Preview, publish, and share

Introduction to Power Apps

Luise Freese

Azure & Power Platform Architect

Preview versus publish

Preview (F5), the app runs for you only, in Studio
Publish, the saved version goes live to everyone shared with
Two different actions on two different buttons

Real screenshot of the Power Apps Studio toolbar showing the Preview (play triangle) and Publish icons side by side, with the Save (floppy disk) icon between them

Version history

Every publish creates a new version
The version history is a safety net
One click to restore an earlier one

Real screenshot of the Power Apps Studio version history panel showing saved versions with Modified date, author, release, and Published status

Run App checker before you publish

The pre-publish ritual
Both tabs, Formulas + Accessibility
Don't ship with red errors open

Real screenshot of the App Checker panel showing zero errors before publishing

Sharing

Illustration comparing co-owner and User permissions: co-owners can edit, share, delete, and publish; users can only open and use the app.

Co-owner, can edit, share, delete, publish
User, can open and use the app, nothing else

Pick the lowest permission that does the job.

What share actually does

Share grants access, not a copy
Users see the latest published version
Unshare = revoke on next open attempt

Power Apps Share dialog where you enter names or emails and assign permissions before sharing the app

The publish workflow

Illustration of the publish workflow: Save, test in Preview, run App Checker, Publish, then Share.

What you'll build

Preview the app end-to-end
Publish and check the version history
Understand the permission tiers for sharing

Illustration of a published app with icons for preview, publish, and share actions around the frame.

Let's practice!

Introduction to Power Apps