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canvas-app

Creates and edits Power Apps canvas apps through the Canvas Authoring MCP coauthoring session.

808|167|Updated Jan 21, 2026
Search Tags:#mcp#YAML#low-code#app generation#canvas app#Responsive Layout#Power Apps
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/microsoft/power-platform-skills --skill canvas-app
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: canvas-app
Source: https://github.com/microsoft/power-platform-skills/tree/main/plugins/canvas-apps/skills/canvas-app
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/microsoft/power-platform-skills --skill canvas-app

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Building or modifying a Power Apps canvas app by hand requires writing verbose .pa.yaml files, coordinating multiple screens, and chasing compile errors. This Skill automates the full authoring workflow — from planning and screen generation to per-screen QA and compile-error convergence — through the Canvas Authoring MCP tools.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • New App Generation: Creates a complete canvas app from a natural-language description, including screens, controls, navigation, and mock data collections.
  • Targeted Editing: Applies direct edits or complex multi-screen changes to existing apps, including responsive layout adjustments and App.pa.yaml updates.
  • Quality Assurance: Runs per-screen self-QA checks (alignment, accessibility labels, contrast, gallery fit) and converges on a clean compile before reporting completion.
  • Use Case: Ask for an expense approval app with a submission form, a review queue with approve/reject actions, and a dashboard screen; the Skill plans the app, dispatches screen builders, and validates the result until it compiles cleanly.

Quick Start

Ask the agent to create a canvas app for tracking team tasks with a list screen, an edit form, and a dashboard, and it will plan, build, and validate the app in the current workspace.

Frequently Asked Questions about canvas-app

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I create a Power Apps canvas app from a text description?▼

Describe the app you want, and the Skill syncs a workspace, plans screens and action contracts, then dispatches screen builders to author .pa.yaml files. It compiles after each wave and runs functional QA before reporting completion.

How do I edit an existing canvas app with this Skill?▼

Point it at a directory containing App.pa.yaml and describe the change. The Skill loads the EditWorkflow, applies App-level changes, modifies the affected screen files in place, and recompiles until errors are resolved.

What tools does canvas app authoring require?▼

It requires the Canvas Authoring MCP tools: sync_canvas to sync the workspace, compile_canvas to validate YAML, and describe_control to look up exact control properties and enum names. It never guesses control properties.

Can it handle responsive layout and multi-screen navigation?▼

Yes. The planner defines shared navigation blocks and responsive root containers, and builders apply them per screen with unique control name prefixes. The orchestrator verifies navigation consistency across all screens after builders finish.

Why does my canvas app compile but still have visual defects?▼

Compile success does not catch clipped headings, invisible buttons, or placeholder cards. The Skill runs per-screen self-QA checks covering alignment, contrast, accessible labels, and gallery fit to catch defects invisible to the compiler.

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