Why?
When I started using Dataverse with Power Automate, I was always using the Power Apps Portal to lookup the definition schema of a Table. Think of the scenario where we need the internal Column / Field name from a Table / Entity. For example in OData filter queries of Power Automate. We would need to open up the Table, select the Columns section, select the specific Column and then we can copy the Name (the internal database / logical name that never changes):
Even though this interface requires a lot of clicks, for a starting Citizen Developer this should be fine. But… let’s start using the Dataverse API in our very own browser to be quicker! ⏳
What?
This blog post is about using the API of Dataverse in a browser. We can then have a look at the definition schema of a Table, as well as actual record data in that table.
How?
When looking at Use the Microsoft Dataverse Web API (Dataverse) – Power Apps | Microsoft Learn, a lot of Citizen Developers will stop reading. Mainly because the most common use of API is for interfacing between applications as Full Code Developers and we like it No-Code/Low-Code right?!
However we can use the same Dataverse API functionality in our browser to get the schema of records from Dataverse… it will even have the actual data of records so we can verify the data in tables 🤓
1) First thing we need is the Organization URL or the Web API endpoint of your Power Platform Environment. Dynamics 365 and Power Platform Admins would normally get the Organization URL from the Power Platform Admin Center. We will use info from the Maker Portal so everyone who can access a Power Platform Environment, can use this method. On the top right behind the Gear Icon of your Environment Settings there is a Developer resources section:
This will give us valuable information about this environment:
The Web API endpoint shows your Organization inside the API URL: https://[Organization].api.crm4.dynamics.com/api/data/v9.2
If you paste this URL into your browser you will see all Tables / Entities in this Power Platform Environment:
2) From here we can find the Table / Entity we want to get information about. Look for the url property. This (which should be the plural name of your Table) we can copy behind the endpoint url: https://[Organization].api.crm4.dynamics.com/api/data/v9.2/ins_rcmtchanges
It will give us a full JSON output of all records in the Table:
Now we can easily find the internal database / logical name of every field that contains values with actual values! 🆒
TIP: Use a browser extension like JSON Beautifier & Editor to show the JSON output in a more understandable format💡.
Below the Youtube instructions 📺:
