Power Apps custom tools and rich UI arrive in public preview

Introduction

Microsoft is expanding how Power Apps works inside Microsoft 365 Copilot. With this public preview, organizations can move beyond basic record interactions and build tailored actions and richer app-driven experiences directly in Copilot conversations.

For IT teams and Power Platform admins, this matters because it opens a new path for business users to interact with model-driven apps using natural language, visual widgets, and app-specific logic without requiring separate infrastructure.

What’s new

Microsoft announced two major additions for app-based conversations in Microsoft 365 Copilot:

• Custom tools for model-driven apps

  • Makers can now create MCP-powered actions directly in Power Apps.
  • These tools extend the built-in app tools already available for querying, creating, viewing, and editing Dataverse records.
  • Each tool includes metadata such as name, description, and instructions so Copilot can determine when to invoke it.

• Rich app-powered UI widgets

  • Makers can attach interactive HTML widgets built with Fluent UI.
  • Widgets are MCP-compliant and automatically adapt to Copilot light and dark themes.
  • Microsoft is also introducing the generate-mcp-app-ui skill in Claude Code and GitHub Copilot CLI to speed up widget creation using natural language.

Why this matters

This update makes Copilot interactions more visual and task-oriented. Instead of returning only text responses, Power Apps can now surface contextual interfaces that help users understand data and take action faster.

Examples Microsoft highlighted include:

• Tracking case progress over time
• Spotting friction in business processes
• Staying aligned on customer outcomes
• Turning Dataverse data into visual outputs such as Sankey-style flow charts

For admins and makers, the key advantage is that these capabilities plug into the same app MCP server generated from the model-driven app. There is no separate infrastructure to stand up.

Impact on IT administrators and makers

Admins should note several prerequisites and limitations:

• Available in public preview only
• Currently supported for model-driven apps only
• Requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license
• Requires permission to upload custom apps in Microsoft Teams
• Initially rolling out to early release environments

This also introduces new governance considerations around Copilot extensibility, app publishing, and testing custom tools before broader deployment.

How to get started

Microsoft recommends the following process:

1. Enable the app’s MCP server from the App MCP area in Power Apps.
2. Create a custom tool with a clear name, description, and Dataverse query or prompt instructions.
3. Optionally generate and attach a widget UI using the /generate-mcp-app-ui skill.
4. Download the updated app package and publish it through Microsoft Teams or the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Next steps

Power Platform teams should evaluate which model-driven apps could benefit from app-based conversations in Copilot. Start with a limited preview use case, validate security and publishing controls, and test how custom tools and widgets improve user workflows before wider rollout.