Microsoft Teams: Building Your First Power App [Building Power Apps In Microsoft Teams – Ep. 1]

In this introductory episode of the Building Power Apps in Microsoft Teams series, Matt Peterson from Pragmatic Works walks viewers through the foundational steps of creating a Power App directly inside Microsoft Teams. Rather than jumping straight into advanced app design, Matt focuses on the setup process that makes future development possible. This includes verifying licensing, enabling Power Apps in Teams, provisioning a Dataverse environment, and creating the tables needed to support a real-world check-in application.

The application used in this series is a student check-in system. Matt explains that he originally built a similar solution for a school environment where students could check in when visiting another classroom for tutoring, homework help, or volunteering instead of going to the lunchroom. This practical example helps demonstrate how Power Apps in Teams can solve real operational challenges.

Checking Requirements Before Building

Matt begins by explaining that building an app in Microsoft Teams requires the correct licensing. Specifically, users need a Teams license that supports Microsoft Dataverse for Teams, sometimes referred to as “Dataverse Light.” He notes that this version of Dataverse has limitations compared to the full Dataverse platform, including:

• Up to 2 GB of storage
• Up to 1 million rows per table
• Capacity provisioned per Team environment

To verify whether this capability is available, Matt demonstrates how to sign in to make.powerapps.com, open the Admin Center, and review capacity under the Microsoft Teams section. This step ensures that the user has available Teams environments before trying to create an application.

Installing and Accessing Power Apps in Teams

Once the licensing check is complete, Matt moves into Microsoft Teams. He explains that users need to install the Power Apps app if it is not already visible in the Teams sidebar. This can be done by selecting the ellipses menu, searching for Power Apps, and pinning it for easier access later.

After launching Power Apps inside Teams, Matt selects a Team where the app will live. In his example, he uses a Team created specifically for the YouTube series. At this stage, Microsoft provisions a Dataverse database for that Team. Matt describes this database as an Azure SQL-backed environment managed by Microsoft, which means Microsoft handles the cloud hosting, backups, and maintenance.

This built-in data platform gives Power Apps in Teams a major advantage over simpler data sources like SharePoint. Matt highlights security as one of the biggest benefits. Teams administrators can control who can create, read, edit, or view records, making Dataverse a stronger option for structured business applications.

Creating the First Table: Room Table

After the environment is ready, Matt begins creating the data structure for the app. The first table is a simple Room table that stores room locations. He builds this directly from the app’s design studio and renames the default primary name column to Room Number.

He explains that the primary name column in Dataverse functions much like the Title column in a SharePoint list. It is not the true unique identifier of the record, but it is the main label people use to recognize a record.

Matt then adds sample records such as room numbers 26, 43, and 14. This gives the app starter data that can later be referenced in lookup fields.

Creating the Student Table

Next, Matt switches to the broader build interface and creates a second table called Student. Its primary name column becomes Student Identifier. He uses this moment to explain that singular and plural table names should remain distinct so formulas in Power Apps stay clear and easier to manage.

Inside the Student table, Matt adds several columns, including:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Student Email
• Parent Email
• Grade Level

He also introduces the concept of column requirements in Dataverse. Some fields are marked business required, meaning records cannot be saved without them. Others are marked business recommended, which encourages completion without making the field mandatory. This distinction becomes useful later when building forms and guiding user input.

To prepare for future demonstrations, Matt enters a few student records with names, grade levels, and email addresses.

Creating the Check-In and Check-Out Table

The final table in this episode is the most important one: the Student Check-In and Out table. This table tracks when students check into a room and when they leave. Matt updates the primary name column to an auto-numbered Check-In Identifier, using a prefix format so each record receives a structured value.

He then adds the core columns needed for the process:

1. Student as a lookup to the Student table
2. Location as a lookup to the Room table
3. Teacher as a required text field
4. Comments as a text area with a larger character limit
5. Check-In Date and Time as a required field
6. Check-Out Date and Time as an optional field

Matt explains why lookup columns are especially valuable. Instead of typing free-form student names or room numbers, the app will pull data directly from existing tables. This improves consistency, reduces errors, and automatically builds relationships between tables. Those relationships will also become useful later when integrating the solution with Power BI for analytics.

What Comes Next in the Series

By the end of the episode, Matt has completed the full data foundation for the app. While the visual design of the application has not yet started, the groundwork is now in place. The app has a name, a Teams-based Dataverse environment, and three essential tables that support check-in and check-out functionality.

This first episode serves as a strong introduction for anyone new to Power Apps in Microsoft Teams. Matt makes it clear that successful app building starts with thoughtful planning and proper data structure. In future episodes, viewers can expect to move into interface design, app logic, automation with Power Automate, and reporting with Power BI.

For beginners looking to create business apps inside Microsoft Teams, this episode provides a practical and approachable starting point.

 Don't forget to check out the Pragmatic Works' on-demand learning platform for more insightful content and training sessions on Teams and other Microsoft applications. Be sure to subscribe to the Pragmatic Works YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on the latest tips and tricks.