First, rule out the wrong source or access
A gallery can look complete while missing a work item. Before changing a formula, use the same account to open that item directly in SharePoint. Check that the app uses the right list, the user can read the item and the screen's filters should include it. Note its ID and title.
If the source itself hides the item from that user, a formula change will not fix access. If the source shows it, compare the gallery's Items formula with the records you expect it to show. Work in a saved development copy and keep the original formula.
Why raising the row limit is not a complete fix
If the source cannot process the query, the app may check only a limited set of records on the device: 500 by default, configurable up to 2,000. A higher limit can still leave records out. A blue delegation warning matters even when a small sample looks correct. Microsoft also recommends temporarily setting the limit to 1 during testing to spot queries processed on the device. See the delegation overview.
Check the source and column together. A function that delegates for one connector or column type may not delegate for another. Do not treat a Dataverse example as proof that the same formula works against a SharePoint Choice column.
A focused SharePoint title-search example
For this synthetic example, connect a SharePoint list named Delivery Work, with the standard single-line text Title column. Add a classic text input named txtWorkSearch and a gallery. Set the gallery's Items property to:
Filter(
'Delivery Work',
StartsWith(Title, txtWorkSearch.Text)
)This formula uses comma separators for an English authoring locale; separators can differ with locale. A modern text input may expose a different value property, so this example intentionally specifies the classic control.
SharePoint supports Filter and StartsWith on text. It does not support StartsWith on Choice or Lookup subfields. Check the exact column types and any other expressions added to the formula against Microsoft's SharePoint delegation table.
This changes the search experience to starts with. Searching Beacon matches Beacon kickoff, but not Prepare Beacon kickoff. Label the input “Title starts with” so users know what to type. An empty prefix matches text values. See StartsWith behavior.
If users require a word anywhere in the title, record that requirement before adopting this approach. Do not silently narrow search just to remove a warning.
Test records that a small sample would miss
Use an approved test list large enough to reproduce the problem. Note the IDs you expect to find, taken directly from the list. In the development copy, write down the original Data row limit, set it to 1 under Settings → General and try these checks.
| Case | Expected check |
|---|---|
| Several titles begin with Beacon | You can find the known matching items, including those beyond the first records loaded. |
| Title is Prepare Beacon kickoff | Searching Beacon excludes it; searching Prepare includes it. |
| Search field is cleared | Browse and scroll through the records you can access. The rows first shown are not necessarily the full list. |
| Prefix has no matches | The gallery is empty and the screen gives a helpful no-results message. |
| A normal team member repeats the cases | The account sees the records it is allowed to access and the results you expect. |
When a gallery uses a delegated query, it can fetch more results as you scroll. Counting the rows currently loaded does not prove that all matching records were found. See Filter and gallery paging.
Restore the original row limit after the check. Reopen the development app and repeat the searches. Passing these tests checks this query with these fields; other formulas still need their own tests.
Keep notes for the next person maintaining the app
Save the original and revised formulas, the connector and column types, the test IDs, the account used and the actual results. If a record is still missing, use Live monitor to see the app's data requests and errors while you repeat the search.
Review dropdown filters, sorting and summary counts separately. Fixing title search does not automatically fix the manager's overdue total. For a broader source decision, read Excel, SharePoint or Dataverse for Power Apps. For help assessing an existing work-tracking app, see Quintera's Power Apps consulting scope.
Technical sources checked September 25, 2026. This teaching example is based on Microsoft documentation. We did not run it in a Power Apps environment for this article.