Why might you want to pass parameters to a Canvas App
There are many reasons why you might want to pass data into an app from the link, some examples of when I like to use them include:
- Pre-populate data in fields – You can use parameters to simplify data entry by pre-populating fields with default values. For instance, if you have a form that captures information about a customer, you can pass in the customer’s name, address, and other details to pre-populate the fields.
Personalisation: Passing parameters lets you personalise the app for different users or groups. For example, you could pass in a user ID or department name to filter data or show personalised content.
- I also use them when integrating with the browser when building my low-code browser extensions.
How to pass parameters to a Canvas App
Step 1 - Name the Parameter you want to pass
This can be almost anything but it cannot be one of the reserved parameters. See the link below for a list of the reserved Parameters:
Reserved Parameters – Power Platform | Microsoft Learn
For my example, pass a Parameter called ‘customername’.
Step 2 - Use the Param() function to retrieve the parameter passed
I have added a label to the below screen and made it’s ‘Text’ property:
Param(“customername”)
Step 3 - Pass the value as a Parameter in the URL and see the result
Add the Parameter at the end of your URL. It will look something like this:
https://apps.powerapps.com/play/YOUR-APP-ID?tenantId=YOUR-TENANT-ID&customername=”AJ Zafar”
As you can see above the app has pre-populated the label with the value I passed through for ‘customername’.
Optional Step - How to save the Parameter as a variable
To avoid typing Param() multiple times in my apps, I like to set the Parameter’s value as a variable on Start to make it more convenient to re-use in my app.
Utilise the Set() function to create a variable for the Parameter like below:
Set(varCustomerName,Param(“customername”))
To sum it up:
Passing Parameters can be super useful, and I highly recommend you use them wherever they could add value, as your users will love you for it. Good luck on your Power Apps Journey!
