Pass parameters to Power App to open specific screen for specific SP List item

[Anonymous]

In Nintex workflows you could create a custom form for the approvers.  Using the custom form, the approvers could then provide additional information, and upload additional attachments.  This form data and attachments could them be written back to the SharePoint list item.  I don't see any why to do that with a Power Automate Approval task.  

I thought that maybe I could just add a link to the Approval message that would take the user to the SharePoint list item, but I would prefer to keep users from directly editing a list item.   I would prefer to open my Power App and have the user provide the additional information and upload file attachments through the app instead.   Apparently, you can pass parameters to a Power App, but I don't know how to do that. 

Is there a way to use a link contained within an Approval notification to pass the current SP list item ID to a Power App and have the Power App open at a specific screen and load the correct list item so that the approver can then update (add attachments to) the list item?

[EddieE · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous 

In PowerApps this is called Deep Linking. There are plenty of YouTube clips and blogs written about this. 

However, stick to newer clips & blogs because things have changed since MS added the StartScreen functionality. This clip by Shane Young walks through the Deep Link fixing and StartScreen feature, which should help you out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MxXmGOkeLQ

[hlosin]

Hi @Anonymous, I had a similar requirement a few weeks ago. Here's how I went about it.

From the App Properties under OnStart, I created a global variable -

Set(gbl_DeepLinkRN,Param("rn"));

 

Then in the main screen, I have added a new Timer Control -

In my current use case, the properties were set to:

Under the Property OnTimerEnd, I added the following code which should trigger if the passed ID is not blank and redirect to another screen  -

If(
!IsBlank(gbl_DeepLinkRN),
Navigate('Deep Linking Screen');
)

To implement the link, grabbed the web link from the App Details -

The web link to trigger followed the format -

https://apps.powerapps.com/play/e/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/a/yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?rn={ID}

Hope this solution helps. 🙂

If my response solves your question, please accept as a solution. Thank you.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

I think I may have found a couple of resources to help me resolve my issue.

First, I found the following article in the Power Apps Forum:  
“Multiple parameters to open app on different screen based on URL clicked.”

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Building-Power-Apps/Multiple-parameters-to-open-app-on-different...

I also found this article: “Passing parameters to your Power Apps SharePoint form”

https://www.about365.nl/2020/08/06/passing-parameters-to-your-power-apps-sharepoint-form/

And I also found this demo video: “Pass Parameters From the URL to a Power App”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZDGq9xoDVg

Between the three of these, I was able to create a test app that looks promising.

1. I created a new PowerApp connected to my SP List. 
   This created a simple 3 screen app; BrowseScreen1, DetailScreen1, and EditScreen1.
   
   
2. On the App “StartScreen” property, I set a switch parameter for each screen

• Switch(Param("screen"), "1", BrowseScreen1, "2", DetailScreen1, "3", EditScreen1

     3. On the App “OnStart” property, I set CurrentItem to my itemid parameter

• Set(CurrentItem, LookUp('Lease Termination', ID = Value(Param("itemid"))))

     4. And on the BrowseGallery, Items property, I set it to only display the item matching the itemid parameter.

• CurrentItem

I then published the App.

Finally, I was able to call the App with my “itemid” and “screen” parameter appended to the end of its URL.

https://apps.powerapps.com/play/e/default-xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxx/a/yyyyyyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyyy-y...?tenantId=zzzzzzzz-zzzz-zzzz-zzzzzzzzzzzz&itemid=3&screen=3

The app opened on the correct screen and displayed the correct list item on that screen.

[EddieE]

@Anonymous 

Thanks for posting this great information back here. This will greatly help any future PowerAppsters with similar issues.

I hope you got your issue sorted.

[Diggerr]

How to 

call the App with my “itemid” and “screen” parameter appended to the end of its URL.

https://apps.powerapps.com/play/e/default-xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxx/a/yyyyyyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyyy-y...?tenantId=zzzzzzzz-zzzz-zzzz-zzzzzzzzzzzz&itemid=3&screen=3
without publishing app? from Monitor or debug windows?