#PowerPlatformTip 80: 'Rapid Dynamic Forms with AI'

TL;DR: Render forms dynamically by binding a Power Apps gallery to a JSON array, let AI generate the schema so fields adapt on the fly without static form controls.

💡 Challenge

Creating dynamic forms in Power Apps can be time-consuming, especially when Microsoft Forms doesn’t meet your needs due to its limitations on dynamic content. Additionally, using a Form Control for manual static data like a JSON array is not feasible, as it comes with a predefined structure and fields. Writing that JSON schema by hand, one object per field with label, type, and default value, is itself tedious for anything beyond a handful of fields.

✅ Solution

Use a Power Apps gallery bound to a JSON array to dynamically render input controls on the fly, leveraging AI to quickly generate the form schema.

🔧 How It’s Done

Here’s how to do it:

1. Gallery Setup
   🔸 Create a gallery in Power Apps and add all the input fields you might need (text boxes, drop-downs, etc.).

   🔸 Arrange and style the controls as desired.

2. JSON Data Source
   🔸 Use a JSON array as the data source for the gallery.

   🔸 Load or generate the JSON dynamically (e.g., via AI or stored file).

3. Dynamic Display
   🔸 Configure the gallery to render each JSON item as a field.

   🔸 Each object in the array represents a control with properties like label, type, and default value. Inside the gallery template, a Switch(ThisItem.type, "text", TextInput_Visible, "dropdown", Dropdown_Visible, "date", DatePicker_Visible, ...) pattern toggles which control is Visible for that row, so the gallery template holds one hidden control per supported field type and shows only the one matching the current item.

4. Add conditional fields 🔸 Beyond a flat list of fields, include an optional visibleIf property in each JSON object (e.g. {"key": "otherReason", "visibleIf": "reason=Other"}) and evaluate it in the control’s Visible property against the values collected so far. This gets you conditional, branching forms, show field B only when field A has a specific value, without changing the gallery structure itself.

5. Data Handling
   🔸 Save as JSON: collect all inputs into a JSON object and store it.

   🔸 Power Automate: trigger a flow to parse the JSON for further processing (e.g., send data to SharePoint or Dataverse).

🎉 Result

You get a fully dynamic form that can adapt to various needs and scenarios, far surpassing the capabilities of standard form tools like Microsoft Forms and static Form Controls.

🌟 Key Advantages

🔸 Highly Dynamic: adapt form fields on-the-fly based on conditions or user input, including conditional visibility driven entirely by the JSON schema.

🔸 Data Flexibility: easily save form output as JSON or process with Power Automate.

🔸 No Premium Required: uses only standard Power Apps and Power Automate features.

Two things to validate before trusting an AI-generated schema in production: check that every type value in the generated JSON actually has a matching branch in your gallery’s Switch, an unrecognized type just renders nothing with no error, and confirm required-field validation logic is still enforced explicitly in your Patch/Submit formula, the JSON schema describes what to show, not what Power Apps will refuse to save.

🎥 Video Tutorial

🛠️ FAQ

1. How do I quickly generate the JSON schema for the form?

You can use AI tools like ChatGPT to draft a JSON array schema based on your form requirements, then refine it as needed.

2. Can I include custom control types in the gallery?

Yes. Define each control’s type in the JSON (e.g., dropdown, date picker) and add the corresponding input template to your gallery.

3. Do I need any premium connectors or licenses?

No. This method uses built-in Power Apps galleries, JSON handling, and standard Power Automate flows without requiring premium connectors.

🔗 Related Tips

🔸 Power Apps Dynamic Form Schema: Add Controls on the Fly - a hand-authored version of the same schema-driven approach, without the AI shortcut.

🔸 #PowerPlatformTip 84: ‘Tabbing in Dynamic Forms’ - fix the Tab-key order once your gallery-based form is rendering these AI-generated fields.