Site Design that can run Apply-PnPProvisioningTemplate?

Question

Trying to setup easy process for client to rollout Sharepoint sites using GUI 'Site Designs' feature. General task I am trying to accomplish is this: Want to make custom Site Design where sitescripts can apply branding, HUB association, Theme, etc. Then want the custom site design to apply a PnP Provisioning Template (which would be an already uploaded .pnp file), which would build out the footer links, create a templated home page, and even upload some image assets.

I have created a ton of custom site designs and also have a good process for creating and then applying the .pnp file. Separately, these work fine. The issue, however, is to create the 'content' side of this '2 part' rollout site. The site design portion is very user friendly and would give the client an easy (infallible) way to quickly make a new communications site with everything they want. In order to include the pre-configured home page or the footer links they want standardized, though, I need to run a PowerShell command to 'apply-pnpprovisioningtemplate', and I would like to be able to 'run this command' automatically with the site design.

I am not a PowerShell expert, but have some ideas that I am literally pulling out of thin air that I wanted to see if had any merit?

Through an additional sitescript in the site design, is there a way to run PnP cmdlets (similar to a .ps1 file) where it could run the 'Connect-PnPOnline' cmd & 'Apply-PnPProvisioningTemplate'?

We have no Azure hosting plan so can't use that, but could something be done with PowerAutomate?

Answer 1

You cannot apply a PnP provisioning template from a Site Design. However, you can trigger a Power Automate flow from a Site Script. Microsoft have detailed how you can use a Site Script, Power Automate flow and an Azure function together to automate PnP provisioning here:

Calling the PnP provisioning engine from a site script

I would recommend setting up an Azure subscription on your tenant but in the absence of Azure functions, you could use Plumsail's Provision PnP template to SharePoint action in Power Automate to achieve your requirement (this is a paid third party action however).