Are you looking for how to create Alexa skills ? Here is the guide to custom skills for Amazon Alexa: how to create them without fail.
You will have noticed that in recent years more and more electronic devices have compatibility with voice assistants. Often we are occupied with many things and with the simple use of the voice we can command specific functions to the digital assistants, whether they are related to searching the web or playing music.
Among the most famous voice assistants in the world on which Amazon has worked really well is Alexa , now implemented not only in Amazon’s products , but also in smart TVs and smartphones. If you have more than one intelligent product that can be integrated with Alexa, it is interesting to create a direct interaction with the applications you use most, in order to speed up your activities during the day.
Although some products have already integrated this voice assistant, it needs well-defined commands to launch third-party applications. Specifically, you will need to create predefined skills. In the next lines we will see how to create Skills for Alexa to add the applications and commands you love to use during the day for fun or work.
Read also: How to connect Led lights to Alexa
Index
- Custom Skills for Alexa: How to Create Them Without Mistakes
- What are Alexa Skills
- How to install Alexa skills
- What is Amazon Alexa Skill BluePrint
- How to create questions and answers with Alexa
- How to create an Alexa skill
- How to edit an Alexa skill
- How to delete an Alexa skill
- How to share an Alexa skill
- Best Alexa Skills
Custom Skills for Alexa: How to Create Them Without Mistakes
The Skills can help you connect Alexa to the application that has not integrated the voice assistant, but in order for you to do this you must necessarily know the subject well in order not to run into trivial errors that affect its operation. Many users fail to enter a simple command and end up loathing Alexa for no reason, today we will see specifically everything you need to know to get the most results with the least effort. Let’s start by understanding what Skills are precisely.
What are Alexa Skills
In order for you to understand perfectly what we are talking about we must get into the technicalities, do not be afraid we will simplify the definition as much as possible. With the term Skill Alexa they identify: all those applications that can be activated by voice which add functionality to your device integrated with Alexa .
To give you an idea of what the features of an Alexa Skill are, it is necessary to divide them into different categories. In fact, when you need to create a skill for your applications you will necessarily be forced to search for the reference category . To be precise, the categories are: Shopping , Children and teenagers , Smart home , Consultation and information , Games and quizzes , Productivity , Health and well-being and finally Sport .
How to install Alexa skills
Let’s get a little more practical and see how you can install Alexa Skills for everyday applications. You will only have to go through four steps, so don’t worry, it’s really that simple.
The first step is to start the Amazon Alexa app from your smartphone. From the main page you have to press on the three overlapping horizontal lines and select the item Skills and games .
At this point, many different Skills will appear on the screen and in the foreground you will find those recommended by Amazon.
Search for the Skill suitable for your application and select it by pressing the Launch item , to associate it with your account and connect it to Alexa.
If you are not familiar with the commands to be given to Alexa, press the Start saying section , here the application will show you all the available commands.
Also read: What to ask Alexa if you want to have fun with your friends
What is Amazon Alexa Skill BluePrint
Maybe you knew Alexa’s Skills but not BluePrint Skills . This term identifies a new immediate and simple way to create Skills for Alexa and customize them according to needs.
In order for this to be possible you must necessarily associate your Amazon account or sign the free contract with BluePrint by filling in the pre-established model on the official website.
But now let’s see in a few lines how to use this Skill.
How to create questions and answers with Alexa
We anticipated that you can customize the commands and questions to Alexa, but how to do it in practice without going crazy between strange settings and nomenclature? Of course we will get help from BluePrint and its ease of use. Go to the official page of the Skill BluePrint site and log in with your Amazon account credentials (it’s the same as your Amazon Echo). On the first page you will find a nice large area with the wording Personalized Questions and Answers , click on it and select Create your Skill .
Here you can add all the questions you want with the consequent answers that your voice assistant will have to give. Once you have finished writing, all you have to do is save the Skills and transfer it to your account. BluePrint will add the new questions and answers to the Skill section you created.
How to create an Alexa skill
Personalization is not enough for you and you want to go further by creating your own Alexa Skill? While it may sound difficult it really isn’t, you can do it in no time by linking to this webpage .
First of all, think carefully about the goal you want to achieve with your Skill, take a cue from a BluePrint you want to start working on. Identified the goal you must necessarily choose a name , we recommend a short, unique term, composed of simple words and without dots or symbols inside it .
Try to choose a name where the words “Alexa”, “Echo”, “Skill”, “app” and all those close to the Amazon world do not appear in order not to confuse the voice assistant.
To summarize the skill names they must be:
- Unique (2 or 3 words).
- With simple words.
- With just letters and dots.
How to edit an Alexa skill
Once you have completed your Skill, it might occur to you to improve it after some time, do you have to do it all over again? Fortunately, you can change your Skill even after a long time. To do this, enter the section dedicated to your Skills and select Edit by pressing on it for a few seconds.
Once you have shared your skill with other people and make changes, they too will benefit from the updates automatically.
How to delete an Alexa skill
Past the urge to create Skill Alexa? Then it is smart to delete it so as not to leave it on the web for no reason. Before deleting it, however, we want to inform you that it is also possible to disable your Skill instead of removing it completely. To do this, start the Alexa App and choose the Skills and games section , then Your Skills and select the Disable Skill option .
To delete it instead you have to go to the Skill section you created at the address and select the Skill you want to remove. Remember that once canceled you cannot go back.
How to share an Alexa skill
Creating a skill for Alexa and keeping it to yourself could be useful up to a point. The application allows you to be able to share it with other users who will be able to use it on their Alexa compatible devices.
However, you need to set up Skill sharing. To do this, go to the Skill section you created on this page and select the Skill you are interested in sharing. You will find several options, you focus your gaze on Visibility . You will see that you have automatically set the Only me checkbox , we need to change it in the Actions section for your Skills with Share with others .
The software allows you to share the skill via email, SMS or social media post.
Best Alexa Skills
But what are the most interesting Alexa Skills in Italian to try? There are so many of them that we will focus on the funniest ones.
- Trivial Pursuit Family Edition: if you know the board game you will know very well that it is a quiz game in which you will have to answer many questions. A cultural and educational Skill to absolutely try.
- Akinator: Challenging the magician into not being able to figure out who the person you thought is is a lot of fun.
- True or false: this is also a quiz game rated Alexa Skill, will you be good enough to win it? We believe so.
