How to Create Your Own Alexa Skills Via Blueprints

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You've probably used your Amazon Echo for a variety of tasks and skills, from listening to music and playing games to finding information and controlling smart home devices. But what if you could create your own Alexa skills? You can, thanks to a feature called Alexa Blueprints. You can use templates to create your own stories and games, or concoct personalized answers to specific questions. No programming skills necessary.

After completing your custom skills, you have the option to limit them to just your own household so only you and your family can access them, or you can share them with the world. Amazon now allows you to share your skills with certain people or publish them to the US Alexa Skills store for anyone to use. The process isn't that difficult, though it does entail several steps. Let's check it out.

Start at the Blueprint Website

To start, open the Alexa Skill Blueprints website and sign in with your Amazon account. There is a short video tutorial about the blueprints to check out. You can also look through the different categories of blueprints, including Featured Blueprints, Greetings & Occasions, Fun & Games, Learning & Knowledge, At Home, and Storyteller.

Before you get started creating your own skills, take a look at what you can do with your Alexa device. You can create a flash briefing to alert you of important information in the news. Many users have also created flashcards for studying, set up a task tracker, put together a workout schedule, or started a countdown to an important date. Remember to have fun too; there are many different quizzes, games, and question-and-answer options.

How to Create a Quiz Skill

We'll kick things off with a quiz. Scroll down to the Learning & Knowledge section and click on the Quiz button. At the Quiz page, click on the Play button to listen to a sample quiz. Then click the button to Make Your Own.

Choose Your Quiz

At the Customize the Quiz page, type each question you want Alexa to ask, followed by the correct response. You can also add a follow-up fact for each entry. At the bottom of the screen, click on the Add Q&A button if you want to add more questions. When you're done, click the "Next: Experience" button in the upper-right.

At the Customize the Experience page, type your own customized introduction to the quiz. Then select the sound you want Alexa to play when the quiz starts. Type three customized greetings that Alexa will choose from to welcome the players. Click on the Add Greeting button if you want to create more greetings.

Choose Quiz Responses

Under Quiz Responses, you can customize the sound and message played for each correct answer. You can then do the same for each wrong answer. Next, choose a sound and create a message for Alexa to play when someone wins to end the quiz. If you have an Echo Show ($229.99 at Amazon) , select a visual theme to display during the quiz. Click the Next button for Name.

Name Your Quiz

At the Skill Name page, type the name you want to use to request the quiz. Keep the name simple and limit it to two or three words. Click the Next button and Amazon will create your skill.

The first time you create a skill, Amazon prompts you to update your account on its developer portal so you can publish your skill should you choose to do so.

Access Your Quiz

Try it out by saying "Alexa, open [name of skill]." Alexa will then rev up the quiz and ask your questions randomly. If you need to edit your skills, access them from the Skills You've Made page. Click on the edit button to make changes or the delete button to remove it from your account.

How to Create a Storyteller Skill

Now, let's try a different skill. At the Skill Blueprints page, we will create an interactive story for Alexa to tell. The story works like a Mad Libs piece in which Alexa asks you to name certain items and then uses your responses in the story.

In the Storyteller section, click the genre you prefer. In this example, we will use Sci-Fi. At the Sci-Fi screen, click the Play button to hear a sample story. Then click the button to Make Your Own.

Create Your Story

The skill starts you off with a sample story that you can customize by modifying or rewriting the existing content and adding your own sound effects. Change the blanks, such as "Name of Someone in Room," into phrases of your own choosing. When finished, click "Next: Name."

Name Your Story

At the Name screen, cook up a name for your skill. Click the "Next: Create Skill" button and Alexa will create it.

Access Your Story

When your story is ready, you can play it by saying: "Alexa, open [name of story]." Alexa first asks you to respond to the blank phrases, the same as you would do for a Mad Libs story. After you've given your responses, Alexa reads the story using your answers as well as the text and sounds you created and customized.

How to Create a Game Skill

Next, let's try a game. In the Fun & Games section on the Skill Blueprints page, click the button for Birthday Trivia. This game challenges people at a party to answer trivia questions about the birthday boy or girl. Play the sample at the Birthday Trivia page and then click Make Your Own.

Customize Your Game

At the screen to Customize the questions, modify or create the questions and the multiple-choice responses. Click the Add Q&A button to add more entries. Click the "Next: Experience" button to move to the next screen.

Choose Game Experiences

At the screen to Customize the experience, type the name of the birthday person, customize or create an intro to the game, and choose a sound.

Choose Game Responses

Next, customize the player greetings and random messages. Fill out the rating responses, round responses, and winner responses. For an Echo Show, choose a visual theme. Click the "Next: Name" button.

Name Your Game

Name the game. Click the "Next: Create Skill" button and make it available to use on your device.

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