Alexa.ColorController Interface 3

Implement the Alexa.ColorController interface in your Alexa skill so that users can change the color of devices such as color-changing light bulbs. For more details about Smart Home skills, see Understand Smart Home Skills.

For the list of languages that the ColorController interface supports, see List of Alexa Interfaces and Supported Languages. For the definitions of the message properties, see Alexa Interface Message and Property Reference.

Utterances

When you use the Alexa.ColorController interface, the voice interaction model is already built for you. After the user says one of the following utterances, Alexa sends a corresponding directive to your skill.

The following examples show some user utterances:

Alexa, set the front porch light to blue.
Alexa, change the kitchen to the color blue.

Alexa, schalte das Wohnzimmerlicht hellblau.

Alexa, règle la lumière du vestibule en bleu.
Alexa, mets la cuisine en bleu.

Alexa, imposta la luce del portico anteriore su blu.
Alexa, cambia la cucina con il colore blu.

アレクサ、寝室のライトを青にして
アレクサ、キッチンをオレンジ色に変えて

Alexa, coloque a luz da entrada em azul.
Alexa, mude luz da entrada para azul.
Alexa, coloque a luz da cozinha em vermelho.
Alexa, mude luz da cozinha para vermelho.

Alexa, pon la luz del porche delantero en azul.
Alexa, cambia la cocina al color azul.

Reportable properties

The color property represents the color of an endpoint. Colors are specified by using the hue, saturation, brightness (HSB) color model. For more details, see colorizer.org and The HSB Color System.

Discovery

You describe endpoints that support Alexa.ColorController using the standard discovery mechanism described in Alexa.Discovery.

Set retrievable to true for all the interfaces and properties that you report when Alexa sends your skill a state report request. Set proactivelyReported to true for interfaces and properties that you proactively report to Alexa in a change report.

For the full list of display categories, see display categories.

Discover response example

The following example shows a Discover.Response message for a light that supports the Alexa.PowerController and Alexa.ColorController interfaces.

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{
  "event": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa.Discovery",
      "name": "Discover.Response",
      "payloadVersion": "3",
      "messageId": "Unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID"
    },
    "payload": {
      "endpoints": [
        {
          "endpointId": "Unique ID of the endpoint",
          "manufacturerName": "Manufacturer of the endpoint",
          "description": "Description to be shown in the Alexa app",
          "friendlyName": "Living Room light",
          "displayCategories": ["LIGHT"],
          "additionalAttributes":  {
            "manufacturer": "Manufacturer of the endpoint",
            "model" : "Model of the device",
            "customIdentifier": "Optional custom identifier for the device"
          },
          "cookie": {},
          "capabilities": [
            {
              "type": "AlexaInterface",
              "interface": "Alexa.PowerController",
              "version": "3",
              "properties": {
                "supported": [
                  {
                    "name": "powerState"
                  }
                ],
                "proactivelyReported": true,
                "retrievable": true
              }
            },
            {
              "type": "AlexaInterface",
              "interface": "Alexa.ColorController",
              "version": "3",
              "properties": {
                "supported": [
                  {
                    "name": "color"
                  }
                ],
                "proactivelyReported": true,
                "retrievable": true
              }
            },
            {
              "type": "AlexaInterface",
              "interface": "Alexa.EndpointHealth",
              "version": "3",
              "properties": {
                "supported": [
                  {
                    "name": "connectivity"
                  }
                ],
                "proactivelyReported": true,
                "retrievable": true
              }
            },
            {
              "type": "AlexaInterface",
              "interface": "Alexa",
              "version": "3"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Directives

Alexa sends the following Alexa.ColorController interface directives to your skill.

SetColor directive

Support the SetColor directive so that users can change the color of devices.

The following examples show user utterances:

Alexa, set the bedroom light to red.

Alexa, schalte das Wohnzimmerlicht rot.

Alexa, règle la lumière de la chambre en rouge.

Alexa, imposta la luce della camera da letto sul rosso.

アレクサ、寝室のライトを赤に変えて

Alexa, coloque a luz do quarto em vermelho.
Alexa, mude luz do quarto para vermelho.

Alexa, pon la luz del dormitorio en rojo.

SetColor directive example

The following example illustrates a SetColor directive that Alexa sends to your skill.

{
  "directive": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa.ColorController",
      "name": "SetColor",
      "messageId": "Unique version 4 UUID",
      "correlationToken": "Opaque correlation token",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "OAuth2.0 bearer token"
      },
      "endpointId": "Endpoint ID",
      "cookie": {}
    },
    "payload": {
      "color": {
        "hue": 350.5,
        "saturation": 0.7138,
        "brightness": 0.6524
      }
    }
  }
}

SetColor directive payload

The following table shows the payload details for the SetColor directive.

Property Description Type Required

color

Color to set the device to.

Object

Yes

SetColor response

If you handle a SetColor directive successfully, respond with an Alexa.Response event. In the context object, include the values of all properties that changed. You can respond synchronously or asynchronously. If you respond asynchronously, include a correlation token and a scope with an authorization token.

The following example shows a SetColor response.

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{
  "event": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa",
      "name": "Response",
      "messageId": "Unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID",
      "correlationToken": "Opaque correlation token that matches the request",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "OAuth2.0 bearer token"
      },
      "endpointId": "Endpoint ID"
    },
    "payload": {}
  },
  "context": {
    "properties": [
      {
        "namespace": "Alexa.ColorController",
        "name": "color",
        "value": {
            "hue": 350.5,
            "saturation": 0.7138,
            "brightness": 0.6524
        },
        "timeOfSample": "2019-07-03T16:20:50Z",
        "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 500
      }
    ]
  }
}

SetColor directive error handling

If you can't handle a SetColor directive successfully, respond with an Alexa.ErrorResponse event.

State reporting

Alexa sends a ReportState directive to request information about the state of an endpoint. When Alexa sends a ReportState directive, you send a StateReport event in response. The response contains the current state of all the retrievable properties in the context object. You identify your retrievable properties in your discovery response. For details about state reports, see Understand State and Change Reporting.

StateReport response example

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{
  "event": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa",
      "name": "StateReport",
      "messageId": "Unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID",
      "correlationToken": "Opaque correlation token that matches the request",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "OAuth2.0 bearer token"
      },
      "endpointId": "Endpoint ID"
    },
    "payload": {}
  },
  "context": {
    "properties": [
      {
        "namespace": "Alexa.ColorController",
        "name": "color",
        "value": {
            "hue": 350.5,
            "saturation": 0.7138,
            "brightness": 0.6524
        },
        "timeOfSample": "2019-07-03T16:20:50Z",
        "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 500
      }
    ]
  }
}

Change reporting

You send a ChangeReport event to report changes proactively in the state of an endpoint. You identify the properties that you proactively report in your discovery response. For details about change reports, see Understand State and Change Reporting.

For lighting endpoints that support both the ColorController and ColorTemperatureController interfaces, report the state of color when an endpoint is set to a color, and report the state of colorTemperatureInKelvin when an endpoint is set to a shade of white.

ChangeReport event example

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{
  "event": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa",
      "name": "ChangeReport",
      "messageId": "Unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "OAuth2.0 bearer token"
      },
      "endpointId": "Endpoint ID"
    },
    "payload": {
      "change": {
        "cause": {
          "type": "PHYSICAL_INTERACTION"
        },
        "properties": [
          {
            "namespace": "Alexa.ColorController",
            "name": "color",
            "value": {
                "hue": 280,
                "saturation": 0.9,
                "brightness": 0.9
            },
            "timeOfSample": "2019-07-03T16:20:50Z",
            "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 500
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  },
  "context": {
    "namespace": "Alexa.EndpointHealth",
    "name": "connectivity",
    "value": {
      "value": "OK"
    },
    "timeOfSample": "2019-07-03T16:20:50Z",
    "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
  }
}

Last updated: Feb 16, 2023