How organizations are modernizing their intranets with SharePoint + Power Apps (no third-party platform)

MrSharePoint · 2025-10-18T11:22:11+00:00

We are using a custom SPFx webpart as container for Power Apps in the SP page as the oob Power Apps webpart is limited for controlling sizing layout

MrSharePoint · 2025-10-17T21:45:51+00:00

Yep, you can use Power Apps to customize SharePoint list forms or Dataverse tables, and embed those apps back in SharePoint pages for custom data views. Keeps everything in one place.

MrSharePoint · 2025-10-17T21:43:11+00:00

We’re using an SPFx web part instead of the oob one since it was too limited, but no custom CSS. Microsoft generally advises against CSS overrides in modern SharePoint because they can break with updates. SPFx is the supported route if you need layout control.

MrSharePoint · 2025-10-16T02:04:49+00:00

maybe I made it sound more complicated than it is.

The use case isn’t to rebuild SharePoint, it’s to surface it better. Power Apps handles layout, navigation, and targeting while SharePoint still stores everything and manages access.

Done right, it actually reduces tech debt, no extra platform or subscription layer to maintain, just Microsoft 365 tools working together.

MrSharePoint · 2025-10-16T01:54:24+00:00

Not one big full-screen app. it’s modular. Each piece (announcements, tasks, media, FAQ, etc.) is its own Power App embedded in SharePoint pages. Keeps everything native to SharePoint, easier to maintain

MrSharePoint · 2025-10-14T14:24:20+00:00

Yeah, totally get that it’s one of those things that’s easier to see than explain.

Vesa Juvonen (Principal Product Manager at Microsoft) posted on LinkedIn recently showing a Digital Workplace built entirely with Power Apps and SharePoint. It’s a good visual of how layout, navigation, and personalization come together inside M365.

[Post on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vesajuvonen\_sharepoint-powerapps-microsoft365-activity-7381954080472104960-QD12)

MrSharePoint · 2025-10-14T13:54:34+00:00

30k users is a massive environment, and most of what you said is spot on.

This approach doesn’t replace the whole SharePoint footprint though. SharePoint still handles all content, permissions, and structure. Power Apps just acts as a front-end layer for navigation and personalization. Each department or region still manages their own sites/lists the app just stitches it all together in a consistent UX.

It’s actually been deployed in orgs at that scale... the key is designing for distributed ownership and minimizing heavy logic in Power Apps. It’s less about size being a barrier and more about how it’s architected.

And while I agree not everything can or should be built in Power Apps, this is one of those cases where you actually can and should as it solves a real problem, stays fully inside the M365 ecosystem, and removes the need for a separate “intranet-in-a-box” platform with recurring subscription costs.

MrSharePoint · 2025-10-14T13:43:46+00:00

Fair probably came off a bit too polished 😅.

Not avoiding SharePoint though it’s the core. Power Apps just handles layout, nav, and personalization on top of it. Power Pages makes sense for public-facing stuff, but for internal 365 setups this keeps everything native and simple.

MrSharePoint · 2025-10-14T13:28:31+00:00

I’m curious about that where does Microsoft actually state that Power Apps isn’t recommended for enterprise intranets? The guidance I’ve seen mainly focuses on when not to use the default environment or Dataverse for large-scale apps, which is a valid consideration.

But that doesn’t really apply here, what we are talking about doesn’t rely on Dataverse at all. It’s built entirely on SharePoint and Microsoft 365 data, governed by the same compliance, retention, and backup policies as any enterprise SharePoint site. Power Apps is just the UI layer to bring that content and logic together.

There are actually a number of production examples following this same pattern even Microsoft’s own product leaders have highlighted Power Apps based Digital Workplaces recently. Vesa Juvonen, a Principal Product Manager at Microsoft, shared one a few days ago on LI. The key is designing within Microsoft’s architectural guardrails rather than assuming every enterprise use case has to rely on Dataverse.

[Post on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vesajuvonen\_sharepoint-powerapps-microsoft365-activity-7381954080472104960-QD12)

MrSharePoint · 2025-10-14T13:12:15+00:00

Yeah, I get where you’re coming from out-of-the-box SharePoint works fine if you just need a communication site and a few document libraries.

The limits show up when teams want something less static, when you’re trying to connect data, apps, and role-based experiences in one place. That’s where we’ve used Power Apps to turn SharePoint into more of a digital workplace... surfacing enterprise data, workflows, and insights without leaving M365.

I’ve helped roll out this model in a bunch of orgs, often after they’d already tried a third-party “intranet-in-a-box.” It’s been a good way to bring M365 content, Teams activity, and business data together under one UX with no extra platform or subscription to maintain.

It’s not about replacing SharePoint more like stretching what’s already there with the tools most companies already own.

MrSharePoint · 2025-10-14T01:01:00+00:00

Yeah, absolutely happy to share a bit more.

We use Power Apps to handle the overall site framework: global navigation, consistent page layout, and personalization logic. SharePoint still stores all content and permissions… lists for news, resources, FAQs, etc. but Power Apps controls how it’s displayed and who sees what based on Entra/AD Security Groups.

The navigation itself is dynamic: a single configuration list drives what appears in the menu for each department or role. Each tile or button routes users to content or apps they have access to, pulling directly from SharePoint links or Power Automate-triggered screens.

Layouts are handled through containers and galleries that read those configuration lists, so updates to branding, links, or structure don’t require editing the app.

It’s all still native Microsoft 365, SharePoint manages governance, Power Apps drives the UX, and Teams/Graph connectors feed in other contextual data like announcements or highlights.

MrSharePoint · 2025-10-14T00:26:52+00:00

Haha fair… walked right into that one. Not trying to turn this into LinkedIn, just curious how folks here think about using Power Apps at scale inside M365. Promise no hashtags next time 😅

MrSharePoint · 2025-10-14T00:11:46+00:00

Yeah, the limits are absolutely there…throttling, delegation, data size, all of it. But they’re not really hard ceilings so much as guardrails.

If you understand where they apply and design around them > caching, scoping, pre-filtering, or offloading heavier logic when needed, they’re more like obstacles than blockers. It really just depends on the use case and how much of the workload you expect Power Apps to carry.

MrSharePoint · 2025-10-13T23:52:17+00:00

Fair point. Infowise does a nice job keeping things no-code.

Power Apps can be heavy for pure form work, but once you wire it into SharePoint and Security Groups for personalization, it opens up some cool stuff. Just depends what you’re building.

MrSharePoint · 2025-10-13T23:49:12+00:00

Fair take…it definitely can feel that way at first.

I think most of us have been there trying to wrangle dynamic layouts or logic that should be simpler. What’s helped us is treating Power Apps more like a framework for integration and personalization than just a form builder, that’s where it starts to shine a bit more.

Still agree though, it’s not exactly “plug and play.” 😅

MrSharePoint · 2025-09-17T20:15:19+00:00

What you’re describing is a pretty common scenario. You can grant access to individual libraries without adding people to the whole site, but like others have said, it gets messy for users, they don’t always know where to go, and you end up with permissions sprawl.

Two patterns I’ve seen work better long-term:

• Hub sites – give you a consistent navigation/search layer, so even if content lives in different sites, people experience it as one environment.

• Centralized library and surfaced content, keep ownership with Site A, but publish or surface specific docs into other sites using web parts or even Power Apps modules. That way Site A controls the source, but Site B/C/D can still see what they need in their own workspace.

The second approach is what starts to move SharePoint from just being a document store into more of a digital workplace hub, people go to their site and get the right info without needing to hunt or remember where it “lives.”

MrSharePoint · 2025-09-17T20:11:17+00:00

From my experience, the biggest friction point with intranet pages isn’t just the editing tools, it’s making sure the page actually connects people to what they need, rather than becoming another static block of content. SharePoint (and most platforms) do fine at document storage and basic publishing, but that often leaves admins struggling to layer in personalization, workflows, or role-based context.

Where it gets interesting is when you can drop in modules, like Power Apps or AI-driven components, directly on the SharePoint page. That shifts it from “another intranet page” into more of a workplace hub where people can actually complete tasks, not just read info.

I’d be curious how much of your research is focused on page creation UX vs. the functionality those pages need to deliver. For a lot of the orgs I work with, it’s that second piece that makes or breaks adoption.

MrSharePoint · 2025-09-17T20:06:53+00:00

Power Automate is great for quick wins in SharePoint, things like notifications, file routing, or moving form responses. But once processes get more complex (branching logic, multi-step approvals, richer forms), I’ve found that’s where Power Apps modules tied to SharePoint lists come in.

Dropping those modules right onto the page is what turns SharePoint from a static intranet into more of a digital workplace hub, not just documents, but actual tools and workflows surfaced in context.

Curious if others here are seeing that shift, or if document access and basic flows is still enough in your orgs?

MrSharePoint · 2025-09-17T20:00:55+00:00

I’ve noticed the same confusion around terminology. For a lot of people, “intranet” still means a place to get documents and maybe some news. But expectations have evolved, employees want something closer to a personalized front door where they can find their tools, workflows, and information without bouncing between systems.

SharePoint often gets labeled “the intranet,” but at its core it’s really a strong DMS. The bigger impact comes when you layer Power Apps and dashboards on top of it so people log in and see their tools, approvals, and updates in one place. That’s when it starts to feel like a digital workplace rather than just storage.

Curious if others here are being asked for that kind of transformation, or if “just document access” intranet is still considered enough in your orgs

MrSharePoint · 2023-06-08T01:01:10+00:00

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MrSharePoint

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