Quick Reference: Create a Custom Skill for Alexa

The following resources help you create and build a custom skill, which is the skill model that provides the most control over the customer experience.

• Concepts and procedures
• API reference
• Sample code
• Blog posts
• Videos, podcasts, and webinars
• Twitch streams

Concepts and procedures

• Understand Custom Skills – An overview of custom skill components and an example of how users invoke this skill type.
• Steps to Build a Custom Skill – An overview of the steps to build, test, and submit a custom skill for certification.
• Create a Skill and Choose the Interaction Model – An overview of how to create a skill using the developer console, and a list of links to the remaining steps that you need to take to configure and build your skill.
• Understand How Users Invoke Custom Skills – A document that describes the two ways that a user can invoke a skill.

API reference

• Request and Response JSON Reference – The API documentation for the interface between the Alexa service and a custom skill.
• Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML) Reference – The API documentation for SSML, the markup language that gives your skill additional control over Alexa's speech.

Sample code

• Sample code for the ASK SDK for Node.js – Some templates for sample skills that you can build with the Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) SDK for Node.js.
• Sample code for the ASK SDK for Java – Some templates for sample skills that you can build with the ASK SDK for Java.
• Sample code for the ASK SDK for Python (Beta) – Some templates for sample skills that you can build with the ASK SDK for Python (Beta).
• Berry Bash – A sample skill that uses the Alexa Skills Kit SDK for Node.js to demonstrate how to use body templates, list templates, font manipulation, action text, screen interaction, and voice interaction with on-screen elements.
• Alexa Skills Kit Tutorials – Some skill-building tutorials, with sample code, for beginners and advanced skill developers.

Blog posts

• Developer Tools to Help You Build Alexa Skills – A list of tools that enhance the skill-building process.
• Hear It from a Skill Builder: How to Pick a Skill Invocation Name – Some best practices for choosing an invocation name for your skill.

Videos, podcasts, and webinars

• Episode 1 of Building Alexa Skills from Scratch - Introduction – An introduction to the Building Alexa Skills from Scratch video series.
• Episode 2 of Building Alexa Skills from Scratch - What Is an Alexa Skill? – The distinction between skills, the Alexa service, and Echo devices.
• Episode 3 of Building Alexa Skills from Scratch - Start With the Script – An overview of how to design the conversation for a skill.
• Episode 4 of Building Alexa Skills from Scratch - From Script to VUI – An overview of how to use the Alexa Skill Builder to create the voice user interface (VUI) for your skill.
• Episode 5 of Building Alexa Skills from Scratch - Adding Our Backend Part 1 – A discussion of how to use AWS Lambda to create the back-end programming logic for a skill using the ASK SDK for Node.js. (Uses a previous version of the SDK.)
• Episode 6 of Building Alexa Skills from Scratch - Adding Our Backend Part 2 – A walkthrough of the skill code from episode 5, including how to quickly scaffold your Lambda code using skillinator.io. (Uses a previous version of the SDK.)
• Episode 7 of Building Alexa Skills from Scratch - Adding Our Backend Part 3 – A discussion of how to add audio responses to your skill using Speech Synthesis Markup Language. (Uses a previous version of the SDK.)
• Episode 8 of Building Alexa Skills from Scratch - ASK Sound Library – A discussion of how to use audio clips from the ASK Sound Library to add engaging sounds to your skill responses.
• Episode 9 of Building Alexa Skills from Scratch - Certification Part 1 – A walkthrough of the skill certification process.
• Episode 10 of Building Alexa Skills from Scratch - Certification Part 2 – The continuation of the skill certification walkthrough.

Twitch streams

• Episode 1 of Designing and Building 'College Coach' – The first in a series of broadcasts about building a skill that coaches people through the tasks that lead up to applying for college.