Installation

This guide walks you through installing Cartographer into your Dataverse environment, whether from Microsoft AppSource or via manual download. Most users will be done in under five minutes.

Prerequisites

Before installing, make sure you have the following:

  • A Microsoft Dataverse environment (Power Apps, Dynamics 365, or standalone Dataverse)
  • System Administrator security role in the target environment
  • Permission to install solutions (some organizations restrict this via tenant settings)
  • A modern browser — Edge, Chrome, Firefox, or Safari
Cartographer installs as a managed solution. It does not modify any existing tables, forms, or views in your environment. Uninstalling removes all Cartographer components cleanly.

What Gets Installed

Cartographer consists of two managed solutions that install into your environment:

VerseBlocks Core

Required

Shared foundation used by all VerseBlocks products. Contains core tables, security roles, and utility components. Must be installed first.

VBCore_1_0_0_0_managed.zip

Cartographer

Main App

The full Cartographer product: Component Dashboard, AI Summaries, Automation Map, Compass, User Guides, and Best Practice Analysis.

Cartographer_1_0_0_0_managed.zip
VerseBlocks Core must be installed before Cartographer. Cartographer depends on components in VBCore. Attempting to install Cartographer first will fail with a missing dependency error.

Option A: Install from AppSource

Recommended

Microsoft AppSource is the fastest and simplest way to install Cartographer. It handles dependencies automatically — VerseBlocks Core is installed for you.

  1. 1

    Go to Microsoft AppSource

    Open your browser and navigate to appsource.microsoft.com. Sign in with the Microsoft account that has admin access to your target environment.

    Screenshot: AppSource homepage
  2. 2

    Search for Cartographer

    In the AppSource search bar, type "Cartographer by VerseBlocks" and press Enter. Click on the Cartographer listing in the results.

    You can also search for just "Cartographer" or "VerseBlocks" — either will surface the listing.
  3. 3

    Click "Get it now"

    On the Cartographer listing page, click the "Get it now" button. You may be asked to confirm your contact details — this is standard for AppSource.

    Screenshot: Cartographer AppSource listing
  4. 4

    Select your environment

    A panel will appear asking you to select the Dataverse environment where you want to install Cartographer. Choose your target environment from the dropdown.

    Check both agreement boxes (terms of use and privacy policy) and click "Install".

  5. 5

    Wait for installation to complete

    AppSource installs both VerseBlocks Core and Cartographer automatically in the correct order. Installation typically takes 2-5 minutes. You can monitor progress in the Power Platform admin center under Environments > [Your Environment] > Dynamics 365 apps.

    The installation status will show as "Installing" while in progress. Wait for it to change to "Installed" before proceeding. Do not attempt to open the app while it is still installing.
  6. 6

    Open the Cartographer app

    Once installation completes, go to make.powerapps.com, select your environment, and navigate to Apps. You will see two new apps: Cartographer and Compass. Click Cartographer to open it.

    Screenshot: Apps list showing Cartographer and Compass

Option B: Manual Download

If you cannot access AppSource (restricted tenant, air-gapped environment, or preference), you can download the managed solution files directly and import them manually.

  1. 1

    Download the solution files

    Visit the VerseBlocks downloads page and download both managed solution files:

    VBCore_1_0_0_0_managed.zip — VerseBlocks Core (install FIRST)Cartographer_1_0_0_0_managed.zip — Cartographer
    Go to Downloads
  2. 2

    Import VerseBlocks Core first

    Go to make.powerapps.com, select your environment, and navigate to Solutions.

    1. Click Import solution in the command bar
    2. Click Browse and select VBCore_1_0_0_0_managed.zip
    3. Click Next
    4. Click Import
    5. Wait for the import to complete — you will see a success notification
    Screenshot: Solution import dialog in Power Apps
  3. 3

    Import Cartographer

    After VBCore completes successfully, repeat the import process:

    1. Click Import solution
    2. Browse and select Cartographer_1_0_0_0_managed.zip
    3. Click Next, then Import
    4. Wait for completion
    Do NOT import Cartographer before VerseBlocks Core. The import will fail with a missing dependency error. Always install VBCore first, verify it completed successfully, and then import Cartographer.
  4. 4

    Publish all customizations

    After both solutions are imported, click Publish all customizations in the Solutions area. This ensures all components are active and visible in the environment.

  5. 5

    Open the Cartographer app

    Navigate to Apps in the left navigation. You will see Cartographer and Compass in the app list. Click Cartographer to open it.

Post-Install Setup

After installation (from either AppSource or manual download), follow these steps to configure Cartographer for your environment.

  1. 1

    Open the Cartographer app

    Navigate to make.powerapps.com > Apps > Cartographer. The app will open to the Configuration page on first launch.

  2. 2

    Activate your license

    On the Configuration page, navigate to License & Billing.

    • Enter your license key in the format CARTO-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
    • Click Activate
    • The license status will update to show your plan tier and expiration date
    Free plan? No license key needed. Just install Cartographer and start using it immediately. You get 20 components and BYOK AI summaries at no cost.

    Don't have a license key yet? Visit verseblocks.com/pricing to purchase a Professional or Enterprise plan. Your key will be emailed to you immediately after purchase.

    Screenshot: License activation screen
  3. 3

    Configure AI settings

    AI Summaries require an AI backend. You have two options:

    BYOK (Bring Your Own Key)

    Enter your own OpenAI or Azure OpenAI API key. You pay OpenAI directly for token usage. Available on all plans.

    Setup guide →

    Hosted AI

    We handle the AI infrastructure. No API key needed. Available as an add-on ($149/mo) for Professional and Enterprise plans.

    Learn more →
  4. 4

    Add your first solution

    Navigate to Solution Manager in the sidebar and click Add Solution. Select the Dataverse solution you want to crawl. Then click Crawl Now to start discovering components.

  5. 5

    Explore your documentation

    After the crawl completes, navigate to the Component Dashboard to see all discovered components. Click any component to view its details, and use the AI Summary button to generate a human-readable description.

Upgrading Cartographer

When a new version of Cartographer is released, you can upgrade without losing any data.

AppSource upgrades

If you installed from AppSource, updates are managed automatically. You will see an "Update available" notification in the Power Platform admin center. Click Update to apply the new version.

Manual upgrades

Download the latest managed solution files from our downloads page and import them into your environment using the same process as the initial installation. Power Platform will detect the existing solution and perform an upgrade automatically.

Data is always preserved. Upgrading imports a newer version of the managed solution over the existing one. All your crawl data, AI summaries, user guides, and configuration settings are retained.

Uninstalling

To remove Cartographer from your environment:

  1. Go to Solutions in Power Apps
  2. Select Cartographer and click Delete
  3. After Cartographer is removed, select VerseBlocks Core and click Delete
Uninstalling Cartographer permanently deletes all crawl data, AI summaries, user guides, and configuration. Export any data you need before uninstalling. Uninstall Cartographer before VerseBlocks Core — Core cannot be removed while Cartographer depends on it.

Troubleshooting Installation

"Missing dependency" error during import

This means VerseBlocks Core was not installed, or the installation failed silently. Go to Solutions, verify that VBCore appears in the list with a "Managed" status, then try importing Cartographer again.

AppSource shows "Installing" for more than 30 minutes

Occasionally AppSource installations stall. Try refreshing the admin center page. If the status remains stuck, delete the failed installation attempt and retry from AppSource. If the issue persists, contact support@verseblocks.com.

Apps do not appear in the Apps list

Make sure you have a security role that grants access to the Cartographer apps. System Administrator and System Customizer have access by default. You may need to assign the Cartographer User security role to other users who need access.

"You are not authorized" error when opening the app

This indicates a missing security role. Ask your System Administrator to assign the Cartographer User or Cartographer Admin security role to your user account.

Next Steps

Cartographer is installed and ready. Configure your AI settings and start crawling.

Configuration GuideCrawling Solutions