Power Apps: Model-Driven Custom Pages

Key insights

• Custom Pages in model-driven apps: Cathrine Bruvold demos a YouTube community call (May 2025) showing how to embed Canvas-style pages into Model-Driven Apps to create richer interfaces.
  She stresses combining low-code and pro-code so makers can add responsive, user-focused screens without rebuilding the data model.
• Canvas authoring and components: Custom pages use the Power Apps Studio drag-and-drop editor and support Power Apps component framework (PCF) controls, connectors, and multiple tables on one page.
  This lets teams mix Dataverse, SharePoint, SQL and other data sources in a single UI.
• Enhanced user experience and Unified data views: Use full pages, dialogs, or side panes to present combined data and actions that improve decision-making and speed up tasks.
  Integrate Power Automate flows to trigger automation directly from the custom page UI.
• General availability (GA) and ALM readiness: The runtime is production-ready and pages are stored as solution components for independent editing and lifecycle management; ALM and connector support are now available.
  A practical limit of about 25 custom pages per app helps avoid higher load times, and Teams/mobile support is in preview with specific config needs.
• Reusable patterns and techniques: Cathrine demonstrates landing pages, side panes, and pop-ups built with Power Fx and JavaScript, plus animated SVG loading examples to improve polish and performance.
  These patterns speed development and keep interfaces consistent across apps.
• Best practices: Combine low-code and pro-code where needed, reuse PCF and canvas components, keep page counts reasonable, and test on mobile and Teams previews.
  Focus on clear navigation and unified connectors to deliver fast, user-centric model-driven apps.

Overview of the demo

The Microsoft-authored YouTube demo from the Power Platform community call in May 2025 showcases how Custom Pages enhance Model-Driven Apps by embedding flexible canvas-style interfaces directly into structured apps. The presenter, Cathrine Bruvold, walks through reusable design patterns such as landing pages, side panes, and pop-ups, and she highlights the mix of low-code and pro-code techniques. Consequently, the video emphasizes practical ways to improve user experience while keeping data and processes intact. As a result, viewers get a clear sense of design possibilities and real-world application scenarios.

The demo stresses responsiveness and aesthetic polish, demonstrating how small UI investments can yield large gains in usability. Moreover, the session shows how to integrate external data sources and use both Power Fx and JavaScript to extend behavior where needed. Therefore, the talk is useful for makers who want to move beyond standard forms and dashboards without rebuilding core business logic. Overall, it frames Custom Pages as a practical bridge between canvas freedom and model-driven rigor.

Demonstration highlights

Cathrine organizes several live examples that illustrate common enterprise needs, beginning with a polished landing page that unifies data from multiple tables. She then demonstrates side panes and dialog patterns that preserve user context while surfacing secondary tasks, and she shows animated UI elements to improve feedback. Consequently, the demo makes clear how designers can guide users through workflows without forcing navigation away from core records.

In addition, the presenter integrates connectors to bring in information from external systems and triggers Power Automate flows from within the custom UIs. She also shows how to reuse components across pages, leaning on Power Apps component framework elements for consistent behavior. Thus, the video provides tangible examples of reuse and modularity that reduce long-term maintenance. Importantly, these patterns remain accessible to low-code makers while offering escape hatches for pro-code customizations.

Technical capabilities and practical limits

The demo highlights that Custom Pages are authored in Power Apps Studio and saved as solution components, which supports typical application lifecycle workflows. The runtime is generally available, making these pages suitable for production use, and the platform supports multiple connectors and PCF controls. However, there are practical limits to consider, such as performance effects when apps include many custom pages; Microsoft guidance suggests cautious use to avoid load-time impacts. Therefore, teams should weigh the number of pages and component complexity against perceived user benefits.

Moreover, preview support for Teams-hosted model-driven apps and mobile online clients expands reach, but these scenarios may still need configuration adjustments and testing. Integration through Power Fx, JavaScript, and connectors offers great flexibility, yet it also introduces additional testing and governance requirements. Consequently, organizations must plan for debugging and monitoring strategies that cover both low-code and pro-code layers. In short, technical power comes with operational responsibilities.

Tradeoffs: balancing design, performance, and governance

Using Custom Pages forces teams to balance competing priorities: invest in richer UX or keep the app lean and fast. On the one hand, a highly tailored interface improves user productivity and satisfaction, but on the other hand it can add complexity in development and lifecycle management. Therefore, decision-makers should align page design with measurable outcomes, such as reduced task time or error rates, to justify added complexity. Additionally, reusing well-designed components can mitigate some long-term costs while preserving a consistent experience.

Another tradeoff involves low-code accessibility versus pro-code flexibility. Low-code patterns speed delivery and broaden the maker base, whereas pro-code solutions allow deeper integrations and performance tuning. Consequently, a hybrid approach often works best: use low-code for standard screens and reserve pro-code for complex or performance-sensitive parts. Governance also matters; teams must set rules for who can add connectors or custom scripts to limit security and maintenance risk.

Challenges and recommendations

Adopting Custom Pages requires addressing common challenges such as responsive design, testing across clients, and ALM for combined canvas and model-driven components. Teams should include performance testing early, and they should validate behavior on mobile and Teams if those channels matter to users. Moreover, documenting reusable patterns and enforcing coding standards helps keep pro-code contributions maintainable. In practice, a small library of approved components and clear deployment pipelines reduce surprises in production.

Finally, organizations should pilot Custom Pages for a few high-impact scenarios before broad rollout, and they should regularly measure user outcomes to guide further investment. While the approach narrows the gap between canvas freedom and model-driven structure, it does not remove the need for planning and governance. By combining thoughtful design, reuse, and operational controls, teams can harness the strengths shown in the demo while limiting risk and overhead.

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