Copy existing code/screens from Dev App to PROD App if we do not have solutions

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Posted on by johnjohnPter

1,811 Super User 2024 Season 1

We have 2 Power Apps Dev & PROD, and we do not use solutions nor we use environments (so we use the Default environment). now each app is connected to different SharePoint site Dev site & PROD site and to 2 different set of flows; Dev flows & PROD flows. now i did a lot of modifications to the Dev app and they are ready to get deployed to PROD app. but what is the easiest way to copy the code from Dev to PROD? i do not want to create a new PROD app, as i need to use the current PROD app url. so can anyone advice? is there a way to copy all the code and screens from Dev to PROD app?

Thanks

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Building Power Apps

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mmbr1606 14,605 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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you can not really go the way you do it, the only thing that can be done only working in default environment (what i wont suggest) is to only safe and not publish the modifications, this will keep the "Prod" app without publishing the changes.

sooner or later you need to create new environments and do the ALM like it should be.

if my answer helped please mark as verified answer,

cheers

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t4m7 4 on at

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assuming these are canvas apps, within the prod app, you can make new screens/pages that are not initially available to the users...that way you can work on them without disruption, and use a parameter to activate them later.
you can copy and paste some things, although sometimes you have to repeat the layout exercises.

I hate to say it, but it can also be a good exercise to re-do the work, treating your previous work as a draft/tutorial and then really dialing it in this next time.
Then you can delete the dev app, and in the future you can save the prod as a copy to test something really tricky.

All that said, Solutions are your friend. So are environments.

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johnjohnPter 1,811 Super User 2024 Season 1 on at

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@mmbr1606

But i did not modify the PROD app to publish the changes,,, i need to copy the Dev app code into PROD app

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johnjohnPter 1,811 Super User 2024 Season 1 on at

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@t4m7

Yes i do solutions and environments,, but for this i am working on exsiting project, i think it was created before we have the option to create solutions,,, so can not i export the Dev app, then import it inside exsiting PROD app, then reconfigure the connection to referecne the PROD site + PROD flows?

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mmbr1606 14,605 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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when you are working with solutions, why dont you add everythng into a new solution and do the ALM like its best practice?

cheers

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johnjohnPter 1,811 Super User 2024 Season 1 on at

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@mmbr1606

Thanks again for your reply.

I think I am asking a specific technical question, and i described the current situation, we do not have time and budget to reconfigure all the apps and flows to use environment variables instead of directly referencing the lists and sites. maybe we will consider this in the future. so let try to be specific about my problem/question, without suggesting best practices which will not be suitable for us due to time and budget limit. Thanks

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timl 36,415 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Hi johnjohnPter

The way to do this would be to open your DEV app in the editor and choose the 'Save as' > overwrite option to overwrite your PROD app.

You can then open your PROD app and re-point your data sources.

When you choose the 'overwrite' option, the app will retain original PROD app id, so your existing shortcuts will still work.

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johnjohnPter 1,811 Super User 2024 Season 1 on at

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@timl

Thanks for your reply.

So you mean i will need to Save As the Dev app and give it the same name as the PROD APP? so it will override the PROD with the Dev screens and formulas? did i get your point correctly ?

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WarrenBelz 153,117 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Adding a suggestion here that I still use - the Legacy Export Package

then Import app > From package (.zip)

then get the file out of your Downloads folder and follow the import wizard. It brings in or updates the app and any associated Flows and retains the Version history.

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johnjohnPter 1,811 Super User 2024 Season 1 on at

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@WarrenBelz

Thanks, so i will mainly export the DEv app, then import it and chose to override the PROD app? is this correct?

Thanks

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