Contents

Power Platform Clinic – Episode 4: Power Pages Authentication Options and Developer Accounts


Welcome to Episode 2 of the Power Platform Clinic with Duncan Boyne and Ian Tweedy.

In this episode, Duncan and Ian dive deep into:

🔐 Power Pages Authentication Options

Ian breaks down:

  • The difference between public and private modes in Power Pages.
  • How Entra ID, External Entra ID, and Azure B2C work for authenticating users.
  • Why using Azure B2C or External Entra ID is often preferred, including centralised identity management, SIEM logging, and reducing password management headaches.
  • How these options relate to OAuth and OIDC protocols for enabling social logins like LinkedIn or Google.

Key takeaway: Understanding authentication options is crucial for designing secure Power Pages implementations that fit your organisation’s user landscape, whether purely internal, external, or hybrid.

👨‍💻 Setting Up Your Own Developer Account

Duncan and Ian guide you through:

  • Using the Microsoft 365 Developer Program to get a free developer tenant (noting tightened eligibility in recent years).
  • Alternative approaches including:
    • Using Visual Studio benefits if you have them.
    • Starting with an Office 365 trial to activate Power Platform developer environments.
    • Keeping your tenant active by buying a minimal license (e.g. Exchange Online Plan 1) to ensure continuity.
  • Creating your Power Platform developer environment for experimenting with solutions, apps, and portals.

They demonstrate step-by-step how to set up a trial tenant, activate the developer license, and spin up your first environment for Power Platform learning and testing.

💡 Why This Matters

Whether you are:

  • Building your first Power Pages portal.
  • Testing authentication patterns for a client project.
  • Exploring Power Platform features without risking production environments.

… having your own developer environment and understanding authentication is essential for safe, efficient experimentation.



🙌 Connect with us

If you have questions you’d like us to cover in a future clinic, submit them here.

Thanks for watching, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to support the Power Platform community!


This blog post complements Power Platform Clinic Episode 2 and summarises the key insights for easy reference.