Connect .Net (4.6.2) to Dataverse using the Dataverse plugin

Question

Hi Microsoft Tech Community,

We have a Dataverse environment in our tenant, and I have its URL. I'm building a .NET application and need to connect it to Dataverse for data access.

From the Learn docs, ChatGPT, and Copilot, it seems I need to use an App ID (Client ID) and Client Secret in the connection string (e.g., via Microsoft.PowerPlatform.Dataverse.Client). However, the Dataverse environment itself doesn't expose any App ID or Client Secret—where would I even find those if they exist?

Here's the code snippet we found online that's using OAuth with AppId and RedirectUri, but we're unsure about the app registration part:

using Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Messages;
using Microsoft.PowerPlatform.Dataverse.Client;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;

class Program
{
   // TODO Enter your Dataverse environment's URL and logon info.
   static string url = "https://yourorg.crm.dynamics.com";
   static string userName = "email address removed for privacy reasons";
   static string password = "yourPassword";

   // This service connection string uses the info provided above.
   // The AppId and RedirectUri are provided for sample code testing.
   static string connectionString = $@"
   AuthType = OAuth;
   Url = {url};
   UserName = {userName};
   Password = {password};
   AppId = 51f81489-12ee-4a9e-aaae-a2591f45987d;
   RedirectUri = app://58145B91-0C36-4500-8554-080854F2AC97;
   LoginPrompt=Auto;
   RequireNewInstance = True";

   static void Main()
   {
      //ServiceClient implements IOrganizationService interface
      IOrganizationService service = new ServiceClient(connectionString);

      var response = (WhoAmIResponse)service.Execute(new WhoAmIRequest());

      Console.WriteLine($"User ID is {response.UserId}.");

      // Pause the console so it does not close.
      Console.WriteLine("Press the <Enter> key to exit.");
      Console.ReadLine();
   }
}

Do I need to create a separate app registration in Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD), link it to the Dataverse environment (perhaps as an application user?), and then use that app's Client ID/Secret in my .NET code? If so, could someone outline the exact steps, including permissions and Power Platform admin center setup?

Any guidance or links to official walkthroughs would be greatly appreciated—thanks!

Answer 1

Thank you for reaching out.

Your .NET application cannot connect to Dataverse using just username and password because Microsoft now requires secure OAuth authentication. This means you need to register your app in Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) and use a Client ID and Client Secret for token-based access. Older methods are deprecated for security reasons.

Steps to solve the issue:

1. Register an app in Microsoft Entra ID

• Go to Azure portal → Azure Active Directory → App registrations → New registration.
  • Give a name and set Redirect URI (for development use http://localhost).
  • After registration, note down Application (Client) ID and Directory (Tenant) ID.
  Create a Client Secret

    - In the app registration, go to *Certificates & secrets* → *New client secret*.
    
    
       - Add description, set expiry, and copy the secret value immediately.
    ```1. **Set API Permissions**
  
     - Under *API permissions*, add Dynamics CRM permissions.
     
     - Click *Grant admin consent* for your organization.
     
     **Create an Application User in Dataverse**
     
        - In Power Platform Admin Center → Environment → *Settings* → *Users + Permissions* → *Application Users*.
        
           - Add the registered app and assign a suitable security role (System Administrator for testing).
           
  

1. Update your connection string in .NET\ Use AuthType=ClientSecret for server-to-server authentication:

      string connectionString = 
          "AuthType=ClientSecret; Url=https://yourorg.crm.dynamics.com; 
           ClientId=YOUR_CLIENT_ID; ClientSecret=YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET; 
           RequireNewInstance=True";
   

   Run your application\ With these values in place, your .NET app will connect securely to Dataverse.

References

• Register an app with Microsoft Entra ID
• Use OAuth authentication with Microsoft Dataverse
• Use connection strings in XRM tooling to connect to Microsoft Dataverse

Please let us know if you require any further assistance, we’re happy to help.

If you found this information useful, kindly mark this as "Accept Answer".

Answer 2

To connect your .NET application to Dataverse using OAuth, you indeed need to create an application registration in Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD). This registration will provide you with the Client ID (App ID) and Client Secret necessary for your connection string. Here are the steps to set this up:

1. Register an Application in Microsoft Entra ID:
   • Go to the Azure portal and navigate to Azure Active Directory.
   • Select App registrations and then click on New registration.
   • Fill in the application details such as name and redirect URI (you can use a placeholder like http://localhost for development).
   • After registration, note down the Application (client) ID and Directory (tenant) ID.
2. Create a Client Secret:
   • In your registered application, go to Certificates & secrets.
   • Click on New client secret, provide a description, and set an expiration period. After saving, make sure to copy the secret value as it will not be shown again.
3. Set API Permissions:
   • Go to API permissions in your registered application.
   • Click on Add a permission, select APIs my organization uses, and search for Dataverse.
   • Choose the appropriate permissions (like user_impersonation) and grant admin consent if necessary.
4. Create an Application User in Dataverse:
   • In the Power Platform admin center, navigate to your Dataverse environment.
   • Go to Settings > Users + permissions > Application users.
   • Click on Add application user, and enter the Application ID you noted earlier. Assign the necessary roles to this user to access the required data in Dataverse.
5. Update Your Connection String:
   • Replace the placeholder values in your connection string with the actual Client ID and Client Secret you obtained from the registration process. Your connection string should look similar to this:

      static string connectionString = $@"
      AuthType = OAuth;
      Url = {url};
      ClientId = {yourClientId};
      ClientSecret = {yourClientSecret};
      RedirectUri = {yourRedirectUri};
      RequireNewInstance = True";
   

6. Run Your Application:
   • With the updated connection string, you should be able to run your application and connect to Dataverse successfully.

For more detailed guidance, you can refer to the official documentation on creating service principals and connecting to Dataverse.

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References:

• Use connection strings in XRM tooling to connect to Microsoft Dataverse
• What should I do to fix my application code if affected?