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How to Customize Departments and Managers in a Power Apps Template

Natalie Taylor Oct 21, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to modify the predefined department and manager options in the Power Apps Interview Tool template.

How to Customize Departments and Managers in a Power Apps Template

Product: Microsoft Power Apps
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Customizing specific data options in a pre-built Power Apps template to reflect the user's actual organizational structure.
Observed behavior: The template displays default predefined department and manager data that needs to be replaced with custom values.

Before you start

Ensure you have the necessary permissions to edit the Power App and access its underlying data sources, such as SharePoint or Dataverse.

Solution 1Recommended

Update the Connected Data Source

The most common way to change predefined data in templates is to modify the underlying data source connected to the app.

Many Power Apps templates pull options from an external data source. Updating the source automatically updates the app once refreshed.

Open Power Apps Studio

Log in to Microsoft Power Apps, locate your Interview Tool app, select it, and click 'Edit' to open it in Power Apps Studio.

Identify the Data Source

Select the Dropdown or Combo box control for Departments or Managers on your screen. Check its 'Items' property in the formula bar at the top to see which data source it points to.

Update the Source Data

Navigate to the connected SharePoint list, Dataverse table, or Excel file and update the rows or columns with your custom departments and managers.

Refresh Data in the App

Go back to Power Apps Studio, open the Data pane on the left, click the ellipsis (...) next to your data source, and select 'Refresh'.

Data Refreshed: The dropdown menus in your app should now display the newly updated departments and managers from your external source.

Solution 2

Modify Embedded Collections

If the template does not use an external data source, the predefined options might be hardcoded using collections within the app itself.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why aren't my updated departments showing in the Power App dropdown?

You may need to refresh the data connection. Go to the Data pane in Power Apps Studio, locate your data source (like SharePoint or Dataverse), click the ellipsis (...), and select 'Refresh'.

Where can I find the 'Items' property of a control in Power Apps?

Select the specific control (e.g., a dropdown list) on your canvas. In the right-hand properties pane, select the 'Advanced' tab, or simply look at the formula bar at the top and select 'Items' from the property dropdown on the left of the bar.

Can I connect a Power Apps template to an entirely new SharePoint list?

Yes. You can add a new data connection from the Data pane, then update the 'Items' property of your gallery or form controls to point to the new SharePoint list instead of the template's default source.

Where is the best place to get help with complex Power Apps formulas?

The official Microsoft Power Apps Community (powerusers.microsoft.com) is an excellent resource where experts and other users can help troubleshoot specific formula or data connection issues for templates.

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