Is Generative Pages Replacing Custom Pages?

European Power Platform Conference, Copenhagen | June 30, 2026 | Track: Copilot Platform Power Apps | Level 300

One of the most hands-on sessions at EPPC26 tackled a question that’s been buzzing through the Power Platform community: are Generative Pages (Gen Pages) about to make Custom Pages obsolete? Mats Necker from dhino and Sara Lagerquist from CRMK brought real-world experience to the stage — and the answer turned out to be more nuanced than the hype suggests.

Setting the Scene: The Power Platform App Paradigms

Before diving into the debate, the speakers mapped out the full landscape of application paradigms available today in Microsoft Power Platform:

• Custom Pages — the bridge between pixel-perfect Canvas apps and model-driven apps. Great for wizards, custom dialogs, and complex UX patterns inside Dynamics 365. They support multiple data sources via connectors and remain fully functional today.
• Generative Pages (Gen Pages) — pages described in natural language and generated as React apps, embeddable inside model-driven apps.
• Code Apps — standalone React/TypeScript apps built in VS Code and deployed to Power Platform as a secure host. Best for net-new standalone applications.
• write.powerapps — a web-based, prompt-driven experience that generates Code Apps.
• Microsoft 365 Copilot “apps” — SharePoint list-based mini-apps, best suited for personal productivity.

Two Ways to Create a Generative Page

This was one of the session’s most valuable clarifications: there are two fundamentally different methods for creating Gen Pages, and they are not equal.

UI-Based Designer (Maker Portal)

• Currently in preview, available only in select regions (US, Canada, Australia)
• Uses a retired GPT-4.1 model with no option to switch
• Every change triggers a full page regeneration — slow and unpredictable
• No version control beyond a basic undo
• Generated UIs are often aesthetically lacking
• No way to enforce company-specific design standards

Code-Based Creation (VS Code)

• Generally Available (GA) worldwide
• Uses VS Code with the Power Platform Skills plugin and GitHub Copilot
• An AI agent creates wireframes for review before generating code — a more controlled, conversational workflow
• Full source control and versioning via a code repository
• Supports custom agents (e.g., from Scott Durrow’s open-source repo) to enforce best practices
• Lets you bring your own, more powerful AI models

The verdict from the session: the UI designer is the “flashy intro,” the code-based approach is the “senior, trusted path.”

Key Limitations of Generative Pages

Gen Pages come with real constraints that you need to factor in before adopting them:

• Dataverse only — no support for other connectors or data sources
• No multi-select choice columns
• Single app binding — a Gen Page is tied to one model-driven app and must appear in the site menu; it cannot be hidden like a Custom Page
• Reuse requires duplication — using the same page across multiple apps means copying it
• Form embedding not supported — use PCF components for that use case
• Single-maker editing — only one person can edit a page at a time
• Restricted npm packages — enhances security but limits flexibility

Live Demo: Pottery Order Tracking

Mats walked through a concrete example: a model-driven app for tracking pottery items through production stages. The pain point was associating multiple glazes with a single item — a many-to-many relationship that required too many clicks in the standard UI.

A Generative Page solved this by providing a streamlined interface for adding multiple related glaze records at once. Simple, practical, and exactly the kind of UX enhancement Gen Pages are designed for.

Best Practices from the Session

• Prompt with images — include a screenshot of your desired UI to guide styling and layout
• Read the agent reasoning — check the “agent thoughts and summaries” to improve future prompts
• Test with MCP Playwright — automate UI testing directly in VS Code: navigation, click flows, screenshots
• Deploy with Packer CLI — use it to create pages, add them to the sitemap, and manage them as solution components
• Plan before generating — take advantage of the code-based workflow’s planning phase to review wireframes before committing to generation

So, Is It Replacing Custom Pages?

Short answer: not yet, and not entirely.

Mats and Sara’s recommendation was clear:

Custom Pages are mature, stable, and still the right tool in several scenarios. Gen Pages — especially via the code-based approach — are faster for new builds and offer superior AI-assisted iteration. The two can coexist.

Takeaways

EPPC26 made it clear that Generative Pages are a genuine step forward for model-driven app development, but the UI-based designer is not production-ready. If you want to adopt Gen Pages seriously, set up VS Code with the Power Platform Skills plugin and start experimenting with the code-based workflow. The tooling is GA, the iteration loop is fast, and the quality gap over the Maker Portal is significant.

Custom Pages aren’t going anywhere — but for new Dataverse-centric UI work inside model-driven apps, the code-based Gen Page is now the path to consider first.

Session: “Is Generative Pages Replacing Custom Pages?” — EPPC26, Copenhagen, June 30, 2026
Presenters: Mats Necker (dhino) · Sara Lagerquist (CRMK)