Power Platform Tool Box

Quick Start

Get up and running with Power Platform Tool Box in just a few minutes. This guide covers installation, connecting to your Power Platform environment, and installing your first tool.

Step 1: Download and Install based on your operating system:

Windows

  • Download the .exe installer
  • Run the installer and follow prompts
  • Launch from Start Menu or Desktop

macOS

  • Download the .dmg disk image
  • Open and drag to Applications
  • Launch from Applications folder

Linux

  • Download the .AppImage file
  • Make it executable: chmod +x *.AppImage
  • Run the AppImage
Download Latest Release

⚠️ macOS Users: If you see a 'damaged' or 'unidentified developer' warning after installation, run the following command in Terminal:

xattr -cr "/Applications/Power Platform Tool Box.app"

Power Platform Tool Box requires Node.js 18+ for tool execution. It will be automatically detected or you can configure the path in Settings.

Step 2: Connect to Power Platform

Power Platform Tool Box supports multiple authentication methods:

Interactive Login (Recommended)

  1. Click "Add Connection" in the Connections panel
  2. Enter your Environment URL (e.g., https://org.crm.dynamics.com)
  3. Select "Interactive Login"
  4. Click "Connect"
  5. A browser window opens for Microsoft authentication
  6. Sign in with your credentials (MFA supported)
  7. Grant consent when prompted
  8. Connection is saved with encrypted tokens

OAuth App Registration

For automated scenarios or service principals:

  1. Register an app in Azure AD
  2. Add Dataverse API permissions
  3. Create client secret
  4. In PPTB, choose "OAuth (Client Secret)"
  5. Enter: Environment URL, Client ID, Client Secret, Tenant ID
  6. Click "Connect"

Username/Password

Only use for development/testing. Not recommended for production.

  1. Choose "Username/Password"
  2. Enter: Environment URL, Username, Password
  3. Click "Connect"
Learn more about authentication

Step 3: Install Your First Tool

Browse and install tools from the marketplace:

  1. Click "Tool Marketplace" in the sidebar
  2. Browse available tools or search by name
  3. Click on a tool to view details
  4. Click "Install" to download and install
  5. Tool appears in the "Tools" panel
  6. Click the tool to launch it in the workspace

Tools are downloaded from the PPTB registry as pre-built packages. No npm/pnpm required on your machine!

What's Next?

Great! You're now set up with Power Platform Tool Box and ready to be more productive. Here are some recommended next steps:

For Users

  • Explore the tool marketplace for tools that match your needs
  • Configure settings (theme, auto-updates, terminal preferences)
  • Add multiple connections for different environments
  • Learn about security features and encrypted storage

For Tool Developers

  • Learn how to build your own tools using the ToolBox API
  • Understand the Dataverse API for querying data
  • Publish your tools to npm and submit to the registry
  • Check out example tools for inspiration
Start building tools

For Contributors

  • Set up the development environment
  • Understand the application architecture
  • Learn the contribution workflow and PR requirements
  • Find issues to work on or propose new features
Contribute to PPTB

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