Getting Started with Project for the Web: A Consultant’s Guide to Smarter Project Management

If you’ve ever battled through a Primavera P6 session or wrestled with the quirks of Microsoft Project Desktop, chances are you’ve wished for a cleaner, more modern way to manage projects — especially if you’re working across multiple teams or juggling real-time data updates.

That’s where Project for the Web steps in.

Built on top of the Microsoft Power Platform, it combines intuitive scheduling tools with the ability to extend and automate — think Power Apps, Power Automate, and Dataverse — without needing to call in a development team every time your process changes.

This blog walks you through the essentials of getting started:✅ Which license you need✅ How to set up your environment✅ How to create your first project✅ How to make it work for real-world teams (without overcomplicating things)

1️⃣ What license do I need for Project for the Web?

Project for the Web is included with the Project Plan 1, Plan 3, or Plan 5 licenses. Here’s the short version:

Plan	Best For	Includes
Plan 1	Light planning needs	Grid, Board, Timeline (Gantt) views
Plan 3	Standard PMs	Project for the Web + Project Online
Plan 5	Complex PMO needs	Portfolio-level features, Roadmaps

If you're just getting started, Project Plan 1 is more than enough and integrates well with Power Platform features. You can license users through Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

💡 Tip: If you're using Power Platform solutions, Project for the Web stores data in Dataverse, so make sure your environment includes Dataverse capacity (most Microsoft 365 tenants already do).

2️⃣ Where does Project for the Web live?

It runs on Power Apps — specifically within the Project Power App. You can access it from:

🔗 https://project.microsoft.com

Or for extended functionality like team dashboards and approvals, you can launch the Project app inside a Power Platform environment.

Here’s how to get it going:

1. Head to the Power Platform Admin Center

2. Create or select your environment (ideally one with Dataverse enabled)

3. Go to Resources > Dynamics 365 apps

4. Install Project — this includes all core tables and model-driven functionality

5. Publish and access from make.powerapps.com

   
   
   
   

   3️⃣🔧 Adding Project for the Web to Your Power Platform Environment

   To fully unlock the power of Project for the Web inside the Power Platform (especially for building custom solutions, dashboards, or workflows), you need to install the Project app in a Dataverse-enabled environment. Here’s how to do that step-by-step:

   ✅ Step 1: Head to the Power Platform Admin Center

   Navigate to admin.powerplatform.microsoft.com

   ✅ Step 2: Choose or create your environment

   • You can use an existing environment if it already has Dataverse enabled

   • Or, click + New to create a new one

     • Choose Type: Production (or Sandbox if testing)

     • Make sure Dataverse database is included when setting it up

     • Choose your region and language preferences

   ✅ Step 3: Install the “Project” app

   1. Go to Resources > Dynamics 365 apps

   2. Select Install app

   3. Search for Project (it will appear as Project for the Web)

   4. Choose your environment

   5. Click Install

   This will install the model-driven Project Power App, the Project table schema, and links into the Dataverse backend.

   💡 This gives you access to extended functionality beyond the basic project.microsoft.com interface — including full control over custom fields, flows, and Power BI reporting.

   ⚙️ Important Settings to Check

   Once installed, check these settings to ensure Project behaves properly:

   1. Security roles

   • Users need access to Project entities in Dataverse

   • Assign the Project Common or Project User security role to users in the environment

   2. Dataverse sharing

   • Make sure your environment allows users to share records across teams if you want collaborative planning

   • Check: Environment Settings > Users + Permissions > Security roles

   3. Storage capacity

   • Project for the Web stores data in Dataverse tables (like msdyn_project, msdyn_projecttask, etc.)

   • Make sure your environment has enough Dataverse capacity (most orgs do with M365 plans)

   🔗 Bonus: Linking to Power BI

   Once installed:

   • Use Power BI Desktop

   • Connect via Dataverse connector

   • Point to your environment → Tables like msdyn_project, msdyn_projecttask, msdyn_projectteam, etc.

   You’ll be able to build fully live dashboards tracking task status, owners, durations, dependencies, and more.

   
   

4️⃣ Creating your first project

Once inside the app (or via project.microsoft.com), you’ll have three views:

• Grid: List of tasks with durations, dependencies, etc.

• Board: Kanban view for agile-style tracking

• Timeline: Gantt chart for your inner MSP veteran

Let’s build a simple drilling project:

Example: RC Drilling Program

Task Name	Duration	Start	Dependency
Mobilisation	2d	1 Jul	-
Drill Site Prep	1d	3 Jul	After Mobilisation
Drilling – Hole 1	1d	4 Jul	After Prep
Drilling – Hole 2	1d	5 Jul	After Hole 1
Demobilisation	1d	6 Jul	After Hole 2

You can assign resources (team members), set dependencies via drag-and-drop, and update progress as the project unfolds. It’s lightweight, visual, and refreshingly simple compared to the “death-by-dialog-box” experience of legacy tools.

5️⃣ Why it works well for modern teams

Here’s where Project for the Web shines compared to P6 or Project Desktop:

✅ Cloud-native: Works on mobile, tablet, or browser✅ Dataverse-connected: Plug into Power BI, approval flows, and reporting✅ Easily extendable: Want to add cost fields or approval gates? Use Power Apps✅ Power Automate ready: Trigger notifications, stage gates, or status reports automatically

💡 Want to build a dashboard? Pull the Project for the Web Dataverse tables straight into Power BI and create live visuals for teams and execs.

Final Thoughts

If you’re part of a team tired of clunky scheduling tools, or a consultant building lightweight PMO solutions, Project for the Web is one of Microsoft’s best-kept secrets.

It won’t replace P6 for mega-scheduling. But for 90% of project work — especially across operations, IT, exploration, and study teams — it offers a clean, collaborative, and extendable path forward.

And when you combine it with Power Platform, the possibilities are wide open.

💬 Curious how to integrate this into your existing tools or build a custom reporting layer?

Get in touch — this is exactly what I help teams do every day.