Power Apps users who export Dataverse data for analytics are waking up to a renamed navigation entry and a clear strategic signal: Microsoft Fabric is now the default destination. Starting with a rollout that began July 20, 2026, Microsoft is retiring the “Azure Synapse Link for Dataverse” moniker, replacing it with a unified “Link data” hub in the Power Apps maker portal, and placing Fabric link creation front and center. The change, expected to be available worldwide by early August 2026, consolidates management of all data export paths—including legacy Azure Synapse Link and Azure Data Lake—under a single pane, while streamlining the setup wizard and recommending a more secure authentication method.

A New Hub Puts Fabric First

The most visible change is the left-navigation rebranding. Where you once saw “Azure Synapse Link,” you now see “Link data.” Clicking it reveals a two-section landing page: Fabric Links at the top, for connections that sync Dataverse tables to Microsoft Fabric, and Other Links below, which now house existing Azure Synapse Link, Azure Data Lake, and other export targets.

This is not merely cosmetic. Previously, to create a Fabric link, you had to leave the Synapse Link page, navigate to the Tables area, and select Analyze > Link to Microsoft Fabric. That confusing detour is gone. The new Link data page now lets you kick off a Fabric link directly from a headline tile, and the entire creation process has been redesigned into a three-step wizard:

  1. Setup Configuration – Pick a Fabric workspace and choose an authentication method. Workspace identity is called out as the recommended option, with organizational account and service principal still available.
  2. Select Tables – Choose which Dataverse tables to synchronize. (A bulk-friendly selector is in the works, but for now it remains a single-table picker.)
  3. Review & Create – Confirm workspace, authentication, and table selections, then create the link.

Post-creation, you can manage tables directly from a new Manage tables button on the command bar, without opening the link itself. The old entry point—Tables > Analyze > Analyze in Fabric—still exists for in-context creation, but new Azure Synapse links can now only be created from the Link data page under Other Links.

Authentication gets a significant boost. Workspace identity, which removes the most common setup failure—misconfigured service-principal permissions—is now the recommended path. It’s a one-time setting enabled on the Fabric workspace side, outside Dataverse, by a Fabric administrator. Once turned on, every Dataverse link to that workspace can use it. Microsoft’s own engineering and security teams endorse this model, and the wizard now links directly to setup documentation. Service principal and organizational account auth remain, but the prompt is clear: if you’re starting fresh, use workspace identity.

What It Means for You

For business users and app makers, the new hub cuts complexity. You no longer need to puzzle over why the Synapse Link page didn’t offer a Fabric option. Starting a new analytics project now follows a single, consistent flow. If your organization already uses Fabric, the recommended workspace identity method avoids the most common “permission denied” headaches that stalled deployments.

For IT admins and security teams, the change requires two immediate actions. First, update any internal documentation, runbooks, or screenshots that reference “Azure Synapse Link for Dataverse.” Point users to the Link data page and clarify that new Synapse links are now created under Other Links. Second, work with your Fabric workspace owners to enable workspace identity on any workspace that will receive Dataverse data. This is a prerequisite before makers can select it in the wizard. Note that no pricing, API, or existing-link migration is needed. Your existing Azure Synapse Link connections will simply appear under Other Links and continue to function.

For developers and solution architects, the rename is purely a UX and information architecture change. The underlying APIs, automation scripts, and data contracts are untouched. However, if your tooling relies on portal navigation steps (e.g., UI automation), adjust those flows. Going forward, design new integrations around Fabric as the primary sync path. Microsoft has confirmed that Fabric link receives updates on a far faster cadence than the older Synapse routes, and upcoming features—such as linking one Dataverse environment to multiple Fabric workspaces—will only be built on the Fabric track.

How We Got Here

The original “Azure Synapse Link for Dataverse” was born when Azure Synapse Analytics was the sole big-data destination for Dataverse tables. But the landscape has shifted. Microsoft Fabric, launched in 2023, quickly became the preferred analytics service, and most new Dataverse links now point to Fabric rather than Synapse. The old branding caused confusion in support tickets, partner conversations, and search results. Customers evaluating their data architecture often asked why “Synapse” was prominent when Fabric was the strategic investment.

Compounding the naming issue was the fragmented creation experience. Makers were forced to hop between two utterly different surfaces, with no clear signal that Fabric was the recommended path. Meanwhile, authentication missteps—especially around service principals—had become a top support pain point. Workspace identity, already available in Fabric, provided a cleaner trust model but was buried in documentation. The July 2026 refresh tackles all three problems at once: it aligns naming with reality, unifies the UX, and elevates the safest auth method to the top of the wizard.

What to Do Now

With the rollout already underway and worldwide availability expected by early August 2026, here’s a practical checklist:

  • Update internal guidance: Replace references to “Azure Synapse Link for Dataverse” with “Link data” in your Confluence pages, training decks, and email templates. Include the new navigation path and note that Fabric link is the headline option.
  • Enable workspace identity: Identify the Fabric workspaces that will be linked to Dataverse environments and turn on workspace identity. This is a one-time action per workspace performed by a Fabric admin. Once active, it will appear as an option in the Link data wizard.
  • Create new links from the correct place: For any fresh analytics workloads, start on the Link data page and choose the Fabric link tile. Avoid using the old Tables > Analyze path for Synapse links, as that option has been removed. Azure Synapse links are now created exclusively from the Other Links section on the Link data page.
  • Reassure stakeholders: Existing Azure Synapse Link and Azure Data Lake connections keep working without migration, relinking, or cost changes. They’ll automatically appear under Other Links after the update rolls out.
  • Anticipate future enhancements: Microsoft is actively working on bulk table selection and support for multiple Fabric workspaces per environment. Neither is available yet, but planning for those scenarios now will smooth adoption when they land.

Outlook

Link data is the umbrella under which Microsoft will keep building. Beyond the immediate usability gains, expect ongoing investment in Fabric link as the primary sync mechanism, including the low-latency sync engine already in incremental rollout. The promise of simpler table selection and multi-workspace links signals that enterprise-wide analytics scenarios are a priority. For teams navigating the modern data stack, the message from Redmond is unambiguous: Fabric is the future, and Link data is your on-ramp.