Role-based access control in a PowerApp based on items in a SharePoint list

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When creating a PowerApp (an app created with PowerApps), you sometimes want to only show a button based on the role of the user, aka you want role-based access.

Another often required feature is easy role management for the PowerApp owner. Working with a SharePoint list with custom permissions on it will do just fine for that.

But can both be combined? Yes, it can!

Create a SharePoint list (called “Roles App”) and add a “People or Group” field to it called “Employee”. Now add items to the list. For example:

Title	Employee
Role One	user1
Role Two	user1
Role Three	user2

SharePoint list items

In the PowerApp, put the following in the property OnStart of the start screen.

ClearCollect(rolesApp, 'Roles App');
Set(currentUser, User());
ClearCollect(roles, Filter(rolesApp, Employee.Email=currentUser.Email));
Set(varRoleOne, LookUp(roles, Title="Role One", Title));

In the PowerApp, put the following in the property Visible of the button:

If(IsBlank(varRoleOne), false, true)

The button is now shown only for users which have the role “Role One” defined in the SharePoint list.

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