Provide test account credentials
Smart home add-ons and video skills require account linking. Verify that your add-on implements the solution described in Account Linking for Smart Home and Other Domains. Amazon tests account linking during the certification process. Make sure that you have a test account in your system for account linking. Use the Testing Instructions field to provide the username and password test credentials for account linking for the device cloud that your add-on interacts with. If the account requires two-step verification, make sure to disable two-step verification. Otherwise, the verification code isn’t accessible to the certification team, which might cause delays and possible rejection. Be sure to validate the test account credentials you provide with any subsequent certification submissions. In addition, you must make sure that at least one device is discoverable on the device cloud associated with the account-linking test credentials that you provide. In the testing instructions, provide test credentials and a discoverable device for each language and locale that your add-on supports. Also, indicate whether any locale offers less or different functionality.Provide a good customer guide
To help customers get started with your add-on, provide a guide that describes how to use your products with Alexa. Amazon recommends that the guide include an FAQ or troubleshooting section. Make sure that the page loads correctly on iOS, Android, and desktop browsers, and make it available at a short URL.Make sure that all links open in mobile and desktop browsers
You must provide links to a privacy policy and terms-of-use page. These pages must be accessible from a variety of mobile and desktop devices. The content must display in the page and not require a PDF or other document download. Verify that all links open and display properly on iOS, Android, and desktop devices.Provide content in each language
An add-on offered in multiple languages must work well for users who speak those languages. Test to verify that your add-on works in its target languages and that you provide the following Store Preview information for each target language in that language:- One-sentence description
- Detailed description
- Example phrases
- Small and large icons
- Keywords
- Privacy questions
- Testing instructions
Align example phrases with consumer guidance
To pass skill certification, you must provide example phrases. Use the sample utterances in the documentation for the Alexa interfaces that your add-on supports. Example phrases should be grammatically correct and correctly punctuated. Also, make sure:- Your first example phrase starts with the wake word “Alexa,” “Computer,” “Echo,” or “Amazon.”
- Your example phrases don’t include symbols, variables, placeholders, instructions, or punctuation other than a comma after the wake word or a question mark or period at the end of the phrase.
Provide a detailed description
Amazon reads and evaluates the detailed description during the certification process. You must include certain information, such as instructions to get started and the correct example phrases, or your add-on might not pass skill certification. Also list the supported devices and provided functionality. For an example, see Example add-on description. To help you pass certification, pick the add-on description template that matches the languages of the add-on you want to publish. Customize the details to describe your add-on by replacing any italicized placeholder text with the name of your add-on or company or the appropriate example phrases.- Arabic
- Dutch
- English (UK)
- English (US)
- French (Canada)
- French (France)
- German
- Hindi
- Italian
- Japanese
- Portuguese (Brazil)
- Spanish (Mexico)
- Spanish (Spain)
- Spanish (US)
English (US) Skill Description TemplateWith the add-on name/company name add-on and Alexa, you can now interact with your add-on name/company name devices by voice. To get started, select the ‘ENABLE TO USE’ button in the Alexa app to link your add-on name/company name account and discover your devices. Find more information about connecting smart home and video devices at Connect Smart Home Devices to Alexa (https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=G3RKPNRKF33ECTW7).To use the add-on, you need established names for your devices. You can define these names in the following ways:
(Choose example phrases appropriate for your device type.)
- Use the names that you previously set up. They’re shown in the add-on name/company name app and can be changed.
- Create an Alexa group, like Bedroom or Downstairs, and then add the device to the group. More information is available at Create Smart Home Groups for Alexa (https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GS8URL9U6PW8SPTA).
(Choose example phrases appropriate for your device type.)
Example add-on description
The following description describes an example smart home add-on that offers voice features to control lamps.Submit your add-on for certification
When you’re ready to publish your add-on, submit it for certification in the developer console. For details about certifying an add-on, see Submit for Certification in the Alexa Developer Console. To submit your add-on for certification- Run the validation tests on the Certification page in the developer console. These tests help you identify issues that you must fix before you submit the add-on.
- Make sure that your add-on meets the Alexa+ policy guidelines. Adherence to these guidelines guards the privacy and welfare of Alexa users.
- To protect customer data, make sure that your add-on meets the security testing requirements.
- After you verify that your add-on meets the policy and security requirements, submit it for certification.
Revise and update your add-on after publication
After Amazon publishes your add-on to end users, the add-on status changes to live and the developer console automatically creates a new development version. This version has the same information as the original live version. Amazon must certify any new changes that you make to the add-on configuration or the Lambda function. When you submit your updated add-on to the developer console, in the Testing Instructions field, add a change log that provides a detailed description of all changes. For details, see Revise and update your add-on in the developer console. To make changes to your Lambda function- Create a new Lambda function with a new ARN.
- Copy your live Lambda function add-on code to the new Lambda function.
- In the new Lambda function, make updates to your add-on code.
- In the development stage for your add-on, update the Lambda ARN configuration to point to the new Lambda function ARN, and then submit your add-on for certification.
