PowerApps General Questions

[milky_bar_may]

Hi everyone,

I have tried using the ‘contact us’ with a few questions to talk to a Microsoft PowerApps sales agent. After using the form twice I still have not received a response.

With that could you help me with a few questions as I try to implement PowerApps in my company? Hoping to start us on our PowerApp journey. 

1: Can a PowerApp be hosted on a company website (and visitors to the website can use the app without registration or impediment?)

2: Is it possible to track usage metrics of a PowerApp (whether it is used on a website or from the PowerApp website?)

3: If I want to capture data that someone using the app enters, is there a way of creating a database of this information?

Thanks

Milky

[RandyHayes]

@milky_bar_may 

Sorry to hear that you didn't get any response...this is the best place to get questions answered.  

And here is what I can tell you:

1: Can a PowerApp be hosted on a company website (and visitors to the website can use the app without registration or impediment?)

No.  PowerApps needs to run in the PowerApp player.  This is either an App on a device or through the interpretive environment of the player in a browser.  You can link to a PowerApp, but that simply starts the Player with the app.

However, the more important point is that all users of the App need a license to use it.  So this rules out visitors.

2: Is it possible to track usage metrics of a PowerApp (whether it is used on a website or from the PowerApp website?)

Yes, there are many metrics that can be gathered from an app, but all in context of the App running in the player (app or browser).  

3: If I want to capture data that someone using the app enters, is there a way of creating a database of this information?

Yes, putting information into a database and interacting with data is what PowerApps is all about (mostly).  In regard to metrics, the best answer on that is using Application Insights.  It maintains all the metrics of the app and stores information about it in its own database.  Now, that is metrics, not data.  If you are wanting to use and store data, that is what you design your App to do.

Other options that might be of interest to you would be the PowerPlatform Portals for serving external users or visitors.

I hope this is helpful for you.

[Pstork1]

Just to add one thing to @RandyHayes answer to #1.  He is correct that you can't do this with Power Apps alone, but there is a way to do this using a Power Apps Portal.  The Portal can display apps and license them for anonymous access by page hits.  You can read more about the Portal here:

https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/portals/?ef_id=905e445bad8e193d187e1bf579cefbf4:G:s&OCID=AID21... 

[RandyHayes]

@Pstork1 I did happen to mention that in the last sentence 😉 

[Pstork1]

Sorry, I missed that.

[milky_bar_may]

Thanks both, @RandyHayes and @Pstork1 

If I use the Portal for external users, how do I capture their data input? 

Is the app used as the database as well as the service? 

Thanks

Milky

[jlynch]

I am trying to automate a contract lifecycle process. I am looking to put buttons, perhaps through powerapps into emails so a request for review comes through via email and the receiver has buttons in the email like approved, schedule a call, needs redlines ect. once he clicks on the button I want to integrate that with Share point so in short request comes in via email, he clicks approve that is logged in Sharepoint, and then I can pull the reporting information through PowerBI. Reaching out to see if anyone has done this and what the best way is to integrate sharepoint and outlook. 

Best, Jlynch