Personal Components

Save and organize your custom Power Apps components in your own personal library.

Overview

In the product this library is called Custom YAML. You find it under the Custom Libraries tab in the library header (and under Your Libraries in the left sidebar). It stores your own Power Apps YAML code alongside optional screenshots, so you have a personal library of reusable components that you can access anytime.

Available for: Ultra, Team, Lifetime and Legacy accounts. The Components plan does not include it. See pricing.

Why Use Personal Components?

Building Power Apps often means creating custom components that don't exist in the standard library. With Custom YAML, you can:

• Save custom YAML code you've built
• Store component screenshots for quick reference
• Organize all your custom work in one place
• Quickly find and reuse your own components across projects
• Build your own component library tailored to your needs

Creating a Personal Component

Step 1: Open Custom YAML

1. Go to the Component Library
2. Open the Custom Libraries tab in the header and click the Custom YAML Library card (or click Custom YAML under Your Libraries in the left sidebar)
3. You'll see your library at /library/customcomponents (empty if you haven't saved any component yet)

Step 2: Create New Component

Click the New Component button in the top right corner. This opens the component creation form.

Step 3: Fill in Component Details

Required Fields:

• Title - Give your component a descriptive name (e.g., "Custom Login Form", "Dashboard Header")
• YAML Code - Paste your Power Apps YAML code

Optional Fields:

• Description - Add notes about what the component does or how to use it
• Category - Pick a folder for the component, or create one from the form
• Screenshot - Upload an image showing what the component looks like
  • Supported formats: PNG, JPEG, JPG, WEBP
  • Maximum size: 5MB
  • Tip: Take a screenshot of the component in Power Apps Studio for accurate reference

Step 4: Save Your Component

Click Save Component and your component will be added to your personal library.

Managing Your Components

Viewing Components

Your personal components are displayed in a grid layout, similar to other category pages. Each component shows:

• Component title
• Description (if provided)
• Screenshot preview (if uploaded)
• YAML code tab for copying

Copying YAML Code

1. Find the saved component card
2. Click the Copy YAML button in the card header (it works from any tab), or open the YAML tab and click Copy
3. Paste directly into Power Apps Studio

No access checks are required for your own components - you always have full access to copy your saved YAML.

Deleting Components

Single Component Deletion:

1. Click the Select button in the top right
2. Checkboxes appear next to each component
3. Click on components to select them
4. A floating Delete Selected button appears at the bottom
5. Click to delete (you'll see a confirmation dialog)
6. Click Cancel to exit selection mode

Bulk Deletion:

You can select multiple components at once and delete them all together using the same selection mode.

Best Practices

Naming Your Components

Use clear, descriptive names that help you quickly identify what each component does:

• ✅ Good: "User Profile Card - Horizontal Layout"
• ✅ Good: "Custom Search Bar with Filters"
• ❌ Poor: "Component 1", "Test"

Adding Descriptions

Include helpful notes about:

• What the component does
• Where you use it in your apps
• Any special configuration needed
• Variables or data sources required

Taking Screenshots

For best results:

• Use your operating system's screenshot tool (Power Apps Studio has no screenshot feature of its own)
• Show the component in context when possible
• Ensure the screenshot is clear and readable
• Keep file sizes reasonable (under 1MB is ideal)

Organizing YAML Code

Before saving:

• Format your YAML code properly
• Test it in Power Apps first
• Remove any sensitive data or test values
• Add comments if helpful for future reference

Common Use Cases

Custom Form Layouts

Save specialized form layouts you use across multiple apps:

• Multi-step wizards
• Dynamic form sections
• Custom validation patterns

Brand-Specific Components

Store components customized to your organization's branding:

• Company headers and footers
• Branded buttons and cards
• Custom color schemes

Reusable Templates

Keep templates for recurring patterns:

• Data table layouts
• Dashboard widgets
• Navigation patterns specific to your workflow

Experimental Components

Test new ideas and save working prototypes:

• New interaction patterns
• Custom animations
• Innovative UI solutions

Tips & Tricks

Version History Is Automatic

Every time you edit a saved component, a new version is stored. Inside a folder, hover over the card and click the clock icon (its tooltip reads History (vN)) to open the Version History panel, where you can restore any earlier version. Components in the Uncategorized section have no history button, so move them into a folder first. You do not need to put version numbers in the title.

Group Related Components

Use consistent naming prefixes to group related components:

• "Login - Form"
• "Login - Header"
• "Login - Footer"

Keep Notes in the Description

The version history records every change for you. Use the description field for notes that the history cannot hold, such as where you use the component and what it needs.

Regular Cleanup

Periodically review your personal library and delete components you no longer use to keep things organized.

Troubleshooting

Can't Access Personal Components

Solution: Custom YAML requires one of these accounts:

• Ultra
• Team (as a member of a paid team)
• Lifetime
• Legacy

The Components plan does not include it. If you are signed out, the page sends you to sign in. If you are signed in without one of these plans, the page shows a locked "Custom Components" panel with an upgrade button that opens the plan options.

Upload Failed

If image upload fails:

• Check file size (must be under 5MB)
• Verify file format (PNG, JPEG, JPG, WEBP only)
• Try compressing the image
• Check your internet connection

Component Not Saving

Ensure both required fields are filled:

• Title cannot be empty
• YAML code cannot be empty

Can't See My Components

Try refreshing the page. If components still don't appear, check:

• You're logged in to the correct account
• Your account is Ultra, Team, Lifetime or Legacy

Categories

The product calls these folders. Organize your components into folders for better management.

Creating Categories

1. Go to Custom YAML
2. Click New Folder
3. Enter a name (e.g., "Login Screens", "Dashboard Widgets")
4. Save

Folders can hold subfolders.

Moving Components to Categories

When saving a new component, pick a folder in the Category (optional) field of the form. To move an existing component, edit it and change the category.

Uncategorized Components

Components without a folder appear in the "Uncategorized" section. You can organize them later.

Sharing Categories with Team Members

Share your folders with colleagues so they can access your custom components.

How to Share

1. Go to Custom YAML
2. Find the folder you want to share
3. Click the Share icon on the folder card (only the owner sees it)
4. Enter the email address of your colleague
5. Choose permission level:
   • View - They can see and copy components
   • Edit - They can also add/modify components
6. Click "Share"

An email invitation is sent every time. The share is stored by email address and linked to the PowerLibs account with that address, where the folder then appears in the "Shared with me" section. The recipient also needs an Ultra, Team, Lifetime or Legacy account to open the library. You can send up to 20 invitations per hour.

Permission Levels

Shared Categories Section

When someone shares a folder with you, it appears in a separate "Shared with me" section on the Custom YAML page. You'll see:

• Folder name
• Owner's email
• Your permission level
• Component count

Managing Shares

Viewing who has access: Click the Share icon on a folder you own to see all current shares.

Changing permissions: In the share dialog, change the permission dropdown and save.

Removing access: Click the trash-can icon next to a person's email in the "People with access" list of the share dialog.

Sharing Best Practices

• Use View for reference libraries - When you want others to see but not modify
• Use Edit for team collaboration - When building components together
• Share folders, not individual components - It's more organized
• Name folders clearly - "HR Portal Components" is better than "My Stuff"

Access Requirements

Who Can Use Personal Components:

• Ultra
• Team (members of a paid team)
• Lifetime
• Legacy

The Components plan does not include it.

What's Included:

• Image uploads up to 5MB per component
• Create, view, edit and delete components, with a version history you can restore from
• Instant YAML code access
• Folders and subfolders
• Sharing with team members

Next Steps

• Browse the Component Library for inspiration
• Learn about Settings Customization
• Explore YAML Code Export techniques

Need help? Use the Ideas + Bugs page to report issues or request features.