PL-900 Objective 3.1: Identify Power Apps Capabilities

November 15, 2025 • 30 min read • Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals

PL-900 Exam Focus: This objective explores Power Apps capabilities through its two primary application types: canvas apps and model-driven apps. Understanding when to use each type, their respective capabilities, and key features enables you to recommend appropriate solutions for different business scenarios. Canvas apps offer design flexibility while model-driven apps provide metadata-driven consistency, each serving distinct use cases in the Power Platform ecosystem.

Understanding Power Apps Application Types

Microsoft Power Apps provides two fundamentally different approaches to application development, each optimized for specific scenarios and use cases. Canvas apps offer complete design freedom, allowing makers to craft pixel-perfect user experiences with precise control over every element's placement, styling, and behavior. This design-first approach makes canvas apps ideal for mobile experiences, task-specific tools, and scenarios where user interface design significantly impacts user adoption and productivity. The blank canvas metaphor empowers creators to build applications matching exact requirements without compromise.

Model-driven apps take a data-first approach, automatically generating responsive user interfaces based on Dataverse table definitions and relationships. Rather than manually designing each screen, makers configure which tables and fields appear in the application, letting the platform handle layout, navigation, and responsiveness automatically. This metadata-driven architecture ensures consistency, maintains design best practices, and adapts automatically as data structures evolve. Model-driven apps excel at complex business applications requiring extensive data management, sophisticated security, and standardized workflows that follow established business processes.

Canvas Apps: Use Cases and Capabilities

Canvas App Fundamentals

Canvas apps provide makers with complete control over application design, starting from a blank canvas where every screen, control, and interaction is explicitly defined. This approach resembles designing PowerPoint slides or creating graphics in design tools, making it intuitive for users familiar with common productivity applications. Makers drag controls onto screens, position them precisely, configure properties, and write Power FX formulas connecting controls to data and logic. The visual designer provides immediate feedback, showing exactly how applications appear to users without requiring compilation or complex build processes.

The development experience emphasizes rapid prototyping and iterative refinement. Makers build functional prototypes quickly, test with users, gather feedback, and refine designs in short cycles. This agile approach works particularly well for citizen developers and business users who understand requirements deeply but may lack traditional programming experience. Canvas apps support responsive design through container controls that adjust layouts for different screen sizes, though makers control specifics of how applications adapt to various devices and orientations.

Key Canvas App Capabilities

Canvas App Features:

Custom user interface design: Complete control over screen layouts, color schemes, fonts, and styling enables applications matching organizational branding and user preferences. Makers arrange controls precisely, creating intuitive workflows that guide users naturally through tasks without following predetermined patterns or templates.
Multi-data source connectivity: Single apps can connect simultaneously to SharePoint, SQL databases, Salesforce, Excel files, REST APIs, and hundreds of other data sources. This flexibility enables consolidating data from disparate systems into unified experiences without complex integration middleware or custom development.
Offline capability: Canvas apps support offline mode where users work without internet connectivity, with data synchronizing automatically when connections resume. This capability is essential for field workers, remote locations, or scenarios with unreliable connectivity, ensuring productivity continues regardless of network availability.
Mobile-optimized experiences: Canvas apps run natively on iOS and Android through Power Apps mobile app, providing touch-optimized interfaces, camera integration, GPS location services, and offline support. Makers design mobile-first experiences that feel like native applications rather than adapted web applications.
Component reusability: Custom components package functionality and design patterns for reuse across applications. Organizations build component libraries containing company-specific controls, standardized layouts, or common functionality that accelerates development while ensuring consistency.
Embedded apps: Canvas apps embed into SharePoint pages, Teams channels, Power BI dashboards, or custom websites, bringing application functionality directly into existing workflows. Users access capabilities without navigating to separate applications, reducing friction and improving adoption.

Canvas App Use Cases

Ideal Canvas App Scenarios:

Field service and inspections: Mobile applications for technicians conducting equipment inspections, safety audits, or quality checks benefit from canvas apps' offline capabilities, camera integration, and custom workflows. Technicians capture photos, collect data, and record findings regardless of connectivity, with automatic synchronization when returning to the office.
Task-specific tools: Focused applications addressing specific business tasks like expense submission, time tracking, or equipment checkout work well as canvas apps. These narrow-scope tools provide streamlined experiences optimized for frequent, repetitive tasks without unnecessary features cluttering interfaces.
Customer-facing applications: Self-service portals, product configurators, or booking systems require polished, branded experiences that canvas apps deliver through complete design control. Organizations create interfaces matching their brand identity and user expectations without technical limitations imposed by templates.
Data visualization dashboards: Custom dashboards presenting operational metrics, KPIs, or real-time data leverage canvas apps' flexibility to create information-dense displays optimized for specific audiences. Decision-makers access critical information through tailored visualizations rather than generic reporting interfaces.
Integration and orchestration: Applications combining data from multiple systems into unified experiences demonstrate canvas apps' multi-source connectivity. Users interact with information from CRM, ERP, SharePoint, and external services through single interfaces without navigating between systems.

Model-Driven Apps: Use Cases and Capabilities

Model-Driven App Fundamentals

Model-driven apps generate user interfaces automatically based on Dataverse data models, relationships, and business logic definitions. Rather than designing individual screens, makers configure which Dataverse tables participate in applications, which fields appear on forms, what views provide data access, and how business processes guide user workflows. The platform handles interface generation, ensuring responsive layouts, consistent styling, and proper navigation without explicit design work. This metadata-driven approach means interface changes happen through configuration updates rather than redesigning screens, making maintenance more efficient as requirements evolve.

The model-driven approach particularly benefits scenarios with complex data relationships and extensive business logic. Applications automatically respect table relationships, enabling users to navigate between related records naturally. Security roles defined in Dataverse apply automatically, restricting data access appropriately without custom code. Business rules, workflows, and plugins execute consistently regardless of how users access data. This integrated approach ensures business logic enforcement and security policies apply universally, reducing opportunities for inconsistencies or security gaps that custom-coded applications might introduce.

Key Model-Driven App Capabilities

Model-Driven App Features:

Automatic interface generation: Forms, views, charts, and dashboards generate automatically from Dataverse metadata, maintaining consistent design language and responsive behavior. Makers focus on data structure and business logic rather than pixel-perfect layouts, accelerating development while ensuring quality interfaces.
Complex data relationship handling: Applications navigate table relationships seamlessly, displaying related records in subgrids, supporting lookup selections, and enabling relationship-based filtering. Users understand data connections intuitively through visual relationship indicators and natural navigation patterns.
Business process flows: Visual process guides appear directly on forms, showing users which stage they're in, what information is required, and what comes next. These flows ensure consistent execution of multi-stage processes like sales qualification, case resolution, or approval workflows, improving process compliance and data quality.
Comprehensive security model: Dataverse security roles control access at table, record, and field levels, with model-driven apps enforcing these permissions automatically. Organizations implement sophisticated security models including hierarchical access, sharing rules, and ownership-based permissions without custom security code.
Advanced views and filtering: Powerful query capabilities enable users to filter, sort, and search large datasets efficiently. Personal views allow individual customization while system views provide standardized perspectives. Advanced filters support complex criteria across multiple tables and relationships.
Command bar customization: Command bars (ribbons) present contextual actions appropriate for current records and user permissions. Custom commands trigger workflows, launch external applications, or execute business logic, with visibility controlled by rules evaluating record state and user roles.

Model-Driven App Use Cases

Ideal Model-Driven App Scenarios:

Customer relationship management: Comprehensive CRM applications managing accounts, contacts, opportunities, quotes, and orders benefit from model-driven apps' relationship handling and process flows. Sales teams navigate customer hierarchies, track interaction history, and progress opportunities through standardized sales stages with built-in guidance.
Case and service management: Support applications tracking cases, resolutions, knowledge articles, and service-level agreements leverage model-driven apps' workflow capabilities. Support teams route cases automatically, escalate overdue issues, and maintain complete case histories with relationship-based access to customer information.
Asset and resource management: Applications managing equipment, facilities, inventory, or resources utilize model-driven apps' data management strengths. Organizations track asset lifecycles, maintenance schedules, location histories, and related documentation through comprehensive data models with appropriate security segregation.
Project and task management: Project tracking applications managing portfolios, projects, tasks, resources, and timelines benefit from model-driven apps' hierarchy handling and relationship management. Team members view project structures, understand task dependencies, and update progress through standardized interfaces ensuring data consistency.
Business process automation: Applications embedding complex approval workflows, document routing, or multi-stage processes leverage model-driven apps' process flow capabilities. Users follow guided workflows ensuring process compliance while automation handles routing, notifications, and status updates automatically.

Exploring Model-Driven App Features

Forms and Form Design

Forms in model-driven apps present record data for viewing and editing, with layouts configured through drag-and-drop designers rather than coded from scratch. Multiple form types serve different purposes: main forms provide comprehensive record views with all relevant fields and related data, quick create forms enable rapid record creation with essential fields only, and quick view forms display related record information in pop-ups without navigation. Form designers arrange fields in sections and tabs, creating logical groupings that help users find information quickly and understand data relationships.

Form customization includes visibility rules showing or hiding fields based on other field values, read-only configurations protecting specific data, required field designations ensuring data completeness, and default value settings accelerating data entry. Business rules execute on forms, validating data, setting values automatically, and displaying messages guiding users toward correct data entry. This declarative customization enables business analysts to configure sophisticated form behaviors without JavaScript, though developers can add custom scripts for scenarios requiring programmatic control.

Views and Data Presentation

Views define how record lists appear throughout model-driven apps, specifying columns, sort order, filters, and groupings. System views available to all users provide standard perspectives like Active Records, Inactive Records, or Recently Created Records. Public views shared organization-wide address common scenarios like High Priority Cases or This Month's Opportunities. Personal views enable individual users to save custom queries for their specific work patterns without administrator involvement, balancing standardization with personal productivity needs.

Advanced view capabilities include associated views showing related records filtered by current context, quick find columns determining which fields are searchable, and editable grids enabling bulk updates directly in lists without opening individual records. Views support grouping records by field values, calculating column totals, and exporting to Excel for offline analysis. This flexible presentation layer ensures users access data efficiently regardless of their role or typical workflow patterns.

Charts and Dashboards

Charts visualize data directly within model-driven apps, showing record counts, sums, averages, or other aggregations grouped by field values. System charts available to all users display common metrics, while personal charts let individuals create custom visualizations. Charts appear on forms showing related record metrics, in views providing visual summaries of list data, and on dashboards composing multiple visualizations into comprehensive overviews. Interactive charts enable drill-down to underlying records, connecting visualization with detailed data exploration.

Dashboards combine multiple charts, views, and web resources into comprehensive information displays. System dashboards provide organization-wide perspectives like executive overviews or team performance metrics. Personal dashboards allow individual customization for role-specific information needs. Dashboard designers arrange components in multi-column layouts, configure refresh intervals, and set default views users see upon application launch. This composition capability enables information-dense displays presenting diverse metrics from multiple tables in cohesive layouts that support decision-making.

Business Process Flows

Business process flows guide users through multi-stage processes directly on record forms, displaying current stage, completed stages, and remaining stages visually. Each stage contains required fields that must be completed before advancing, ensuring users gather necessary information throughout the process. Conditional branching enables process paths to diverge based on field values, accommodating different scenarios within the same process definition. Process flows can span multiple tables, advancing to different record types as processes progress through phases like lead qualification advancing from leads to opportunities to quotes.

Organizations create process flows matching their standard operating procedures, embedding institutional knowledge directly into applications. New employees follow established processes without extensive training, while experienced users work more efficiently through guided workflows. Process analytics show where processes stall, how long stages typically take, and which branches are most commonly followed. This visibility enables process improvement based on actual behavior rather than assumptions, continuously refining workflows to match organizational realities.

Choosing Between Canvas and Model-Driven Apps

Decision Factors

Canvas App Indicators:

User experience design is critical for adoption and productivity
Application serves specific, focused tasks rather than comprehensive data management
Mobile-first experience with offline capability is required
Data comes from multiple sources beyond Dataverse
Custom branding and interface requirements cannot be met with standard patterns
Rapid prototyping and iteration with user feedback is important

Model-Driven App Indicators:

Application manages complex data with extensive relationships between tables
Sophisticated security requirements include row-level, field-level, and hierarchical access
Standardized business processes need consistent execution and guidance
Application scope is comprehensive, managing entire business domains like CRM or operations
Maintenance efficiency and automatic adaptation to data model changes is prioritized
Integration with Dynamics 365 or extension of existing model-driven apps is planned

Hybrid Approaches

Organizations don't need to choose exclusively between canvas and model-driven apps. Many solutions combine both types, leveraging each for appropriate scenarios. Model-driven apps provide comprehensive data management while embedded canvas apps deliver custom experiences for specific forms or processes. Canvas apps can launch model-driven app views or forms, connecting task-specific tools with full application functionality. This hybrid approach maximizes platform capabilities, using the right tool for each requirement rather than forcing all scenarios into a single application pattern.

Embedded canvas apps within model-driven forms provide pixel-perfect custom controls for specific fields or sections where standard controls don't meet requirements. Complex visualizations, specialized input methods, or integration with external services embed directly in forms without affecting other form elements. This selective customization maintains consistency where standard patterns work while providing flexibility where custom experiences add significant value. The platform handles data synchronization between embedded canvas apps and parent forms automatically, ensuring data consistency and simplifying development.

Real-World Power Apps Scenarios

Scenario 1: Field Service Inspection App (Canvas)

Challenge: Field technicians conduct equipment inspections using paper checklists, causing delays in issue identification and requiring manual data entry back at the office.

Solution: Canvas app provides mobile-optimized inspection interface with camera integration for photo documentation, offline capability for remote locations, GPS tagging of inspection locations, and digital signature capture. App syncs automatically when connectivity resumes, triggering workflows that route critical issues to maintenance teams immediately.

Why Canvas: Custom mobile interface optimized for touch, offline capability essential for field work, camera and GPS integration, and focused task-specific workflow requiring design flexibility.

Scenario 2: Customer Service Management (Model-Driven)

Challenge: Support team manages customer cases across email, spreadsheets, and chat without unified view of customer history or consistent case routing.

Solution: Model-driven app manages cases, customers, products, and knowledge articles with complete relationship visibility. Business process flows guide support analysts through case resolution stages, ensuring consistent quality. Security roles separate customer data by region while managers access cross-regional dashboards.

Why Model-Driven: Complex data relationships between customers, cases, and knowledge articles, sophisticated security requirements, standardized case resolution process, and comprehensive data management scope.

Scenario 3: Expense Approval System (Hybrid)

Challenge: Employees submit expenses through email with attachments, causing approval delays and difficulty tracking reimbursement status.

Solution: Canvas app provides mobile expense submission with receipt photo capture and automatic OCR extraction of amounts. Model-driven app manages expense policies, approval workflows, and reimbursement tracking with comprehensive reporting for finance teams. Canvas app simplicity encourages submission while model-driven app provides robust back-office management.

Why Hybrid: Mobile-first submission experience requires canvas app's design flexibility and camera integration, while comprehensive expense management, complex approval routing, and financial reporting benefit from model-driven app's data management and process capabilities.

Exam Preparation Tips

Key Concepts to Master

Canvas vs model-driven: Understand fundamental differences in design approach, use cases, and capabilities
Canvas app strengths: Custom UI, mobile optimization, offline capability, multi-source connectivity
Model-driven app strengths: Complex relationships, security model, business processes, automatic generation
Business process flows: Recognize their purpose in guiding users through standardized procedures
Data source requirements: Know that canvas apps can use any data source while model-driven apps require Dataverse
Offline capabilities: Understand that canvas apps support offline while model-driven apps require connectivity

Practice Questions

Sample PL-900 Exam Questions:

A company needs a mobile app for field workers that functions without internet connectivity. Which Power Apps type is most appropriate?
An organization wants to build a comprehensive CRM system with complex customer hierarchies and sophisticated security. Which app type should they choose?
What Power Apps feature guides users through multi-stage processes like sales qualification or case resolution?
Which app type allows makers to control exact placement of every screen element and design custom user experiences?
A solution needs to combine data from SharePoint, SQL Server, and Salesforce in a single interface. Which app type supports this multi-source connectivity?

PL-900 Success Tip: Focus on understanding when to use each app type rather than technical implementation details. Canvas apps excel at custom designs, mobile experiences, and offline scenarios. Model-driven apps shine for complex data management, standardized processes, and sophisticated security. Know that business process flows guide users through stages, views display filtered lists, and forms present record details. Practice identifying which app type fits given scenarios based on requirements like mobile vs. desktop, simple vs. complex data, custom vs. standard interface.

Hands-On Practice Lab

Lab Objective

Explore both canvas and model-driven app capabilities through hands-on creation and configuration. This lab requires Power Apps maker portal access with Dataverse environment.

Lab Activities

Activity 1: Create a Simple Canvas App

Start from blank: Create a new canvas app from blank template and explore the design canvas
Add controls: Insert text labels, input fields, buttons, and galleries to understand control types
Connect to data: Add a SharePoint list or Excel file as a data source and display data in a gallery
Test mobile view: Preview the app in mobile mode and observe responsive behavior

Activity 2: Explore Model-Driven App Components

Create model-driven app: Use the model-driven app designer to create an app based on existing Dataverse tables
Configure forms: Open form designer and arrange fields, add sections, and configure visibility rules
Create views: Build custom views with specific columns, filters, and sort orders
Add to sitemap: Configure app navigation by adding tables and views to the sitemap

Activity 3: Compare User Experiences

Canvas app UX: Navigate your canvas app noting complete design control and custom layouts
Model-driven app UX: Navigate your model-driven app observing automatic responsive design and standard patterns
Identify differences: Note differences in navigation, data presentation, and overall user experience
Consider use cases: Reflect on which scenarios would benefit from each app type based on your exploration

Activity 4: Explore Business Process Flows (Optional)

Find existing flow: Locate a business process flow in your environment (or research in documentation)
Understand stages: Identify process stages, required fields, and progression logic
Consider applications: Think about business processes in your organization that could benefit from guided flows
Research creation: Review how business process flows are created to understand their configuration

Lab Outcomes

After completing this lab, you'll have practical experience with both canvas and model-driven app development approaches. You'll understand how canvas apps provide design flexibility while model-driven apps generate interfaces automatically. This hands-on knowledge prepares you for exam questions about Power Apps capabilities and helps you recognize appropriate application types for different business scenarios.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between canvas apps and model-driven apps?

Canvas apps provide complete control over application layout and user experience, starting with a blank canvas where makers arrange controls precisely as desired. They excel for custom user interfaces, mobile scenarios, and task-specific solutions. Model-driven apps automatically generate responsive interfaces based on Dataverse data structures, making them ideal for complex business processes with extensive data relationships and standardized workflows. Canvas apps prioritize user experience design flexibility, while model-driven apps prioritize data-driven functionality and consistency through metadata-driven interfaces that adapt automatically to data model changes.

When should I use canvas apps versus model-driven apps?

Use canvas apps when you need pixel-perfect custom designs, mobile-first experiences, task-specific tools, offline capabilities, or integration with diverse data sources beyond Dataverse. Canvas apps work well for field service applications, inspection tools, customer-facing experiences, and scenarios requiring specific layouts or branding. Use model-driven apps when building comprehensive business applications with complex data relationships, standard business process workflows, extensive security requirements, or when leveraging existing Dynamics 365 customizations. Model-driven apps excel at CRM, case management, project tracking, and enterprise resource management scenarios.

Can canvas apps work offline?

Yes, canvas apps support offline capabilities enabling users to work without internet connectivity. Apps can cache data locally, allow users to create or modify records offline, and synchronize changes when connectivity resumes. This offline functionality is essential for field workers, technicians visiting remote locations, or mobile users in areas with unreliable connectivity. Makers configure which data collections are available offline and how conflicts are resolved when synchronizing. Canvas apps handle the complexity of tracking changes, detecting conflicts, and merging updates automatically.

What is a business process flow in model-driven apps?

Business process flows guide users through standardized multi-stage processes directly within model-driven app forms. They appear as visual progress indicators showing current stage and completed steps, with each stage containing required fields that must be completed before advancing. Process flows ensure consistency by guiding users through established procedures for activities like sales opportunity qualification, customer onboarding, or support case resolution. They can branch based on conditions, span multiple tables as processes move through different record types, and provide visibility into process completion status. This guidance improves data quality and process compliance while helping users understand what information is needed at each stage.

Can I embed Power Apps in Microsoft Teams?

Yes, both canvas and model-driven apps can embed directly into Microsoft Teams as personal apps, channel tabs, or meeting extensions. Users access business applications without leaving their collaboration context, reducing context switching and improving productivity. Canvas apps built specifically for Teams can access Teams context like current channel or team membership, while existing apps can be added to Teams with minimal modification. Model-driven apps appear as tabs providing full application functionality within Teams interface. This integration makes Power Apps a natural extension of teamwork rather than separate applications requiring context switching.

What are views in model-driven apps?

Views are saved queries that display filtered and sorted lists of table records in model-driven apps. They define which columns appear, how records are sorted, what filters apply, and how data is grouped. System views are available to all users and provide standard perspectives like Active Records or My Records. Personal views allow users to create and save their own customized queries for frequently accessed data subsets. Views enable efficient data navigation, quick access to relevant records, and consistent data presentation across the organization. Administrators create views matching common business scenarios while users customize personal views for individual work patterns.

Do canvas apps require Dataverse?

No, canvas apps can connect to over 500 data sources including SharePoint lists, SQL databases, Excel files in OneDrive, REST APIs, and cloud services like Salesforce without requiring Dataverse. This flexibility allows organizations to leverage existing data investments and build applications that span multiple systems. However, using Dataverse provides additional benefits including relationship management between tables, business rules enforcement, role-based security, audit logging, and offline capabilities. Many canvas apps start with alternative data sources and migrate to Dataverse as requirements grow more sophisticated. The choice depends on application complexity, security requirements, and existing data infrastructure.

Can model-driven apps be customized without code?

Yes, model-driven apps support extensive customization through visual designers and configuration without programming. Makers add or remove tables from apps, customize form layouts by adding or repositioning fields, create and configure views displaying filtered data, define business rules enforcing validation, configure business process flows guiding users through procedures, and adjust security roles controlling access. These customizations use metadata definitions rather than code, making them accessible to business analysts and power users. While advanced scenarios may benefit from custom code through JavaScript or plugins, most business requirements can be addressed through no-code configuration, enabling broader participation in application development.

Written by Joe De Coppi - Last Updated November 14, 2025

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