# How to Debug a Blank Power Apps Gallery

- Link: https://matthummel.com/how-to-debug-a-blank-power-apps-gallery/
- Published: 2026-05-21T01:11:21+00:00
- Author: Matthew Hummel

A blank gallery in Power Apps does not always mean your app is broken. Most gallery
issues come from one of these areas:

 * The `Items` property
 * A filter returning no records
 * A dropdown with no selected value
 * A search box filtering everything out
 * An empty collection
 * Delegation limits
 * Data source or permission issues

---

## Start by Simplifying the Gallery

The first step is to strip the `Items` property down to just the data source:

    ```wp-block-code
    'Project Requests'
    ```

If records show up, your connection is fine. The problem lives inside your filter
logic.

---

## Isolate the Filter

Add your filter back and watch what happens:

    ```wp-block-code
    Filter(
        'Project Requests',
        Status.Value = "Approved"
    )
    ```

If the gallery goes blank again, you know the issue is inside the filter itself —
not the data source.

---

## Handle Dropdown Filters with an “All” Option

Dropdowns with no selected value can silently filter out everything. Use an `"All"`
fallback to prevent this:

    ```wp-block-code
    Filter(
        'Project Requests',
        ddStatus.Selected.Value = "All" || Status.Value = ddStatus.Selected.Value
    )
    ```

This way, when `"All"` is selected, every record passes through.

---

## Debug Collections with a Count Label

If your gallery is backed by a collection, add a temporary label to check whether
it actually loaded:

    ```wp-block-code
    CountRows(colProjectRequests)
    ```

If that returns `0`, the collection was never populated — check where `Collect()`
or `ClearCollect()` is called and whether it runs on app start.

---

## The Core Debugging Principle

Do not try to debug everything at once.

 1. Start with the raw data source
 2. Confirm records appear
 3. Add each filter or condition back **one step at a time**

Isolating variables is how you find the real problem fast.

_Originally posted on [DEV.to](https://dev.to/matthummeldev/how-to-debug-a-blank-power-apps-gallery-5a6p)._