Fix Issue - Exported Canvas App Zip Package Can’t Be Directly Imported

Many time you come across a scenario where in you have a zip package of your PowerApps canvas app and you want to import it as a solution into your Power Platform. Directly this is not achievable

Many times you may come across a scenario wherein you have a zip package of your PowerApps canvas app and you want to import it as a solution into your Power Platform. This is not achievable by direct means. 

Why? Whenever you directly import your Power Apps canvas app zip package into your Solution > Import Solution > You will be shown this error as shown in Fig 1.1

Fig 1.1 – Error while importing canvas app zip package directly to Solutions

Now, you will ask me how to resolve this, right?

Resolution: Don’t export the zip package of the Canvas app. Create a solution and add the canvas app into the Solution then take an export.

Follow the below mentioned steps to know more on how you can achieve this.

Navigate to your Solutions > Click on New Solution as shown in Fig 1.2

Fig 1.2 – Create a new solution

A panel will open, fill in the details by giving Solution name, Publisher type as Default and this will create an unmanaged type of Package > Create the Solution as shown in Fig 1.3

Fig 1.3 – Create a new Solution Panel

Once you create a new solution, it will look something like as shown in Fig 1.4

Fig 1.4 – New Solution created

Now, click on the newly created solution ‘CanvasApp Solution’, Once you move in, select existing > App > select Canvas App, now you can either select an existing canvas app or create a new canvas app which will be residing in your solution as shown in Fig 1.5

Fig 1.5 – Add an existing canvas app or create a new canvas app inside the solution

Once you have added your canvas app into your solution, now you can export this solution file and it will download a zip package into your local system as shown in Fig 1.6

Fig 1.6 – Export the solution with Canvas app

Now when you will use this exported package and import to any new environment as a solution you will not discover the error as seen in Fig 1.1

I hope this resolution will be helpful for many. Don’t forget to export your PowerApps canvas app as solution to avoid encountering the issue in future.

Stay tuned for upcoming blogs.

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