How to Edit Existing Records in a Power Apps Portal List
Question details
User needs to enable editing of existing records in a Power Apps portal list when the current form only supports new record submission.
- Product
- Microsoft Power Apps Portal
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- A portal list is connected to a create-only form, and the user wants portal visitors to select and update existing records.
- Observed behavior
- The portal list currently allows new records but does not provide a direct edit action for existing records.
Confirm that you can access the Power Apps portal management area and that the list is currently bound to a form configured only for data submission. Also identify the unique identifier field you will pass to the edit form.
Create a separate edit form that receives the selected record ID and uses the update operation
Use this solution when the original portal list form only creates records and cannot retrieve or update existing data.
The original submission form is normally configured for create-only behavior and usually cannot be reused for editing. A separate edit form lets the portal list keep the create flow unchanged while adding a safe update path for existing rows.
Sign in to Power Apps, select your portal app, and open the Portal Management app. Navigate to Basic Forms or the form configuration associated with the portal list.
In Portal Management, create a new Basic Form or duplicate the existing submission form. Configure the form mode to Edit and select the target table so it can load an existing record.
In the portal list configuration, add an Edit action or modify the existing action. Set it to open the new edit form and pass the selected record’s identifier and necessary field values.
On the edit form, enable the option to load a record from a query string parameter, map the passed identifier to the table’s ID field, and bind the form to that record.
Change the form’s submit behavior from create to update or SubmitForm, save and publish the portal, then select an existing list record to confirm it opens with saved values and updates correctly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t my portal list edit existing records even though new records are created?
The list is likely tied to a form configured only for the create operation. You need a separate edit form configured to retrieve an existing record and use the update operation.
Do I have to change the original submission form to enable editing?
No. Keep the original create-only form unchanged. Create a separate edit form and pass the selected record ID from the portal list to that form.
What value should I pass from the list to the edit form?
Pass the selected record’s unique identifier, usually a GUID, plus any field values you want to preload. The edit form can then load the record from the query string.
How do I make the new form update instead of create records?
Configure the form mode to Edit and set the submit action to the update operation or SubmitForm with FormMode.Edit. Bind it to the record retrieved by the passed ID.
Can WPS Office fix Power Apps portal list editing?
No. WPS Office is an Office suite and cannot configure Power Apps portal forms. Use Power Apps portal management to create the edit form.
