When building apps with Power Apps, many users like me who don’t have premium licenses choose SharePoint as a data source. However, selecting between a SharePoint folder (document library) and a SharePoint list can significantly impact performance and functionality. This post explores the key differences and limitations when using a SharePoint folder compared to a SharePoint list in Power Apps.

1. Delegation Limits

Power Apps supports delegation for both SharePoint lists and document libraries, but with some key differences:

  • SharePoint lists support delegation for most column types, including Number, Choice, Text, and Date/Time.
  • SharePoint document libraries also support delegation for custom columns (Number, Choice, Text, Date/Time, etc.).
  • However, the Name (file name) and Folder path columns are NOT delegable, meaning Power Apps retrieves only a limited number of records (default: 500, max: 2,000).

If you need to work with thousands of records and need to filter by file names or folder paths, a SharePoint list is the better choice. However, if filtering by custom columns, document libraries are still a valid option.

2. Filtering & Sorting

  • In SharePoint lists, filtering and sorting are handled on the backend, making them efficient.
  • In SharePoint document libraries, filtering and sorting by custom columns (e.g., Number, Choice, Date) are delegable, but filtering by file name or folder path is not.

3. Patch() Support

The Patch() function in Power Apps allows direct updates to SharePoint lists, making it easy to modify data without additional automation. For document libraries:

  • You CAN patch custom columns (e.g., Number, Choice, Date/Time) directly.
  • You CANNOT patch system columns like Name or Folder path.
  • Workarounds require Power Automate to handle updates for system columns.

4. Limited File Handling

Power Apps can list files from a SharePoint folder but has no built-in file management capabilities. You cannot:

  • Move files between folders.
  • Rename or delete files within Power Apps.

Instead, you need Power Automate for these actions.

5. Performance Considerations

SharePoint has a list view threshold of 5,000 items, which affects document libraries when viewed directly in SharePoint. However, in Power Apps, this limit can be bypassed using delegable queries.

  • If using delegable functions (e.g., Filter, Search, Sort on supported columns), Power Apps can efficiently retrieve large datasets.
  • If querying non-delegable columns like file name (Name) or folder path (Folder Path), Power Apps can only retrieve a limited number of records (500/2000 items).
  • Indexed columns and optimized views in SharePoint can improve performance in both SharePoint and Power Apps.

6. Metadata Handling

  • SharePoint lists have structured columns, relationships, and lookups, making data manipulation easier.
  • SharePoint document libraries store metadata, and filtering by custom metadata columns is delegable, but accessing and modifying it from Power Apps requires additional effort.

When to Use SharePoint Lists vs. Folders in Power Apps

Feature SharePoint List SharePoint Folder (Document Library)
Delegation ✅ Yes ✅ Yes (except Name and Folder path)
Filtering & Sorting ✅ Efficient ✅ Efficient for custom columns (❌ Not for Name & Folder path)
Supports Patch() ✅ Yes ✅ Yes (for custom columns) / ❌ No (for Name & Folder path)
File Management ❌ No files, only data ❌ Limited (No move/rename/delete)
Large Data Support ✅ Optimized with indexes ✅ Yes (with delegable queries) / ❌ No (for Name & Folder path)
Metadata Handling ✅ Structured & easy to update ✅ Delegable for custom columns, ❌ Not for Name & Folder path

Final Thoughts

If your Power Apps solution requires structured data, complex filtering, and efficient data management, a SharePoint list is the best choice. However, if you need to work with files, be prepared for limitations in filtering by file names and folder paths when using a SharePoint folder.

For advanced file handling, consider integrating Power Automate to manage document library operations while using Power Apps for display and interaction.