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Power Apps Canvas App Authoring

Power Apps Canvas App Authoring Skill

by Microsoft microsoft/power-platform-skills

Microsoft's official plugin that connects a coding agent to a live Power Apps Studio session to author Canvas App screens, controls and formulas.

GitHub Docs
Development
Added to Onei
v3.0.3
MIT

Install

Install with the skills CLI

One command for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf and dozens of other agents. Needs Node.js; the skill is fetched straight from microsoft/power-platform-skills.

$ npx skills add microsoft/power-platform-skills

Run it in a terminal. The CLI finds the agents installed on your machine, asks which ones to add the skill to, and whether to install it into the folder you ran it from or for all your projects. It also lists the skills in the repository so you can pick Power Apps Canvas App Authoring.

Other ways to install

  1. Open the skill on GitHub and download the folder that holds its SKILL.md.
  2. Put it at ~/.claude/skills/microsoft-canvas-apps/, where Claude Code picks it up in every project.

No scripts or references next to it? Saving the SKILL.md alone as ~/.claude/skills/microsoft-canvas-apps/SKILL.md works too.

Using another agent? Its personal skills folder
Codex
~/.agents/skills/
Cursor
~/.cursor/skills/
GitHub Copilot
~/.copilot/skills/
Gemini CLI
~/.gemini/skills/
Windsurf
~/.codeium/windsurf/skills/
OpenCode
~/.config/opencode/skills/
Open folder on GitHub

About

  • Edits a Canvas App live in an open Power Apps Studio session
  • Works on screens, controls, formulas, connectors and data sources
  • Authors PA YAML (.pa.yaml) via the Canvas Authoring MCP server
  • Installable from the plugin marketplace or VS Code's built-in marketplace
  • Requires the .NET 10 SDK and an app with coauthoring enabled

The official Microsoft plugin for authoring Power Apps Canvas Apps with a coding agent. What distinguishes it from code-generation plugins is that it attaches to an app open in Power Apps Studio through the Canvas Authoring MCP server, and edits it live — screens, controls, formulas, connectors and data sources — in PA YAML (.pa.yaml).

That live-session design is also its main constraint, and it is worth knowing before you install: the plugin cannot create the initial app record or turn on coauthoring. You create the app in Power Apps yourself (it can be completely blank), save it in the target environment, enable coauthoring under Settings → Updates → Coauthoring, and keep the Studio browser tab open. From there the agent takes over building the app's screens and content.

Setup

  1. Install the plugin from the marketplace, or from VS Code's built-in plugin marketplace by searching @agentPlugins canvas apps.
  2. Install the .NET 10 SDK — the CanvasAuthoringMcpServer requires it. Verify with dotnet --list-sdks.
  3. Run the configure-canvas-mcp skill and paste the full Power Apps Studio URL when prompted.
  4. Confirm the link by asking the agent to list the available Canvas App controls.

You also need an organizational account with permission to edit the app and reach its environment. Published by Microsoft under the MIT licence.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent loads, as published by Microsoft.

SKILL.md

Canvas Apps plugin

Author Power Apps Canvas Apps using the Canvas Authoring MCP server.
The agent works on an app that is open in Power Apps Studio: screens,
controls, formulas, connectors and data sources.

Install

/plugin marketplace add microsoft/power-platform-skills
/plugin install canvas-apps@power-platform-skills

In VS Code: Extensions view -> search "@agentPlugins canvas apps" ->
install "Canvas Apps" published by Microsoft.

Prerequisites
  • A coding agent that supports MCP and agent plugins
  • .NET 10 SDK (verify: dotnet --list-sdks -> a version starting with "10.")
  • An organizational account that may edit the app and its environment
  • An existing Canvas App with coauthoring enabled

The plugin cannot create the initial app record or enable coauthoring.

Quick start
  1. Create or open a Canvas App in Power Apps Studio.
  2. Settings > Updates > Coauthoring -> enable.
  3. Keep the Studio browser tab open.
  4. Run the configure-canvas-mcp skill; provide the complete Studio URL.
  5. Verify: ask the agent "List the available Canvas App controls."
Skills

configure-canvas-mcp Connect the agent to a Studio session
canvas-app Build and edit the app's screens and content

Format: PA YAML (.pa.yaml) authored via CanvasAuthoringMcpServer.

Install

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