The beta is now closed. Sign up to be notified when the List Skill API is publicly available.

Today we announced a limited participation beta for the List Skill API, a new addition to the Alexa Skills Kit, which enables developers to add capabilities, called skills, to Alexa. Developers can now teach Alexa how to interface with their list applications so that customers can simply say, “Alexa, add bananas to my Shopping List” or “Alexa, add ‘Go for a Jog’ to my To-do list.” The List Skill API taps into Amazon’s standardized language model so you don’t have to build a voice interaction model to handle customer requests. You create skills that connect your applications directly to Alexa’s Shopping and To-do list capabilities so that customers can add or review items on their lists—without lifting a finger.

How it works

The List Skill API has a bi-directional interface that ensures lists are updated across all channels. That means the API notifies developers when a customer tells Alexa to add something to their list or makes a change to an existing item. Alexa understands the user’s speech request, converts it to a To-do or Shopping item, and sends you a notification with the new item that was added to the list. The List Skill API also updates the lists for Alexa when users make changes to their lists online or in your mobile application.

Customers are increasingly using voice interfaces as a hands-free way to manage their lives. By using Alexa’s built-in Shopping and To-do lists to keep track of items to buy and things to do, customers on millions of Alexa-enabled devices only have to "ask" and it's at their command, often becoming a daily habit. By integrating with the List Skill API, you will make it easier for your existing customers to keep track of their important tasks and shopping items in the home, and introduce your brand to a new group of Alexa customers.

Today we announced that Any.do and Todoist created the first skills using the List Skill API. 

 “We’ve been huge fans of Alexa for a long time. Once the opportunity to work with Alexa in a deep way presented itself, we we’re extremely happy to push it forward" says Omer Perchik, the Founder and CEO of Any.do. "The work with the new Alexa List Skill API was simple, straightforward and our experience as a beta participant was smooth due to the support from Amazon.”

“At Todoist, we're very excited about the potential of AI and AI-powered services. Amazon’s Alexa is one of the earliest and best examples of making this technology useful in people's everyday lives,” says Doist founder and CEO Amir Salihefendic. “That's why we're thrilled to have collaborated with the Amazon team as part of their limited participation beta for the Alexa List Skill API. We’re sure our customers will find Alexa extremely helpful in staying organized and productive, and we're looking forward to working with Amazon to make the Todoist skill even more useful as Alexa continues to evolve and get smarter.”

Going forward, we’re excited to open the List Skill API to more developers as part of our limited participation beta.

For more information about getting started with the Alexa Skills Kit and to apply to participate in the List Skill API beta, check out the following additional assets:

About the List Skill API
Alexa Dev Chat Podcast
Alexa Training with Big Nerd Ranch
Alexa Skills Kit (ASK)
Alexa Developer Forums

-Dave (@TheDaveDev)