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
Titlefield.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Create or load your collection (
colFolderMapping) in Power Apps. - Add a Dropdown control (
drpDatabase) with distinct values and an ‘All’ option (see previous post for details). - Add a Text Input control (
txtFolderValue) for search. - Set the Gallery’s Items property to the formula above.
- 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

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.