Define Skill Store Details for Publication


To publish your skill to the Alexa Skills Store and the Alexa app, fill out the required details for your skill on the Distribution page in the Alexa developer console. You define the skill details that educate customers about the value of your skill and how your skill works. You provide links to a privacy policy and terms of use page, and define whether to publish your skill now or later. Amazon uses the skill details to categorize your skill and help interested customers find your content.

After you complete and save the skill information, you can distribute your skill for beta testing or submit it for certification.

Define store preview

In the Skill Preview section you define metadata for your skill in each language that your skill supports. The skill description and logo appear in the Alexa app and on the skill detail page in the Alexa Skills Store on the Amazon retail website.

To enter metadata for your skill in the developer console

  1. Sign in to the Alexa developer console.
  2. From the skill list, locate the development version of your skill under STATUS, and then, in the dropdown under ACTIONS, select Distribute.
  3. In the left menu, click Skill Preview > English(US), or choose the language that represents the primary locale of your skill.
  4. Under Primary Details, enter the details for your skill.
    For help with each field, see skill details.
  5. Under Media Details, add optional icons, images, and video.
    For more details, see Add Rich Media to the Skill Detail Page.
  6. To save your skill details, click Save.
  7. (Optional) If your skill supports other languages, in the top-left menu under Skill Preview, select the next language, and then enter details for your skill in that language.
  8. To update privacy and compliance information, top-left menu, click Privacy & Compliance, and then update the information.
    For more details, see Answer privacy and compliance questions.
  9. To save your skill details, click Save.
  10. To update availability information, top-left menu, click Availability, and then update the information.
    For more details, see Define skill availability.
  11. To save your skill details, click Save.

Skill details

Field Description Models

Public Name

The name of the skill, displayed in the store and on the Alexa app.

All

One Sentence Description

A short description of the skill. Make sure that you read the description out loud. Alexa speaks the short description when a user asks about a skill.

All

Detailed Description

A full description that explains the core functionality and features of your skill. Include any prerequisites to use the skill, such as additional hardware, software, or accounts. For smart home skills, mention compatible devices. If you offer your skill in a single language in multiple marketplaces, include a notice of the language required to use the skill.

The detailed description displays on the skill detail page in the store and in the Alexa app when users browse for skills. Make sure that you use complete sentences with proper grammar and sentence structure. And, correct any spelling mistakes.

All

What's new?

A description of the changes in this version of your skill. Leave this blank for the first version of your skill. Use this field to highlight new features or resolved issues. When you provide "what's new" text, your skill displays in the Recently Updated section of the Alexa app and users can see the what's new description on the skill detail page.

If you leave this field blank, your skill isn't shown in the Recently Updated section.

All

Example Phrases

Three example phrases that illustrate how users can invoke your skill. For help to create example phrases, under Example Phrases, click detailed requirements.

For the custom model, these phrases must come directly from your sample utterances. For more details, see Example phrases for custom skills. For pre-built models, see example phrases for valid utterances.

  • Custom
  • Smart Home
  • Video

Category

Select the category from the drop-down list that best describes your skill. Amazon uses the category to help customers find your skill.

All

Keywords

Enter a set of search words that describe or relate to your skill. Amazon uses the keywords to help customers find your skill.

Example: food, recipes

All

Privacy Policy URL

The URL for your privacy policy. Required when your skill uses account linking, includes advertising, or collects user information.

All

Terms of Use URL

The URL for your terms of use policy.

All

For Hindi skills, use Devanagari script for Hindi words and Latin script for English words. This provides a consistent experience when your skill is displayed in the skills store.

Field Description Models

Public Name

The name of the skill, displayed in the store and on the Alexa app.

Example: मज़ेदार jokes, आज का मौसम

All

One Sentence Description

A short description of the skill. Make sure that you read the description out loud. Alexa speaks the short description when a user asks about a skill.

Example: यह skill आपको आज का सुविचार बताएगा

All

Detailed Description

A full description that explains the core functionality and features of your skill. Include any prerequisites to use the skill, such as additional hardware, software, or accounts, and for smart home skills, mention compatible devices. This description displays on the skill detail page in the store and in the Alexa app when users browse for skills. Make sure that you use complete sentences with proper grammar and sentence structure.

Example: क्या आप bollywood के ताज़ा ख़बरें सुनना पसंद करेंगे ….

All

What's new?

A description of the changes in this version of your skill. Leave this blank for the first version of your skill. Use this field to highlight new features or resolved issues. When you provide "what's new" text, your skill displays in the Recently Updated section of the Alexa app and users can see the what's new description on the skill detail page.

If you leave this field blank, your skill isn't shown in the Recently Updated section.

Example: इस नए update में हमने 400 प्रकार के नए recipes add किया हैं.

All

Example Phrases

Three example phrases that illustrate how users can invoke your skill. For help to create example phrases, under Example Phrases, click detailed requirements.

For the custom model, these phrases must come directly from your sample utterances. For more details, see Example phrases for custom skills. For pre-built models, see example phrases for valid utterances.

  • Custom
  • Smart Home
  • Video

Category

Select the category from the drop-down list that best describes your skill. Amazon uses the category to help customers find your skill.

All

Keywords

Enter a set of search works that describe or relate to your skill. Amazon uses the keywords to help customers find your skill.

Example: food, रसोई, recipes, खान पान, मौसम

All

Privacy Policy URL

The URL for your privacy policy. Required when your skill uses account linking, includes advertising, or collects user information.

All

Terms of Use URL

The URL for your terms of use policy.

All

The following image shows the store preview on the Distribution page.

English (US) Store Preview page that shows public name and description fields.
Store preview on the Distribution page

Example phrases for custom skills

The three example phrases show users what to say to invoke your skill. The first phrase displays in the list of skills in the Alexa app and as a "try saying" hint in the account linking flow. All three phrases display on the skill detail card.

To provide accuracy, these phrases must meet specific requirements. For details, see Review and test example phrases.

Define the example phrases based on the voice interaction model that you chose. For custom models, if you use utterances for an intent, the example phrases must come directly from your sample utterances, and you must fill the slots in the utterance with valid slot values. Don't include utterances defined to collect slot values as part of a dialog model. If your model includes built-in intents, either use the exact phrase provided in the documentation for the intent or a variation of this phrase. Make sure that you fully test the utterance. Verify that the utterance works and your skill returns a valid response.

For pre-built models, use the sample utterances in the documentation for the Alexa interfaces that your skill supports.

The example phrases you enter are automatically validated against several criteria after you enter them. Check for validation errors and warnings after you enter the phrase:

  • Errors display in red text. You can't submit a skill for certification if any errors exist.
  • Warnings display in black text. Although you can submit a skill with validation warnings, the skill will likely fail certification. Amazon recommends that you correct any warnings before you submit.

In the following example, the first phrase generates two warnings: the phrase is missing the wake word, and the phrase does not match any sample utterances. The last phrase generates an error because it contains special characters not allowed in example phrases.

Shows warning for a phrase that doesn't contain the wake word and an error for a phrase that contains an unsupported character.
Errors and warnings for example phrases

You aren't required to include your example phrases within your skill description. However, if you do reference them in the description, word the phrase correctly. Include the wake word if you want your example to show the user how to invoke the skill.

For more details about certification requirements for example phrases, see Review and Test Example Phrases. The detailed requirements link on the Distribution page under Example Phrases provides additional guidance about good example phrases.

Media details

You define icons and optional images in the media details section. These assets display on the skill detail page on the Amazon retail site and on the Alexa app.

Field Description Models

Small Skill Icon / Large Skill Icon

An icon representing the skill. Provide both large and small versions that meet the following sizes:

  • Small Icon size: 108 X 108 PNG with transparency and 16 px padding (recommended) on all sides.
  • Large Icon size: 512 X 512 PNG with transparency and 75 px padding (recommended) on all sides.

You can use the Alexa Skill Icon Builder to create your skill icon to these specifications. Within Icon Builder, click Download to save a zip file with .png files in both the small and large sizes. Then, upload these .png files to your skill.

All

Detail Page Video/Images (Optional)

You can add one video and up to five images on your skill detail page. For more details, see Add Rich Media to the Skill Detail Page .

All

Field Description Models

Small Skill Icon / Large Skill Icon

An icon representing the skill. Provide both large and small versions that meet the following sizes:

  • Small Icon size: 108 X 108 PNG with transparency and 16 px padding (recommended) on all sides.
  • Large Icon size: 512 X 512 PNG with transparency and 75 px padding (recommended) on all sides.

You can use the Alexa Skill Icon Builder to create your skill icon to these specifications. Within Icon Builder, click Download to save a zip file with .png files in both the small and large sizes. Then, upload these .png files to your skill.

All

Detail Page Video/Images (Optional)

You can add one video and up to five images on your skill detail page. For more details, see Add Rich Media to the Skill Detail Page .

All

Answer privacy and compliance questions

In the Privacy & Compliance section you answer privacy questions, certify export compliance, and provide testing instructions for certification.

To answer privacy and compliance questions in the developer console

  1. On the Distribution page, from the left menu, click Privacy & Compliance.
  2. Answer the following privacy questions:
    • Does this skill allow users to make purchases or spend real money?
    • Does this skill use Alexa Shopping Actions?
    • Does this Alexa skill collect users' personal information?
    • Is this skill directed to or does it target children under the age of 13?
    • Does this skill contain advertising?
  3. For Export Compliance, read the export compliance requirements, and then select the box to acknowledge that you read and agree to the terms.
  4. For Testing Instructions, enter username and password credentials that the certification team needs to test your skill. In addition, make sure that you include any information needed to test account linking, permissions, or any special hardware. Include credentials for each locale where you plan to publish your skill.

Define skill availability

In the Availability section you decide if you want to enable your skill for beta testing or publish your skill in the Alexa Skills Store. When you publish your skill to the general public, anyone with an Alexa device can use your skill in the regions and languages tha tyour skill supports.

To define in the developer console

  1. On the Distribution page, from the left menu, click Availability.
  2. If you want to make your skill available to a set of beta testers, under Beta Test, enter the email addresses.
    For more details, see Skill Beta Testing for Alexa Skills.
  3. If you want to make your skill public and enable automated locale distribution, review the guidelines, and then select the box to acknowledge that you want to opt in. Then, for each language, choose the locale to use as the source for distribution to other locales of the same language. For more details, see Opt in to automated locale distribution.
  4. For Where would you like this skill to be available?, to make your skill available worldwide, click In all countries and regions where Amazon distributes skills.
    Or, to limit your skill to specific countries, click Selected countries and regions, and then select the countries where you want to make your skill available.

Opt in to automated locale distribution

To expand the distribution of your skill to more locales, you can opt in to automated locale distribution. If you opt in, when you submit your skill we assess whether your skill is eligible for distribution to all locales of a given language. For example, if you support English (US), automated locale distribution can enable your skill to support additional locales like English (UK) and English (India). Amazon supports automated locale distribution for some, but not all, languages. For more details, see Add Additional Locales of the Same Language to Custom Skills. To further control the distribution of your skill, you can select specific countries. Otherwise, Amazon defaults to distributing the skill to all countries for the given language.

Make sure to update your privacy policy and terms of use for your skill to meet the requirements for all countries and regions where your want to make your skill available.

Select countries and regions for the skill

The Where would you like this skill to be available? option determines the countries and regions in which your customers can enable and use your custom skill. Your customers can access all skills that meet all of the following conditions:

  • You distribute your skill in the customers' country or region.
  • Your skill supports the language your customers selected for their Alexa-enabled devices.
  • Your skill supports the primary language for the country or region in which the customers registered their devices. This support determines whether the skill is available in the skills store; for example:
    • A skill must have an English (US) or Spanish (US) version to be available to customers who registered their devices with the .com site.
    • A skill must have a German version to be available to customers who registered their devices with the .de site.

The distribution applies to the skill, not to individual languages. Amazon makes available all language versions of the skill in the specified countries and regions, barring content-policy restrictions.

Should your skill be available everywhere?

You must decide how broadly you want your custom skill available to customers and users. You do this when you choose the In all countries and regions where Amazon distributes skills selection or leave the selection blank. To make this determination, consider your two options:

  • Choose the In all countries and regions where Amazon distributes skills selection if the following factors are important:

    • You want your skill available to customers worldwide who have configured their devices to use a language that your skill supports.
    • You want the largest possible customer and user base.
    • You think your skill can be useful to customers in other countries or regions. For example, a trivia game skill can be entertaining regardless of where the customer might live, especially if you can add additional languages.
  • Don't choose the In all countries and regions where Amazon distributes skills selection if the following factors are important:

    • You want to limit the availability of your skill to a particular country or region.
    • You want your skill available just to customers in the specified country or region who have configured their devices to use a language that your skill supports.
    • You think your skill can be useful to customers only in particular geographic areas. For example, a skill that provides food delivery for major US cities, but not in Europe, wouldn’t be useful in countries or regions other than the United States.

For more about developing skills for multiple languages and countries, see Develop Skills in Multiple Languages.

Preview the detail card in the Alexa app

After you have entered all the information for your development skill, open the Alexa app and preview the card. The app shows both published skills and your own skills in development. You can see how your card will appear to users. To find your skill, enter your skill name in the search box.

Verify that you provided links to a privacy policy and terms of use page, and make sure that all clickable links open and display properly on iOS, Android, and desktop devices.

In the following image, the utterances shown under "Try Saying" are the example phrases. The description shown under "About this Skill" is the full skill description.

Example of the detail card for a custom skill in the Alexa app
Example of the detail card for a custom skill in the Alexa app
List of skills in the Alexa app
List of skills in the Alexa app

Update skill metadata

After you publish your skill, you can't make changes to the skill details for the live version of the skill. Instead, you make updates to your the development version, and then submit your skill for certification.

To update metadata for your skill in the developer console

  1. Sign in to the Alexa developer console.
  2. From the skill list, locate the development version of your skill under STATUS, and then, in the dropdown under ACTIONS, select Distribute.
  3. In the top-left menu, click Skill Preview, and then choose the language that represents the language that you want to update.
  4. Under Primary Details, enter the new details for your skill.
    For help with each field, see skill details.
  5. Under Media Details, add optional icons, images, and video.
    For more details, see Add Rich Media to the Skill Detail Page.
  6. To save your skill details, click Save.
  7. (Optional) If your skill supports other languages, in the top-left menu under Skill Preview, select the next language, and then enter details for your skill in that language.
  8. To update privacy and compliance information, top-left menu, click Privacy & Compliance, and then update the information.
    For more details, see Answer privacy and compliance questions.
  9. To save your skill details, click Save.
  10. To update availability information, top-left menu, click Availability, and then update the information.
    For more details, see Define skill availability.
  11. To save your skill details, click Save.
  12. After you make the updates, preview the detail card in the Alexa app, and then submit your skill for certification.

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Last updated: Nov 15, 2023