Creating your first "Alexa" Skill

Index

• What is Alexa
• What is Alexa Skill? Why is it required when Alexa already equipped with voice assistant?
• Development Environment Setup
• Create Amazon account
• Install Visual studio code
• Create Alexa Skill (front end)
• Create AWS lambda  (back end)
• Link Alexa skill to AWS lambda

 

What is Alexa

Alexa is Amazon’s cloud-based voice assistant, designed to make everyday tasks easier through natural conversation. Think of it as your voice-powered assistant that lives inside devices like the Echo Dot, Echo Show, or even your phone.

 

What is Alexa skill ? Why is it required when Alexa already equipped with voice Assistant?

An Alexa Skill is like an app for Amazon Alexa—it adds new capabilities to your voice assistant so it can do more than just play music or set timers. Like normal web app or web site Alexa skill consists of front end and back end code.

 

Development Environment Setup

Create Amazon Account

Create an account on amazon if not already exists using link https://developer.amazon.com/alexa/console/ask

Install Visual Studio Code

Install Visual Studio Code. This is not mandatory, but it's pretty handy for back-end code changes.

Create Alexa Skill

After you create amazon account login to Alexa console using link provided above. Here you will get link to create new skill. Give a meaningful name to your app.


In new skill form, you get option to choose following properties

• Primary locale - A locale refers to a language and the country in which it's spoken. Build your skill in your primary locale. Choose "English (IN)" for now.
• Type of Experience - Smart home, music or movies . Choose "Others" for now
• Choose model - Pre built models provide words and phrases people can say to Alexa to interact with your skill. Choose "Custom" for now.
• Hosting Services - Select "Provision your own"
• Templates - Select "Start from scratch" for now. Templates are used to get started with a skill that contains an interaction model and back end code that work together from the start.

 

Create AWS Lambda

• Login to aws console, lambda page. Or go to link AWS Lambda
• Click 'create function'. Choose runtime as 'node.js 22.x'

 

Link Alexa skill to AWS lambda

• Copy alexa skill id
• 
• Copy AWS lambda ARN
•  
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•   Now go to AWS lambda. Click on Add trigger. Select Alexa from drop down. And paste Alexa skill id we copied earlier.
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•  Go to Alexa skill, endpoint section. Paste the AWS lambda ARN we copied earlier. 
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