Power Apps: Filter and Search Gallery with Dropdown and Search Box

Introduction

Filtering and searching data in a Power Apps gallery is a common requirement for building user-friendly business apps. This post shows how to combine a dropdown filter (with an ‘All’ option) and a search box to create a flexible, responsive gallery experience.

Scenario

Suppose you have a collection called colFolderMapping with a field named Database and a gallery displaying items. You want users to:

  • Select a database from a dropdown (or ‘All’ to show everything)
  • Search for items by title using a search box
  • See results update instantly in the gallery

PowerFx Formula

Here’s the formula for the gallery’s Items property:

Search(
    Filter(
        colFolderMapping,
        drpDatabase.Selected.Result = "All" || Database = drpDatabase.Selected.Result
    ),
    txtFolderValue.Text,
    Title
)

How It Works

  • Filter(…, drpDatabase.Selected.Result = “All” || Database = drpDatabase.Selected.Result): Shows all items if ‘All’ is selected, otherwise filters by the selected database.
  • Search(…, txtFolderValue.Text, Title): Searches the filtered results for the text entered in the search box, matching the Title field.

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Create or load your collection (colFolderMapping) in Power Apps.
  2. Add a Dropdown control (drpDatabase) with distinct values and an ‘All’ option (see previous post for details).
  3. Add a Text Input control (txtFolderValue) for search.
  4. Set the Gallery’s Items property to the formula above.
  5. Test the app: Select a database or ‘All’, enter search text, and watch the gallery update in real time.

Practical Tips

  • Make sure your dropdown includes an ‘All’ option for easy reset.
  • Use delegation-friendly data sources for large lists.
  • You can adapt the formula for other fields or multiple filters.
  • Consider adding sort options for even more flexibility.

Example Output

Filter and Search Gallery

Conclusion

Combining dropdown filters and search boxes in Power Apps galleries creates a powerful, user-friendly experience. Use this pattern to help users find what they need quickly and efficiently.