Designing a great user experience doesn't always mean that you have to start designing your skill from the very beginning. You should spend less time designing and more time on the unique aspects of your skill. That’s why Amazon has created building blocks to get you started, called Skill APIs.
Skill APIs are low-code solutions built by Amazon. They offer intuitive user experiences that are quicker than having you building your skill from the very beginning. Skill APIs come with pre-built models and use design best practices that Amazon improves continuously. You can build high quality interactions quickly without writing or managing dialogs. Skill APIs work across many skill types, including smart home, music, video, and food ordering.
For example, for food ordering Amazon offers the Food Skill APIs. Amazon's goal with these APIs is for Alexa to make the process of finding and ordering from restaurants convenient for users. The Food Skill APIs help with skill discovery by routing utterances such as, "Alexa, order pizza for delivery" to appropriate restaurants and delivery providers.
Every year, Alexa delivers restaurant recommendations on screens and through food-related responses. Alexa helps users find the most relevant results for what and where to eat based on location and personal preferences.
Discovery
Discovery ties together top-level routing, visuals, location, and preference data so that customers can easily find nearby places to order food.
Ordering
Users can order from a selected restaurant with or without Alexa. Ordering APIs connect with back-end systems so that users can checkout from their devices for simple orders. The can also order through a provider’s mobile website or app.
Order tracking
Order tracking enables users to get order status from Alexa. Tracking APIs enable you to push order updates to Alexa by using proactive messaging and visuals on Echo Show screens.
For more details, see Amazon's other types of Skill APIs:
Game Skills
Voice games give customers an entirely new way to play games—including interactive adventures, family-friendly games, and quiz games.
Music & Audio Skills
Enable customers to access your Music, Podcast and Radio streaming service on hundreds of millions of Alexa devices whether they're at home or on the go.
Home Skills
Enable customers to control your cloud-connected devices and appliances using Alexa.
Video Skills
Enable customers to use their voices to control your video device and choose which content to watch.