Built-in Response Reference for Alexa Conversations


Alexa Conversations includes built-in responses that you can use in your skill. For example, there is a welcome response, a bye response, and so on. You can view and edit built-in responses from the Build tab in the developer console.

Responses contain text-to-speech in Alexa Presentation Language for Audio (APLA) format, and optionally, visual content in Alexa Presentation Language (APL) format. The default content within the APLA and APL documents depends on the skill template you choose when you create your skill. For details on APLA and APL, see APL for Audio Reference and Add Visuals and Audio to Your Skill.

AlexaConversationsBye

The built-in AlexaConversationsBye response returns shouldEndSession equal to true. For details on what the shouldEndSession flag means, see Response Object.

The skill session closes after the skill sends the response.

When it triggers:

The AlexaConversationsBye response triggers when a user utterance triggers the AMAZON.StopIntent or AMAZON.CancelIntent standard built-in intent. For details on these intents, see Standard Built-in Intents.

How to change this behavior:

  • To override this behavior, define a custom bye intent, with a unique name, that captures the utterances you want not to trigger AMAZON.StopIntent or AMAZON.CancelIntent. If you use this method, expect the developer console to report an utterance conflict warning.
  • If you just want to change the speech or visual content, edit the built-in APLA and APL responses for AlexaConversationsBye.

AlexaConversationsOutOfDomain

The built-in AlexaConversationsOutOfDomain response returns the specified audio (APLA) and visual (APL) content, and the session stays open.

When it triggers:

The AlexaConversationsOutOfDomain response triggers when the user utterance doesn't match any of the sample dialogs with sufficient confidence.

How to change this behavior:

  • To change this behavior, add more complete coverage in your sample dialogs.
  • If you just want to change the speech or visual content, edit the built-in APLA and APL responses for AlexaConversationsOutOfDomain.

AlexaConversationsProvideHelp

The built-in AlexaConversationsProvideHelp response returns the specified audio (APLA) and visual (APL) content, and the session stays open.

When it triggers:

The AlexaConversationsProvideHelp response triggers when a user utterance triggers the AMAZON.HelpIntent standard built-in intent. For details on the AMAZON.HelpIntent intent, see Standard Built-in Intents.

How to change this behavior:

  • To override this behavior, define a custom help intent, with a unique name, that captures the utterances you want not to trigger AMAZON.HelpIntent. If you use this method, expect the developer console to report an utterance conflict warning.
  • If you just want to change the speech or visual content, edit the built-in APLA and APL responses for AlexaConversationsProvideHelp.

AlexaConversationsRequestMore

The built-in AlexaConversationsRequestMore response returns the specified audio (APLA) and visual (APL) content, and the session stays open.

When it's triggered:

The AlexaConversationsRequestMore response is essentially a request for the next user intent. This response typically contains content such as, "What do you want to do?"

How to change this behavior:

To change the speech or visual content, edit the built-in APLA and APL responses for AlexaConversationsRequestMore.

AlexaConversationsWelcome

The built-in AlexaConversationsWelcome response returns the specified audio (APLA) and visual (APL) content, and the session stays open.

When it triggers:

If you select Use Alexa Conversations as the default dialog manager on the Interfaces page of the developer console, the AlexaConversationsWelcome response triggers when the skill launches.

How to change this behavior:

  • To override the AlexaConversationsWelcome response, deselect Use Alexa Conversations as the default dialog manager on the Interfaces page of the developer console, and handle the LaunchRequest in your skill code.
  • If you want to keep Alexa Conversations as the default dialog manager and you just want to change the speech or visual content, edit the built-in APLA and APL responses for AlexaConversationsWelcome.

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Last updated: Nov 27, 2023