PL-900 Exam Topic

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What Is Microsoft Power Pages?

Power Pages is a low-code platform for building secure, data-connected external-facing websites and portals. It is part of the Microsoft Power Platform. It was previously called Power Apps Portals.

The key distinction: unlike Power Apps (for internal users), Power Pages is primarily designed for people outside your organisation such as customers, partners, vendors, citizens who access it through a standard web browser, no Microsoft account needed. Internal users can use it as well.

Key Tip Power Pages = external-facing websites connected to Microsoft Dataverse. Internal and External users can sign in via Azure AD, Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, or a local account. This is a common exam scenario: ‘Which tool lets external users access business data through a website?’ → Power Pages.

Key Concepts to Know

1. What It Connects To

Power Pages surfaces data from Microsoft Dataverse — the same database used by Power Apps and Dynamics 365. Users can view, submit, and update records in real time through the portal.

2. Security Model

Access is controlled through two core concepts:

• Web Roles: define what type of user someone is (e.g. anonymous visitor, authenticated customer, approved partner)
• Table Permissions: define what each role can do — read, create, update, or delete records in Dataverse

3. How Sites Are Built

Power Pages has a visual Design Studio — a browser-based editor with drag-and-drop components, professional templates, and pre-built forms. No code is needed for most scenarios. For advanced needs, it supports custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

4. External Authentication

External users do not need a Microsoft 365 account. They can sign in using Azure Active Directory, Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, or a simple username and password — making portals genuinely accessible to any audience.

Tip Know the difference: Power Apps = internal employees. Power Pages = internal + external users (customers, vendors, public).

The Business Value of Power Pages

• Speed: launch a professional portal in days using templates, not months of custom development
• Cost: no need to hire web developers for standard portal scenarios
• Self-service: customers and partners access information and submit data 24/7 without contacting support
• Security: enterprise-grade access control and encryption built in — no custom coding required
• Integration: form submissions trigger Power Automate flows; data connects directly to internal Power Apps

Common Use Cases

Scenario	Power Pages Solution
Customer support	Customers log in to raise cases, track status, and download documents
Vendor/supplier	Suppliers submit invoices and check purchase order status
Citizen services	Public submits applications (permits, licences) and tracks progress
Student portal	Students access course materials, grades, and enrolment forms
Volunteer sign-up	External volunteers register, select shifts, and receive automated confirmations

Quick Reference

Feature	What to Know
Platform	Microsoft Power Platform (alongside Power Apps, Automate, BI, Virtual Agents)
Purpose	Build external-facing websites and portals connected to Dataverse
Target users	External users — customers, vendors, partners, citizens, students
Authentication	Azure AD, Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, local accounts (no M365 account needed)
Data source	Microsoft Dataverse (read/write in real time)
Security	Web roles + table permissions control what each user can see and do
Builder tool	Power Pages Design Studio — visual, drag-and-drop, no code required
Formerly known as	Power Apps Portals

Found this helpful? Share with your study group or drop a comment with your favourite Power Pages use case. Follow along for the next post in the PL-900 series! #PL900  #PowerPages  #MicrosoftPowerPlatform  #LowCode

Microsoft Power Platform Series  |  PL-900 Exam Preparation