Power Apps: Generate PDFs Automatically

Key insights

• Power Apps PDF function: The video shows how to generate two separate PDFs from the same app screen—one with appended notes and one with completed testing steps.
  It demonstrates generating both files in-app and preparing them for automated storage.
• How to enable and use: Turn on the experimental PDF feature under Settings > Upcoming features and call PDF() on a screen or container to create the file.
  You can show or hide controls at generation time to control what appears in the PDF.
• Power Automate flow & SharePoint: Capture the generated PDF in the app and pass it to a Power Automate flow that saves it to a SharePoint document library.
  The flow can tag files and place them in folders for easy audit and retrieval.
• Dynamic file naming: Use timestamps and simple naming patterns to create unique, traceable filenames for each PDF.
  The video includes a bonus filename trick to avoid duplicates and speed up audits.
• Key benefits: This approach reduces manual PDF work, keeps users inside Power Apps, and speeds approvals and ticketing workflows.
  It helps meet compliance and auditing needs by automating capture, tagging, and storage.
• Limitations and recommendations: The PDF function is still experimental and may handle images or complex layouts imperfectly.
  Test thoroughly before using in production and use responsive/fixed-width settings as needed.

Overview of the Video

Steph Marshall’s YouTube video demonstrates a practical, end-to-end way to generate PDFs inside a business app and then save them to a document library automatically. In the clip, she shows how to produce two separate PDFs — one for appended notes and another for completed testing steps — all from the same screen. Furthermore, she ties the app to an automated workflow that stores files in SharePoint and tags them for easy retrieval. The video also highlights a bonus filename trick and provides timestamps for each major segment.

Overall, the tutorial emphasizes how the experimental PDF function in Power Apps simplifies tasks that once required extra flows or third-party services. Consequently, users can cut down on manual PDF creation and keep their process inside the app canvas. Moreover, the clip stresses practical use cases such as compliance, approvals, and ticketing systems. The walkthrough balances a demo with guidance on naming, tagging, and storage best practices.

How the Demo Works

The video begins with an app review and a tabbed menu that filters content, showing how users navigate to the correct data before export. After that, Marshall turns on the experimental PDF function and walks through the button code that triggers PDF generation from multiple galleries on the same screen. She demonstrates generating separate files for notes and testing steps so each output serves a clear purpose. Then, she shows how the app captures those files to hand off to automation.

Steph carefully explains the key calls, including using the PDF() function on a screen or container control and capturing the result inside the app. As a result, the app can either prompt a download or pass the binary to a flow that saves it externally. The demo also includes a live run that shows loading indicators and conditional visibility so the output matches what users expect. This gives developers a template to reproduce the behavior in their own apps.

Automation and File Management

Next, the video shifts to Power Automate, where Marshall builds a flow to accept the PDF payload and save it directly to a SharePoint document library. She sets metadata fields to tag files so they become searchable and auditable later, which is important for compliance scenarios. Additionally, she walks through dynamic file naming using timestamps so filenames remain unique and descriptive. Viewers get a practical look at how to combine in-app PDF generation with backend storage for an integrated solution.

Furthermore, the tutorial covers small but useful touches like adding a status field, labeling test steps, and including user identifiers in metadata. These steps improve traceability and reduce the work needed during audits or reviews. However, Marshall also notes that setting permissions in SharePoint and ensuring correct connector access is crucial to avoid failures. Thus, the solution doesn’t end at generation; it requires proper governance and library configuration.

Tradeoffs and Limitations

While the experimental PDF function reduces the need for external services, it comes with tradeoffs that Steph calls out. For example, image handling and layout control remain areas to watch, and the feature’s experimental status means organizations should test thoroughly before relying on it in production. Moreover, keeping everything in Power Apps simplifies workflows but may limit advanced formatting that dedicated PDF tools provide. Therefore, teams must balance speed and simplicity against the need for polished, complex documents.

Another challenge is governance: automated saving to SharePoint requires careful permission design and naming conventions to prevent clutter and accidental exposure. The video highlights that dynamic file naming helps, but administrators still need to enforce retention and lifecycle policies. In addition, if an app must scale to many users or large files, developers should monitor performance and storage costs. Ultimately, the approach fits many use cases, but it demands operational oversight.

Practical Recommendations

Steph closes the tutorial with practical advice that helps teams adopt the pattern safely. She recommends enabling the experimental feature in a test environment first, validating layout with sample data, and adding loading indicators to improve user experience. In addition, she suggests using descriptive metadata and timestamps to keep libraries organized and searchable, which reduces time spent during audits. These steps make the solution more reliable and easier to maintain.

Finally, the video’s bonus filename trick and clear timestamps let viewers skip to the parts they need, making the resource efficient for learning. For teams weighing options, the video presents a balanced path: use in-app PDF generation for routine exports and preserve more robust tooling for complex documents. In short, Steph Marshall’s explanation provides a straightforward, repeatable pattern that teams can adapt while keeping an eye on governance and stability.

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