Starting with Power Apps client library for code apps version 1.1.9, the new npm-based CLI includes a create-connection command. Use this command to create a connection for a connector directly from the command line, without leaving your terminal or opening the Power Apps maker portal.
The connection is created in the Power Platform environment that your code app is currently targeting (the environment set in power.config.json when you ran npx power-apps init).
Prerequisites
- An initialized Power Apps code app. See Quickstart: Create a code app by using the npm CLI.
- The connector you want to use must support single sign-on (SSO). See Limitations.
Usage
Run the command from the root of your code app project:
npx power-apps create-connection --api-id <connectorId> [--display-name <name>] [--json]
Options
| Option | Alias | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
--api-id |
-a |
Yes | Connector API identifier (for example, shared_office365, shared_teams). |
--display-name |
-n |
No | Optional display name for the new connection. If not specified, a default is used. |
--json |
— | No | Output the result as JSON for scripting scenarios. |
Examples
Create an Office 365 connection:
npx power-apps create-connection --api-id shared_office365
Create a Teams connection with a custom display name:
npx power-apps create-connection --api-id shared_teams --display-name "My Teams"
Create a connection and emit JSON output (useful in scripts and CI):
npx power-apps create-connection --api-id shared_office365 --json
On success, the command prints the new connection's ID. You can then reference that connection ID when adding the connector as a data source to your code app.
Limitations
- Only non-interactive SSO connection creation is supported. The
create-connectioncommand succeeds only for connectors whose single authentication type is SSO-eligible - typically Microsoft Entra ID based connectors such as Office 365 Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive for Business, and Microsoft Teams. - Connectors that require user-supplied credentials or configuration aren't supported. Examples include SQL Server with SQL authentication, custom connectors that require API keys, and any connector that exposes multiple authentication methods for the user to choose from. To create those connections, use the Power Apps maker portal instead.