Migrate apps from App Builder

The App Builder agent is retiring. If you built apps by using the App Builder agent, move them to Copilot Cowork or Apps in Copilot Studio. In both experiences, you chat with an agent to create, edit, and maintain apps.

You can access your App Builder apps until November 30, 2026.

Choose how to migrate your app

You can migrate an App Builder app in two ways:

One-click migration (recommended): Select Migrate app in App Builder to move your app to a managed app in Copilot Cowork. You don't need to download source code or write a prompt.
Manual migration: Download your app's source code, attach it to a migration prompt, and rebuild the app in Copilot Cowork or Apps in Copilot Studio.

Note

One-click migration is rolling out worldwide starting November 4, 2026. If you don't see the Migrate app option yet, check again later, or use manual migration.

Use this table to choose a migration path.

Feature	One-click migration	Manual migration
Where you start	App Builder	Copilot Cowork or Apps in Copilot Studio
Where your new app lives	Copilot Cowork	Copilot Cowork or Apps in Copilot Studio
Download source code	Not needed	Required. You attach the `.zip` file to a prompt.
Write a migration prompt	Not needed	Required
Availability	Rolling out worldwide starting November 4, 2026	Available now

With either path, the new app is separate from your original app. Keep your original app until you confirm that the new app works as expected.

Before you migrate

Check the prerequisites for your migration path, and find your app's data. Both migration paths require access to your app's data.

Prerequisites for Copilot Cowork

These prerequisites apply to one-click migration and to manual migration to Copilot Cowork. For Copilot Studio, see Prerequisites for Copilot Studio.

Ensure you have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license and Copilot Cowork is turned on for your organization. If you don't see Cowork, ask your admin to turn it on.
Confirm that your organization participates in the Frontier program. For now, the App skill in Cowork is available only to tenants that have opted into the Frontier program. Your organization might already participate because App Builder also requires the Frontier program.
Ensure you can use Copilot Credits. Cowork uses usage-based billing, and building apps consumes Copilot Credits. For more information, see Usage-based billing and cost management for Copilot Credits.
Ensure you can create apps in your personal developer environment (PDE). Cowork builds your app in your PDE by default. If your organization doesn't allow you to create one, see Troubleshooting.

Option 1: One-click migration

One-click migration creates a Copilot Managed Runtime app in Copilot Cowork directly from your App Builder app. After migration, you chat with an agent in Copilot Cowork to update, publish, and share your app.

How one-click migration works

One-click migration creates a new managed app from your App Builder app. Your original app stays in App Builder, unchanged, until App Builder is officially retired.

Check the prerequisites. Ensure you can use Copilot Cowork and have access to your app's data.
Migrate your app. Open your app in App Builder, and select Migrate app.
Review your migrated app. Open the new app in Copilot Cowork, and compare it with your original app.
Verify your data connections. Confirm that the new app uses your existing data, not sample data.
Publish and share your app. Publish the new app, and share it with the people who use your original app.

Part of your app	What happens during one-click migration
Screens, navigation, components, and logic	Migrated from your app's source code.
Data in SharePoint lists	Stays where it is. Your new app connects to the same lists.
Data connections	Reconnected automatically during migration.
Sharing and app links	Not carried over. Share your new app after you publish it.
Your original App Builder app	Not changed or deleted. You can still open it in App Builder until November 30, 2026.

Prerequisites for one-click migration

Before you migrate your app, ensure that:

You meet the prerequisites for Copilot Cowork.
You can edit the app in App Builder. One-click migration is available only to people who can edit the app, usually the app's original author.
You have access to your app's data. For details, see Find your app's data.

Migrate your app with one click

Sign in to Microsoft Copilot.
In the left navigation pane, under Agents, select App Builder.
Find your app in the app list, and open it for editing.
Wait until your app finishes loading.

Important

If you select Migrate app while your app is still loading, the migration might not start. Wait until the app finishes loading and the message box is available, and then continue.
In the command bar, next to Settings (gear icon), select Migrate app.
In the confirmation dialog, review the details, and then select Yes, migrate.
Wait while your app migrates. Don't close the browser tab until migration finishes. Migration takes several minutes.
When migration finishes, look for the confirmation message in the App Builder chat. To open your app in Cowork for editing, follow the steps in Review your migrated app in Cowork.

Review your migrated app in Cowork

The migration confirmation message includes a link to Copilot Cowork and a prompt to load your app for editing. After migration, edit your app in Cowork, not in App Builder.

In the App Builder chat, find the migration message, and copy the prompt that starts with Load my app. The prompt includes your app's name and ID, such as Load my app <app name> + (<app ID>). Copy the prompt exactly as it appears in your chat.
In the message, select Copilot Cowork. You can also go to Microsoft 365 Copilot and select Cowork at the top of the page.
In the conversation list on the side, open the conversation for your app. It's usually named Edit Application Settings or Edit Application.
Paste the prompt that you copied into the message box, and then select Send. Cowork loads your app so that you can continue editing it.
If Cowork asks you to confirm an action or approve access to your lists, review the request, and then approve it.
Review your app in the preview, and compare it with your original app in App Builder. Check every screen, field, label, button, and rule.
If something is missing or different, describe the change in the Cowork message box. For example prompts, see Refine your migrated app.
Confirm that the app uses your existing data. For steps, see Verify your data connections.

Tip

To find your app more easily later, rename the conversation to your app's name, and pin it to the top of the conversation list.

After you review your app, follow the steps in After you migrate to refine, publish, and share it.

Option 2: Manual migration

To manually migrate an app, download its source code and rebuild it in Copilot Cowork or Copilot Studio. Use manual migration if you want to rebuild your app in Copilot Studio or if one-click migration is unavailable or doesn't work for your app.

How manual migration works

Manual migration rebuilds your app instead of moving it. You attach your app's source code to a prompt, and the agent builds a new app that matches the original as closely as possible.

Find your app's data. Collect the address of the SharePoint site and the names of the lists that store your app's data. For details, see Find your app's data.
Download your app's source code from App Builder.
Rebuild your app in Copilot Cowork or Copilot Studio by attaching the source code to a migration prompt.
Review, publish, and share your new app.

Part of your app	What happens during manual migration
Screens, navigation, components, and logic	Rebuilt from your source code.
Data in SharePoint lists	Stays where it is. Your new app connects to the same lists.
Data connections	Not carried over. The agent reconnects your new app to your lists.
Sharing and app links	Not carried over. Share your new app after you publish it.

Choose where to rebuild your app

Use this table to choose where to rebuild your app.

Feature	Copilot Cowork	Apps in Copilot Studio
Where you build	Microsoft 365 Copilot	Copilot Studio
Environment	Your personal developer environment	Your personal developer environment
Availability	Available only through the Frontier program	Public preview
Licensing	Requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license	Requires access to Copilot Studio
Billing	Uses Copilot Credits	Uses Copilot Credits
Share your app	Share a link with people in your organization who can use Microsoft 365 Copilot.	Share with specific people or groups.

Find your app's data

App Builder apps connect to data in SharePoint lists. If your app uses lists, your data stays in them during migration, and your new app connects to the same lists. Ensure you have access to the SharePoint site that stores your app's data.

Collect these details before you migrate. You use them to verify your data connections after one-click migration and to write your prompt for manual migration:

Site URL: The address of the SharePoint site that contains your lists, such as https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/DemoSignupSheet.
List names: The name of each list that your app uses.

Important

Don't delete the SharePoint site that contains your app's lists. Your new app uses the same lists. Deleting your App Builder app doesn't delete the site.

Download your app's source code

Sign in to Microsoft Copilot.
In the left navigation pane, under Agents, select App Builder.
Find your app in the app list, and open it for editing.
Select App Builder settings > Debug > Download app.

Your app's source code downloads as a .zip file. You attach this file to your migration prompt, so don't extract it.

Write your migration prompt

The agent uses attached files as reference material, not as instructions. Your prompt tells the agent what to build and how to use your source code. A good migration prompt:

Says that you're migrating your own app.
Describes what the app does, even though the source code is attached.
Tells the agent exactly which lists to connect to.
Ends with instructions to rebuild the app from the exact source code.

Copy the following template, and replace the placeholders in angle brackets (<>). Keep the last three paragraphs as they are.

I'm migrating my app, <app name>, from App Builder. I built this app, and the attached .zip file contains its complete source code. Name the new app <app name>.

<App name> helps <who uses the app> <do what>. It has these screens: <screen names>. Users can <main tasks, such as adding, updating, and approving items>.

<Data instruction. Choose one from the "Data instructions" section.>

Rebuild this app by referencing the exact source code in the attached .zip file. Before you start, extract the .zip file and read every file, including pages, components, styles, and configuration files. Treat the source code as the specification, and make the new app match the original as exactly as possible:
- Keep the same screens, navigation, and layout.
- Keep all visible text, including headings, labels, buttons, and messages, word for word.
- Keep the same fields, columns, forms, and views.
- Keep the same business logic, calculations, validation rules, filters, and sorting.
- Keep the same create, edit, and delete actions for each list.
- Match the colors, fonts, icons, and spacing in the source code's styles as closely as possible.

Reuse the original code wherever it works in the new app, and change only what's needed for it to run there, such as data connections. Don't add, remove, rename, or redesign anything. If you can't reproduce something exactly, use the closest match and tell me what's different.

This is the full scope of the app. If you build it in stages, then after each stage, list the screens and features from the source code that aren't built yet, so we can continue until the app is complete.

Data instructions

Replace the data placeholder in the template with the instruction that matches your app.

Apps that use SharePoint lists

Connect the app to my existing SharePoint lists on <site URL>: <list names>. Use only these lists for the app's data. Don't create new lists, and don't use sample data.

Apps that don't use lists

This app doesn't connect to a data source. Keep the same data that's in the source code.

Example

This example shows the first three paragraphs of a migration prompt for an app that uses lists. Add the last three paragraphs of the template after them, unchanged.

I'm migrating my app, Demo Signup Sheet, from App Builder. I built this app, and the attached .zip file contains its complete source code. Name the new app Demo Signup Sheet.

Demo Signup Sheet helps my team sign up to present demos at our weekly team meeting. It has these screens: Upcoming demos, Sign up, and My demos. Users can sign up for an open slot, edit or cancel their own signups, and see each presenter's details on a card.

Connect the app to my existing SharePoint lists on https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/DemoSignupSheet: Demos, Presenters. Use only these lists for the app's data. Don't create new lists, and don't use sample data.

Tip

Use phrases like "I'm migrating my app" and "I built this app." Avoid phrases like "similar to" or "inspired by," which ask the agent for a new design instead of an exact rebuild.
Use data source names exactly as they appear in SharePoint lists.
Attach the .zip file to the same message as your prompt.

Rebuild your app in Copilot Cowork

Use the App skill in Copilot Cowork to rebuild your app in Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Before you start, ensure you meet the prerequisites for Copilot Cowork and have your app's .zip file and your migration prompt ready.

Go to Microsoft 365 Copilot, and select Cowork at the top of the page.
In the message box, enter /app, a space, and then paste your migration prompt.
Select Add attachments (+) > Upload images and files, and then select your app's .zip file.
Select Send.
If Cowork asks you to confirm an action or approve access to your lists, review the request, and then approve it.
When the agent finishes, review your app. If the agent built the app in stages, reply Continue with the deferred items. until the app is complete.
Compare the new app with your original app, and ask for any changes. For example prompts, see Refine your migrated app.

When your app is ready, publish and share it.

Rebuild your app in Copilot Studio

Important

The Apps experience in Copilot Studio is in public preview. Preview features aren't intended for production use and might have restricted functionality.

Prerequisites for Copilot Studio

Get access to Copilot Studio, and ensure app creation is turned on. The App (Preview) tile is on by default, but your admin can turn it off.
Ensure you can use Copilot Credits. App creation is powered by the GitHub Copilot harness. Usage-based billing applies when you use, build, preview, and test apps. For more information, see Overview of usage-based billing.
Ensure you can create apps in your personal developer environment. If your organization doesn't allow you to create one, see Troubleshooting.
Have your app's .zip file (10 MB or smaller) and your migration prompt ready.

Rebuild your app

Sign in to Copilot Studio.
On Home, ensure the New experience toggle is on.
Select the App tile. You can also select Apps (Preview) > New app.
Paste your migration prompt into the message box.
Select +, and then attach your app's .zip file.
Select Submit.
Answer any follow-up questions. If Copilot Studio asks you to approve access to your lists, review the request, and then approve it.
When the agent finishes, test your app in the preview.
From the app's drop-down menu, review Data and Connections to confirm that the app uses your existing lists.
Compare the new app with your original app, and ask for any changes. For example prompts, see Refine your migrated app.

When your app is ready, publish and share it.

After you migrate

The steps in this section apply to both migration paths, unless noted.

Verify your data connections

Your data stays in your SharePoint lists. With one-click migration, your new app reconnects to your lists automatically. With manual migration, the agent reconnects your new app to your lists based on the data instruction in your prompt.

After migration, confirm that the app uses your data:

Confirm that the app shows your existing list items, not sample data.
Create, edit, and delete a test item to confirm that the app can update your lists.
If you use Copilot Studio, review the app's Data and Connections.

If the app shows sample data, send a prompt like this one:

This app is using sample data instead of my data. Connect it to my existing SharePoint lists on <site URL>: <list names>. Don't create new lists, and don't use sample data.

Refine your migrated app

The agent might not reproduce every detail on the first try. Use follow-up prompts to close the gaps.

Task	One-click migration	Manual migration
Find what's different	`List every screen, field, label, and rule in this app, so I can compare it with my original App Builder app.`	`Compare the new app with the source code in the attached .zip file. List every screen, field, label, and rule that's missing or different, and then fix them.`
Finish a staged build	Not applicable	`Continue with the deferred items.`
Fix one screen	`On the <screen name> screen, add the <field or control> that's missing. Keep everything else the same.`	`Make the <screen name> screen match <file path> in the attached source code exactly.`
Restore exact text	`Change the heading on the <screen name> screen to "<exact text>".`	`Use the exact headings, labels, and button text from the source code on every screen.`
Restore logic	`When a user submits the <form name> form, require the <field name> field, the same as the original app.`	`Use the same validation rules as the original app. Use <file path> in the source code as the reference.`

If you used manual migration and the agent can't find your source code, attach the .zip file again.

Publishing makes your app and your latest changes available to the users you share it with.

Tip

If you plan to move your app to a different environment, move it before you share it. After a move, you need to share your app again.

Your app saves automatically as you work. Follow these steps to publish and share it in Copilot Cowork or Copilot Studio.

Select Publish.
Open the app for editing, and then select Share. Generate a sharing link, or add people or groups directly in the input box.
If you generated a sharing link, send it to the people in your organization who use your original app. For apps built in Copilot Cowork, recipients need to be able to use Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Move your app to a different environment

This section applies to apps in Copilot Cowork.

By default, Copilot Cowork builds your app in your personal developer environment (PDE). If your organization wants the app in a different environment, such as a shared team or production environment, ask Cowork to move it there.

Prerequisites for the move

Get the environment ID of the environment that you want to move your app to. To find it, go to the Power Apps home page, select Settings (gear icon) > Session details, and then copy the Environment ID value.
Ensure you can create apps in that environment.

Move your app

In Copilot Cowork, open your app. For steps, see Edit your app in Copilot Cowork.
In the message box, enter this prompt, and replace <environment ID> with the ID of the environment that you want to use:
```
Move this app to this environment with the environment ID: <environment ID>
```
Select Send.
If Cowork asks you to confirm the move or approve access, review the request, and then approve it.
When the move finishes, open the app and confirm that it works as expected. For steps, see Verify your data connections.
Share your app with your users again. For steps, see Publish and share your app.

Edit your app after migration

After you migrate your app, update it by chatting with the agent in the same place where you built the app.

Edit your app in Copilot Cowork

In Copilot Cowork, your app lives in a conversation, not in a separate app list.

Go to Microsoft 365 Copilot, and select Cowork at the top of the page.
In the conversation list on the side, find the conversation that contains your app. It's usually named Edit Application Settings or Edit Application, unless you renamed it.
Open the conversation, and describe the changes that you want in the message box.
Review your changes in the preview.
Select Publish to make your changes available to your users.

Tip

To find your app more easily later, rename the conversation to your app's name, and pin it to the top of the conversation list. Select More options (...) next to the conversation, and then select Rename or Pin.

Edit your app in Copilot Studio

Sign in to Copilot Studio.
In the left navigation pane, select Apps (Preview).
Select your app to open it.
Describe the changes that you want in the message box.
Test your changes in the preview.
Select Publish to make your changes available to your users.

Known limitations

Migration creates a new app. Your original app's link and sharing settings don't migrate.
With manual migration, your original app's data connections don't migrate. The agent reconnects your new app to your lists.
Your new app might not look identical to the original. The agent uses tested color themes, so it picks the closest match to your colors.
In Copilot Studio, attachments must be 10 MB or smaller, with up to 10 files per message.

Troubleshooting

Issue	What to do
The app shows sample data instead of your data.	Send the prompt in Verify your data connections with your site URL and list names.
The agent can't find your list.	Check the site URL and list names, and make sure you have access to the site.
Your app was connected to a SharePoint list that no longer exists.	If the list was deleted, ask the site owner to restore it from the SharePoint site's recycle bin, and then ask the agent to reconnect the app to it. If the list was renamed or moved, send the agent the new site URL and list name. If the list can't be restored, ask the agent to create a new list with the columns that the app needs, such as: `The <list name> list that this app used no longer exists. Create a new SharePoint list named <list name> on <site URL> with the columns that this app needs, and connect the app to it.` The new list starts empty, so data from the original list isn't restored.
The agent says your environment is being set up.	Setting up an environment for the first time takes a few minutes. Wait, and then ask the agent to continue.
The agent can't create your personal developer environment.	Your organization might not allow you to create a personal developer environment. Ask your admin to allow developer environment creation for you in the Power Platform admin center (Developer environment assignments in tenant settings), or to give you access to an existing environment where you can create apps.
Copilot Studio doesn't accept your `.zip` file.	Attach the `.zip` file instead of individual code files. If the file is larger than 10 MB, remove generated folders such as `node_modules` and `dist`, and then compress the remaining files again.
You don't see the App skill in Cowork.	The App skill is available only to Frontier program members. Contact your admin.
You don't see the App tile in Copilot Studio.	On Home, turn on the New experience toggle. If you still don't see the tile, your admin might have turned off app creation.
You can't find your app in Cowork.	Look in the conversation list for Edit Application Settings, Edit Application, or the name you gave the conversation. For details, see Edit your app in Copilot Cowork.

Last updated on 2026-11-04