Power Apps Plan Designer: How to Create Apps with AI (Step-by-Step Guide)

In this article, we will learn what the Power Apps Plan Designer is, how this new AI-powered feature works within the Power Apps app builder, and how it helps you generate applications automatically using natural language. We will walk through the step-by-step process of creating a Power App using the Power Apps Plan Designer, explore its capabilities, and understand how AI accelerates app development with little to no manual design work.

The Microsoft Power Platform is evolving rapidly — and the latest update, Power Apps Plans, introduces one of the most exciting capabilities yet: the ability to build apps using AI prompts instead of manually designing screens, tables, or workflows.

Whether you’re a business user, Power Platform developer, or IT admin, the new Plan Designer in Power Apps makes app creation faster, smarter, and more accessible. You no longer need to start from scratch — simply describe what you want, and Power Apps automatically generates a functional app with screens, forms, and logic.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• What are Power Apps Plans
• How the new Plan Designer works
• How AI automatically builds your app
• Best practices to customize generated apps
• A real-world example: Employee Vacation Request App

Let’s get started.

What Are Power Apps Plans Designer?

The Power Apps Plan Designer is one of Microsoft’s newest AI-powered features designed to transform how apps are built inside the Power Apps platform. Instead of manually creating tables, screens, and workflows, users can now simply describe their requirements, and AI will automatically generate a fully functional app. In this article, we’ll explore what the Power Apps Plan Designer is, how it works, and walk through a step-by-step example of creating a Power App using this new AI-driven planning experience.

With this feature, you simply input a requirement like:

“Create an app to manage employee vacation requests with approval workflow, notifications, and a dashboard.”

Power Apps will automatically:

• Create screens
• Build forms
• Add tables and data structure
• Suggest actions and workflow logic

This brings Microsoft Power Apps closer to a zero-to-low-code AI application builder experience.

Think of it like creating a blueprint — and the tool builds the app for you.

You can define:

• Objectives
• Data inputs and outputs
• User actions
• Business rules
• Automations and triggers

Once your plan is finalized, Power Apps uses AI to generate the full working solution.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Use the Power Apps Plan Designer

Here’s how you can begin designing an app using Power Apps Plans:

Step 1: Open Power Apps Portal

Go to the Power Apps home page and click Create App Using Plan Designer.

Step 2: Describe What You Want

Enter a prompt like:

“Create an app for managing employee leave requests. Include approvals, notifications, and reporting dashboard.”

The more detailed your requirement, the better the output.

Once you describe your requirement or enter your prompt, you need to click on the “Generate” button from the right bottom corner.

Step 3: Review the Generated Plan

Power Apps will generate:

• App structure
• Data schema
• User journey
• Suggested tables and fields

You can modify anything before generating the final app.

You need to review the b user requirements, Data Model, and Technology generated by Plan and approve them before you create your app.

Once you approve the above three sections, your plan will be saved.

Step 4: Generate the App

Click Build App, and AI will convert your plan into:

• Screens
• Forms
• Tables
• Workflows

In a few minutes, you’ll have a ready-to-run application.

Now you can see from the left side pane all the Canvas apps, model-driven apps, and Power Automate flows. You can open them and do further customization as per your requirement.

In the Technology section, you will see a “+” icon for each category, such as Canvas app, Model-driven app, Power Automate flow, and Report; click on that. Your respective app or Power Automate flow or report will be created automatically.

For this example, I have clicked on the “+” icon for the Canvas app, and you can see the below Canvas app has been created automatically.

Note:

• For the Power Automate flow and report, the structure will be created; you need to configure the parameters.
• After creating your app, you need to customize it for your business standards and requirements.

Step 5: Test and Customize

Once generated, open the app in the Power Apps Studio for updates like:

• Branding
• Form layout adjustments
• Adding icons or themes
• Validations

Once your app is generated, you can customize it as per your business requirements.

How AI Automatically Builds Your App

Power Apps uses Generative AI to:

• Interpret requirements
• Map data relationships
• Create logic flows
• Suggest UI controls
• Automate workflow steps

This saves hours or even days of development time — especially for common business applications like:

• Leave management
• Inventory tracking
• CRM tools
• Helpdesk systems
• Expense approvals

Tips to Customize Your Generated App

Once your app is generated, here are best practices to polish it:

• Use consistent themes and branding
• Verify data validation rules
• Add approval workflow using Power Automate if needed
• Test on mobile and desktop for responsiveness
• Use security roles and permissions for sensitive workflows

The Plan Designer gives you the skeleton — polishing the final product makes it production-ready.

Real-World Example: Employee Vacation Request App

Let’s walk through a practical use case.

You enter the following description:

“Build an app where employees can submit vacation requests, managers approve them, and users can view leave history. Include notifications and a dashboard.”

Power Apps automatically:

• Generates a table named VacationRequests
• Adds fields like EmployeeName, StartDate, EndDate, Reason, Status
• Builds screens:

• • Submit Request

  • My Requests

  • Manager Review

  • Leave Dashboard

• Adds approval logic
• Suggests Power Automate workflow for email notifications

In minutes, you get a fully functional leave management app — no heavy manual work.

Why Power Apps Plans Designer Is a Game-Changer

This update significantly reduces:

• Development time
• Dependency on advanced Power Apps knowledge
• Repetitive UI and schema building work

And it increases:

• Productivity
• Speed to launch
• Accessibility for non-technical users

This is a major step toward AI-driven low-code development.

Who Should Use Power Apps Plans?

This feature is ideal for:

• HR teams automating requests
• IT managers supporting modernization
• Teams digitizing manual paper processes
• Power Platform learners and beginners
• Enterprises scaling app development

Power Apps Plans empowers both technical and non-technical users to build solutions faster with fewer barriers.

The Future of App Building with Power Apps

Microsoft’s introduction of Power Apps Plans signals a major shift toward AI-first low-code development.

We are moving from:

This technology supports Microsoft’s broader digital transformation vision:

Build apps by describing what you need — not by configuring components.

YouTube Video Live Demo: Watch the Full Tutorial Here

Conclusion: Power Apps Plan Designer

The release of Power Apps Plans and the new Plan Designer represents one of the most transformative advancements in Microsoft’s Power Platform. With AI now capable of automatically generating complete apps, organizations can accelerate modernization, reduce development time, and empower non-technical teams to build enterprise-grade solutions.

Whether you’re exploring app development for the first time or managing large-scale digital workflows, Power Apps Plans opens the door to faster, smarter, and more accessible app creation.

If you’re working in Microsoft 365, learning this feature now will give you a major competitive advantage.

Reference Article

• Overview of plans by Microsoft

See Also

• Copilot Studio Tutorial—Articles Hub From Beginners to Advanced

About Post Author

Microsoft Techy

As a SharePoint and Power Platform Maven, my greatest joy comes from sharing my expertise with colleagues, friends, and the tech community, helping them navigate the ever-evolving world of technology and guiding them through the dynamic landscape of modern technology.

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