If you see a red error underline in the formula bar, the screen name does not match.

Help me fix my gallery navigation

Create the new request screen

Users also need a way to add new data requests without leaving the app. You will build a second form screen, but this time set it to New mode so it creates records instead of editing them.

On the command bar, select New screen > Blank.
Rename the screen to NewScreen in the Tree view.
From Insert, select Edit form.
Set its Data source to Data Requests.

The form appears with field cards, just like your detail form. Now set it to create new records.

With the form selected (it should be Form2 in the Tree view), set the property dropdown to DefaultMode.
Set the formula to:

FormMode.New

In the Properties pane, select Edit fields and add the same seven fields: Name, Requester, Request Type, Priority, Status, Due Date, Data Source.

What does FormMode.New do?

When DefaultMode is set to FormMode.New, the form ignores the Item property and starts with blank (default) values. When the user submits this form, Power Fx creates a brand-new record in Dataverse instead of updating an existing one.

Add buttons so users can save or cancel.

From Insert, select Button.
Set its Text to "Save".
Set its OnSelect to:

SubmitForm(Form2); Back()

From Insert, add another Button.
Set its Text to "Cancel".
Set its OnSelect to:

ResetForm(Form2); Back()

Why ResetForm on cancel?

ResetForm(Form2) clears anything the user typed so far and switches the form back to its default state. Without it, half-entered data would linger if the user navigated away and came back.

Finally, add a way to reach this new screen from the BrowseScreen.

In the Tree view, select BrowseScreen.
From Insert, select Icons > Add (the + icon).
Position it near the top-right of the screen (next to the sort icon).
Set its OnSelect property to:

Navigate(NewScreen)

Time to test the full flow. Before you preview, predict what will happen when you click the + icon, fill in a form, and hit Save.

Press F5 to preview.
Click the + icon on the BrowseScreen.
Fill out the form with a new request (for example, Name: Quarterly billing summary, Requester: Alex Chen, Priority: Medium, Status: New).
Click Save.

You are returned to the BrowseScreen and the new request appears in your gallery. Your app now supports viewing, editing, and creating data requests.

New request not showing in the gallery?

Check that the Save button's OnSelect is SubmitForm(Form2); Back() and not just Back(). Without SubmitForm, nothing gets saved to Dataverse.

Also verify the form's DefaultMode is FormMode.New. If it is set to FormMode.Edit, the form tries to update an existing record instead of creating one.

Help me troubleshoot my new request form

Your app now has three working screens connected by navigation. Next up, you will tackle the Secret Mission and add a status summary dashboard to give users an at-a-glance view of request counts.

Secret mission

Add a Status Summary Dashboard

Your tracker lists requests, but how many are stuck at New? How many are in progress? Add a live status counter that gives you an at-a-glance operational dashboard using CountIf(), a Power Fx function you have not used yet.

Clean Up Your Resources

This project runs entirely within the free Power Apps Developer Plan, so there are no ongoing costs. Decide whether to keep your resources running, pause them to come back later, or delete them entirely.

Resources you used:

Power Apps Developer environment (free, no cost).
Data Request table in Dataverse (free within Developer Plan).
Data Request Tracker canvas app (free within Developer Plan).

Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you are still actively building or want to demo the app in an interview.

Your app stays in your developer environment. Sign in to make.powerapps.com anytime to edit or demo it.
Use the environment at least once every 30 days to keep it active. Microsoft automatically disables developer environments after 30 days of inactivity.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

No manual action is required to pause. The environment will auto-disable after 30 days of inactivity, but you can re-enable it at any time.

If your environment gets disabled, sign in to the Power Platform admin center at admin.powerplatform.com.
In the navigation pane, select Manage, then select Environments.
Select your disabled environment and click Re-enable environment.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project resources by deleting your developer environment. This permanently removes the canvas app, the Data Request table, and all sample data.

Go to the Power Platform admin center at admin.powerplatform.com.
In the navigation pane, select Manage, then select Environments.
Find your developer environment in the list.
Select the ellipsis (...) next to the environment and select Delete.
Provide the confirmation data and select Confirm.

What does deleting the environment remove?

Deleting the environment removes everything inside it: all canvas apps, Dataverse tables, flows, custom connectors, and connections. You do not need to delete the app or table individually.

Nice Work!

You just built a complete Data Request Tracker canvas app from scratch in Power Apps. You now have a concrete, demonstrable project to reference in your PG&E Operations Data Analyst interview when asked about Power Apps experience.

You learned how to:

Create a custom Dataverse table with proper column types (text, choice, date) to model operational data requests, then connect it to a canvas app as a live data source.
Build a browse gallery with search and sort using Power Fx formulas like Search(), SortByColumns(), and If() to filter records dynamically.
Build detail and new request screens with Edit Forms that read from and write to Dataverse using SubmitForm() and Navigate().
Secret Mission: Added a status summary label using CountIf() to display operational KPIs at a glance.

Ready to quiz yourself?