Here’s a complete detailed guide on Microsoft Power Pages, tailored for both beginners and professionals looking to build secure, low-code websites using Microsoft Power Platform.
🔷 What is Microsoft Power Pages?
Microsoft Power Pages is a secure, enterprise-grade, low-code SaaS platform for building, hosting, and administering modern external-facing business websites.
- Part of the Microsoft Power Platform (alongside Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, and Power Virtual Agents).
- Designed for B2B/B2C scenarios (e.g., customer portals, application submission, status tracking).
- Integrates natively with Dataverse, Power Automate, Azure AD B2C, and Microsoft 365.
🔷 Power Pages Core Components
| Component | Description |
| Design Studio | Drag-and-drop designer to build pages, sections, and components visually. |
| Templates | Prebuilt industry solutions like Registration, Application Processing, etc. |
| Dataverse | Backend database to store, manage, and secure business data. |
| Power Automate | Automates backend processes (approvals, notifications, data sync, etc). |
| Power BI Embed | Embed reports and dashboards securely into pages. |
| Security | Role-based access control, web roles, Azure AD B2C integration. |
| Visual Studio Code (Power Pages CLI) | For advanced development and customization. |
🔷 Step-by-Step Power Pages Setup Guide
🧩 Step 1: Environment and Prerequisites
- Microsoft 365 tenant with Power Platform license.
- Dataverse environment (can be created from Power Platform Admin Center).
- Permissions: Power Platform Admin or Environment Maker.
🔨 Step 2: Create a Power Pages Site
- Go to https://make.powerpages.microsoft.com/
- Click Create a site
- Choose from:
- Template (ex: Application Submission, Schedule Meetings)
- Blank site
- Provide:
- Site Name
- Web Address (e.g., yourorg.powerappsportals.com)
- Language
- Click Done. Your site is provisioned in a few minutes.
🎨 Step 3: Design Pages and Components
Use Design Studio:
- Pages Tab: Add/remove/edit pages.
- Sections: Add layout sections (1-column, 2-column, tabs, etc.).
- Components: Forms, Views, Text, Images, IFrames, Power BI Reports.
Add a Page
- Click + New page
- Choose Standard, List, or Form
- Name it and save.
Add a Form
- Create a Dataverse Table (if not already existing).
- Add a Form Component > Choose table > Choose form > Configure styling.
📄 Step 4: Connect to Dataverse
Power Pages is deeply integrated with Microsoft Dataverse.
You can:
- Show Dataverse Views
- Capture data using Dataverse Forms
- Secure access using Web Roles + Table Permissions
🛡 Step 5: Configure Website Security
- Web Roles (Anonymous, Authenticated, Custom)
- Table Permissions: Define Create/Read/Update/Delete per role.
- Authentication Providers:
- Azure AD (internal)
- Azure AD B2C (external)
- LinkedIn, Google, Facebook (via Azure B2C)
- Site Settings: Define login/registration/logout pages, session settings.
🔄 Step 6: Integrate Power Automate
Trigger workflows on form submission:
- Go to Power Automate
- Create a flow: When a row is added/modified in Dataverse
- Use Send Email, Approval, or HTTP actions
- Can be triggered from Power Pages via Power Pages Web API (for advanced scenarios)
📊 Step 7: Embed Power BI Reports
To embed:
- Publish the report in Power BI Service
- Go to Power Pages > Add Component > Power BI
- Provide report URL and credentials
- Secure with Azure AD or web roles
💰 Step 8: Add Payment Gateway Integration (Optional)
Power Pages supports external APIs, so payment integration can be done using:
- Razorpay / Stripe / PayPal API
- Embed secure HTML/CSS/JavaScript forms
- Trigger Power Automate to handle post-payment data
👥 Step 9: Create User Experience Pages
- Login / Registration / Forgot Password
- Use built-in forms or B2C custom UI
- Profile Update Page
- Secure form linked to Contact record
- Application Dashboards
- Show filtered views (My Applications, Application Status)
- Multi-Step Forms
- Use tabs or multiple connected forms
- Invoice + Payment Page
- Show invoice data from Dataverse
- Add payment options
🧰 Step 10: Advanced Development (Dev Tooling)
Install Power Platform CLI:
bash
pac install latest
Use commands like:
bash
pac paportal download –path “local-folder”
pac paportal upload
Great for:
- Source control
- Custom JavaScript/CSS
- Web templates and Liquid
🧪 Step 11: Test and Deploy
- Preview site from Studio
- Use browser Dev Tools to inspect issues
- Set custom domain (e.g., portal.yourcompany.com)
- Configure SSL
- Publish site
📁 Exporting and Moving Power Pages
- Use Solutions to package site and its components.
- Export/Import as part of ALM.
- Manage using DevOps Pipelines + Power Platform CLI.
📦 Ready-to-Use Templates
| Template Name | Features |
| Application Processing | Multi-step forms, dashboards, approvals |
| Customer Self-Service | Login, profile, support cases |
| Partner Portal | Deal registration, document sharing |
| Schedule Meetings | Integrated calendar booking system |
🔐 Power Pages Security Best Practices
- Use least privilege principle for Table Permissions.
- Always configure SSL (HTTPS).
- Use Azure AD B2C for external users.
- Enable Web Application Firewall (WAF) if using Azure Front Door.
- Use CAPTCHA and anti-bot protections on forms.
🛠 Tools and Resources
- Power Pages Studio: https://make.powerpages.microsoft.com
- Power Platform CLI: For advanced devs
- Docs: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-pages
- Templates GitHub: https://github.com/microsoft/PowerApps-Samples
Leave a comment