Skip to main content
Community site session details

Community site session details

Session Id :
Power Apps - Building Power Apps
Suggested answer

Bulk edit form controls/datacard keys

(0) ShareShare
ReportReport
Posted on by 2
Finding PowerApps to be extremely unintuitive in many ways. Basic functionality we had 20 years ago completely absent, e.g. rich text formatting, 'select all' options, etc.

Could anyone possibly tell me why in the year 2025 there still is not a way to bulk edit form controls? Specifically, I have forms with e.g. 80 fields. The data cards are generated automatically when I select a SharePoint list as my data source. Great. But the formatting is all default. 

Is there any way (I'm 99% there is not) to edit the formatting for all the datacard keys at once?

Either by selecting multiple datacard keys, or editing the form's code, or setting a default formatting, or whatever?

Is it really necessary for me to go through 50-something forms, often with 50-80 fields, and edit the formatting for each one individually? Madness!
Categories:
  • Suggested answer
    Power Apps 1919 Profile Picture
    361 on at
    Bulk edit form controls/datacard keys
    HI @RB-23071539-0, I understand it can be complicated but it can reduce a lot of manual work.

    Let me explain what i meant by last comment.
    take this form as example: ( it is connected to most_complex_sample_datas table (first data source)).

    this form has around 30 datacards:
    now select the view code:
    here you would get entire form code:

    copy the code to any code editor (my choice is notepad++ or VS code) and if you are comfortable with keyboard shortcuts then change the structure as you like and do (we can do this AI and prompts also).
    once that is done:
    then select the screen where you want to add the list back:

    This approach much better than manually going through each data card.
  • WarrenBelz Profile Picture
    148,894 Most Valuable Professional on at
    Bulk edit form controls/datacard keys
    Yep - seems to be broken - I had not done one for a while. Option #2 is a pain, but I find that if you do it before any major code changes to the controls (Default /Text is still Parent.Default) , then swapping the names with that of the existing control fixes most things apart from the Items of drop-downs/combo boxes.
  • RB-23071539-0 Profile Picture
    2 on at
    Bulk edit form controls/datacard keys
    Hi @WarrenBelz, thank you for your response. I actually saw the vertical/horizontal trick recommended but cannot replicate it however much I try, even if it is the first thing I do after selecting my SharePoint list as the data source and regenerating the datacards. I think it may no longer work, unless you can confirm otherwise? I also cannot select/deselect multiple controls from different fields using Ctrl. I can do so with controls within the same field, but not between different fields.

    The second suggestion seems just as difficult for my use case (creating a form automatically from a SharePoint list of 80+ columns), if I have to go through each field, link it to a new source, change the names, position, etc.

    @Power Apps 1919 thank you for the reply. I have actually tried this method two, but could not see a way to paste/import the edited code back into my app. Am I missing something?

     
  • WarrenBelz Profile Picture
    148,894 Most Valuable Professional on at
    Bulk edit form controls/datacard keys
    This is a "hack" that has been around undocumented for many years.
     
    When you first create the form, select it and change the Layout on the right panel from Vertical to Horizontal (or reverse if necessary), then select the Undo button (top left to the right of the <- Back button). You will now notice that all the controls in the left tree are highlighted. Hold down the Ctrl key and de-select the ones you are not working on (I leave the Labels first) and update all the required properties. Repeat as necessary for the different types on controls.Note that there are several items that can be possibly done on all the controls before moving to individual categories (Font, FontSize, BorderColor etc).
     
    The other (but slower) option (the above does not work after a lot of changes have been made) is to format one control of each type and paste them into all the relevant Data Cards. Copy the name of the existing control, delete this control and rename the new one to that name. You will have to adjust things like Items of Combo Boxes and possibly a few other things you have changed. Still way quicker than formatting every control (especially the amount of changes I make).
     
    Please click Does this answer your question if my post helped you solve your issue. This will help others find it more readily. It also closes the item. If the content was useful in other ways, please consider giving it a Like.
    Visit my blog Practical Power Apps    LinkedIn    Buy me a coffee
     
     
     
  • Suggested answer
    Power Apps 1919 Profile Picture
    361 on at
    Bulk edit form controls/datacard keys

    Hey @RB-23071539-0, here’s a cleaner way to do it:

    1. Export the form’s view code (YAML/JSON).

    2. Feed it to an AI and ask it to spot repeating control types—DatePickers, TextInputs, ComboBoxes, etc.—and bundle each type into its own template.

    3. Have the AI generate a small Python script (easy to follow) that applies your styling to each template.

    4. Adjust the template as you like, run the script to rebuild the full form code, then re-import.

    Instead of clicking through 80 cards, you tweak one template and regenerate the entire form in seconds if not minutes, and you can dump it back.

    Also, a quick heads-up: when you re-import(pasting back) that regenerated file, Power Apps might throw a “webpage is unresponsive” warning. Just hit “Continue” or give it a few seconds -it usually finishes loading your updated form without any issues.

    It’s ridiculously faster gives you pixel-perfect consistency, and when you want to tweak the look later, you just tweak your Python template instead of hunting through dozens of forms. Until Microsoft builds a real “bulk edit” feature, this code-driven shortcut is a lifesaver for me.

Under review

Thank you for your reply! To ensure a great experience for everyone, your content is awaiting approval by our Community Managers. Please check back later.

Helpful resources

Quick Links

Announcing our 2025 Season 2 Super Users!

A new season of Super Users has arrived, and we are so grateful for…

Paul Stork – Community Spotlight

We are honored to recognize Paul Stork as our July 2025 Community…

Congratulations to the June Top 10 Community Leaders!

These are the community rock stars!

Leaderboard > Power Apps

#1
WarrenBelz Profile Picture

WarrenBelz 791 Most Valuable Professional

#2
MS.Ragavendar Profile Picture

MS.Ragavendar 410 Super User 2025 Season 2

#3
mmbr1606 Profile Picture

mmbr1606 275 Super User 2025 Season 2