Troubleshoot Common Certification Failures

Skill description doesn't include enough information.

The short description contains the complete information to use the skill, but the detailed description doesn't contain all the information required to use the skill.

Short Description: This skill provides a single random fact about space.

Detailed Description: Simply say "Alexa, open Space Information" to launch the skill.

Enter detailed information about how to use the skill in the detailed skill description. Keep the short description as a short sentence that states what the skill is about.

Short Description: This skill provides a single random fact about space.

Detailed Description: This skill provides a single random fact about space. Simply say "Alexa, open Space Information" to launch the skill."

Skill description describes different features from what's actually in the skill.

The skill description references functionality that doesn't exist in the skill.

Description: This skill quizzes you on history facts ranging from the 1800s to 1900s.

Problem: The skill only includes quizzes for the 1800s and not the 1900s.

Test your skill by voice and make sure that all the details are correct.

For example, if the skill description says that the skill includes history quizzes from the 1800s to 1900s, you must verify that this functionality is accurate. If a feature doesn't exist or differs from what you initially wrote, change the description to match the core functions of the skill.

Skill description contains a typo.

The description incorrectly describes the skill as "an app."

Description: To use the app, say "Alexa, Open My Horoscopes."

You must fix the typo. This example requires changing the word "app" to "skill."

Description: To use the skill, say "Alexa, open My Horoscopes."

The skill returns an error.

When a user speaks back to the skill to confirm or deny an action, the skill responds with error.

User: "Alexa, open My Horoscopes."

Skill: "Welcome to My Horoscopes! You can ask for a specific zodiac at any time or I can go through all 12 signs. Would you like me to go through the list of signs?"

User: "Yes."

Skill: "There was a problem with the requested skill's response."

Make sure the skill handles intents properly. This might require that you walk through the skill and test different scenarios or sample utterances that the user might speak.

The skill returns an irrelevant response or an erroneous multi-select response.

In your skill, the user selects Option A, but the skill responds as if user had selected Option B.

User: "Alexa, open story reader."

Skill: "Welcome to the story reader skill. You are able to choose how the story progresses by choosing option A or option B at certain points of the story. Let's start."

Skill reads out a story.

Skill: "You now get to choose the next action the character makes. Do you choose option A or option B?"

User: "Option A."

Skill: "You chose Option B."

Skill continues the story with Option B.

Listen to the response of the skill to make sure that it matches to each of the user's requests.

Make sure that you make the required changes in your skill's backend code for the intents. For more details about intent responses, see Intent Response.

In the provided example, the story should have continued with Option A.

The skill has special characters included in the sample utterance, which it can't pronounce.

Card game skills might include clover or heart symbols that relate to the card suit – for example, ♣♥.

User: "Alexa, open Random Card."

Skill: "10 of ♣."

Skill can't pronounce the clover symbol.

A skill can't read special characters and symbols. Instead, spell the special characters out in plain language in the sample utterance.

User: "Alexa, open Random Card."

Skill: "10 of clubs."

The skill reads out the word clubs instead of trying to interpret the clubs symbol ♣.

Skill sessions stay open after an error occurs.

After a custom error occurs, such as "Sorry, I didn't understand that.", the session remains open without an additional prompt provided to the user.

User: "Alexa, open Space Information."

Skill: "Welcome to Space Information! Which planet would you like to learn about?"

User: "Ocean."

Skill: "Sorry, I didn't understand that."

The skill session remains open.

If your session must remain open after an error, include a specific re-prompt so that the user knows what to say next.

User: "Alexa, open Space Information."

Skill: "Welcome to Space Information! Which planet would you like to learn about?"

User: "Ocean."

Skill: "Sorry, I didn't understand that. Please say a planet name to learn more about it."

The skill session remains open.

Skill sessions stay open after the welcome prompt.

After the welcome prompt finishes giving a short summary of the skill, the session stays open but doesn't prompt the user to take any actions.

User: "Alexa, open My Horoscopes."

Skill: "Welcome to My Horoscopes!"

The skill session remains open.

After the skill provides the welcome prompt and gives a brief summary of the skill, add a prompt to direct the user to continue with an open ended question or multiple choice.

User: "Alexa, open My Horoscopes."

Skill: "Welcome to My Horoscopes! Which zodiac would you like to know?"

The skill session remains open.

Skill sessions remain open after a request finishes.

The skill opens a new session after the welcome prompt, even though the skill already fulfilled the users initial request.

User: "Alexa, open Space Information."

Alexa: "A year on Mercury is just 88 days long."

The skill session remains open.

For skills such as fact skills, make sure that the session ends after the welcome prompt. The notification ring on a device shouldn't stay blue, indicating that it's still listening for a response.

User: "Alexa, open Space Information."

Alexa: "A year on Mercury is just 88 days long."

The skill session remains open.

Skill doesn't use a wake word.

The first example phrase doesn't include a wake word in the beginning of the phrase. Devices that are voice-initiated require a wake word to initialize.

"Open Space Information."

Add the wake word at the beginning of the phrase.

For example. "Alexa, Open Space Information."

The first example phrase uses an incorrect invocation name.

The invocation name featured in the example phrase is different from the actual invocation name.

Invocation Name in the example phrase: "Alexa, Open The Horoscopes."

Make sure that the invocation name in the example phrases match the invocation name found on Invocation Page. You find this page under the Build tab in the developer console.

In our example, the user asks to open The Horoscopes when the skill is actually named My Horoscopes in the developer console.

Example phrase: "Alexa, Open My Horoscopes."

The first example phrase doesn't have an invocation name.

The first example phrase doesn't have an invocation name included in the example phrase.

"Alexa, find Zip Code for Seattle Washington."

Actual Invocation Name: Zip Code Finder.

Add the invocation name after the wake word. Without the invocation name, user requests route to the Alexa service rather than your skill. To invoke a skill, an invocation name is required.

"Alexa, ask Zip Code Finder to find the zip code for Seattle Washington."

The skill doesn't launch.

Some invocation names don't work well as a launch phrase.

Example Phrase: Alexa, begin <invocation name>.

User: "Alexa, begin <invocation name>."

History Page for the user utterance: "Alexa, begin <invocation name>."

The history page doesn't reflect the correct skill name in the message that states "This request was sent to <skill name>."

Make sure that your example phrases reach the skill – some launch phrases work better than others depending on the invocation name.

You should always confirm your example phrase by voice and check the utterance history in the Alexa app.


The history page shows what utterance is registered in your request. This log should match the phrase that you spoke. The message you see is displayed in the following format: "This request was sent to <skill name>."

The skill response isn't the same as what's described in the description.

The actual skill response is different from the intended request or different than what's written in the skill description.

Example phrase: "Make an animal sound."

User: "Alexa, open Animal Sounds."

Skill: "Welcome to the Animal Sounds skill! What would you like to do?"

User: "Make an animal sound."

Skill: Plays back a car honking sound.

Make sure that the example phrases respond to the intended requests and matches what's written in the skill description.

User: "Alexa, open Animal Sounds."

Skill: "Welcome to the Animal Sounds skill! What would you like to do?"

User: "Make an animal sound."

Skill plays back a sound of dog barking.

The skill response contains an error.

The user reaches the requested skill, but it responds with error.

Examples "There was a problem with the requested skill's response" or "undefined."

Example phrase: "Alexa, ask acoustic guitar sounds to play the a chord."

User: "Alexa, ask acoustic guitar sounds to play the G minor chord."

Skill: "I will play undefined chord."

Skill plays a chord.

Make sure that all example phrases respond appropriately without errors.

User: "Alexa, ask acoustic guitar sounds to play the G minor chord."

Skill: "I will play the G minor chord."

Skill plays the G minor chord.

Vocalized prompts don't match the skill prompt.

A sample utterance must be defined for all phrases provided within the skill prompt.

Example of problem vocalized phrase: To start, say "play the music"

Sample utterance: PlayIntent play music.

The exact phrase must be defined in the sample utterance. Similar utterances don't count.

Sample utterance: PlayIntent play the music.

Example phrases aren't defined.

There are example phrases or phrases in description that aren't defined.

Example phrase: "Alexa, ask animal sounds to give me cow sounds."

Sample utterance: CowIntent cow sounds.

For modal requests or one-shot phrases, make sure that the exact phrase is defined in the intent schema.

Sample utterance: CowIntent give me cow sounds.

Slots values are incorrect.

One of the slot values is missing.

Example of problem vocalized prompt: "Choose between morning, afternoon, and evening."

Custom Slot Values:
  • {Time} morning
  • {Time} evening

All vocalized values must be defined as slot values. For example:

Custom Slot Values:
  • {Time} morning
  • {Time} afternoon
  • {Time} evening

Skill fails when a user provides a "Yes" or "No" answer.

The literal words "Yes" and/or "No" aren't added to the sample utterance

Example prompt: "Would you like to continue?"

Sample utterance:
  • YesIntent continue.
  • NoIntent do not continue.

Make sure that "Yes" and "No" are explicitly included in the intent. It's also a good idea to include utterances such as "continue" or "do not continue", which users are likely to say.

Sample utterance:
  • YesIntent yes.
  • YesIntent continue.
  • NoIntent no.
  • NoIntent do not continue.

Skill fails when the user provides a one word answer.

Units aren't included with the intent.

Example prompt: "How long is five feet plus twenty feet."

Sample utterance: AnswerIntent {number}.

Users might respond with inches, feet, yard, or just with a number on their own without including any specific units.

Sample utterance:
  • AnswerOnlyIntent {number}.
  • AnswerIntent {number} feet.
  • AnswerIntent {number} inches.

Skill fails when it asks the user an open ended question.

For skills with multiple functionalities, there aren't enough variations of sample utterance's in the same intent to process the request. Sometimes a user might ask for the same request in a slightly different manner.

Example of problem prompt: "What would you like to do?"

Sample utterance:
  • AnswerIntent {number}.
  • PatternIntent learn more about patterns.
  • PatternIntent I want to know about patterns.
  • ColorIntent colors.
  • ColorIntent tell me more about colors.

Make sure that the skill's intent schema covers all possibilities of open ended questions that a user can ask.

Sample utterance:
  • AnswerIntent {number}.
  • PatternIntent learn more about patterns.
  • PatternIntent patterns.
  • PatternIntent tell me more about patterns.
  • PatternIntent I want to know about patterns.
  • ColorIntent learn more about colors.
  • ColorIntent colors.
  • ColorIntent tell me more about colors.
  • ColorIntent I want to know about colors.

The skill uses an incorrect invocation name.

There is a typo in the invocation name.

Actual Invocation Name: My Horoscope.

Example Phrase: "Alexa, open The Horoscope."

"Alexa, open My Horoscope."

The skill uses an incorrect launch phrase.

Alexa doesn't support the launch phrase that's used.

Example Phrase: Alexa, look up <invocation name>.

Alexa, open <invocation name>.

The skill doesn't use a wake word.

A wake word isn't included in the beginning of the phrase, even though the invocation name and launch phrase are correct.

Example Phrase: Open <invocation name>.

Alexa, open <invocation name>.

The skill fails when trying to use an Amazon Built-in intent.

The extended Built-in intent is already defined in a different Built-in intent and the two intents are conflicting.

Sample utterance: Amazon.CancelIntent goodbye.

Delete the extended built-in intent, as it's already defined in Amazon.StopIntent.

The skill fails when trying to use a custom intent.

The skill fails because two or more custom intents have the same sample utterance.

Sample utterance:
  • WhatCanIBuyIntent buy.
  • BuyConfirmIntent buy.

Either change one of the sample utterances to better match the intent or delete the sample utterance from one of the intents.

The skill fails when trying to a slot value.

The skill fails because a custom slot value and an intent contain the same sample utterance.

Sample utterance:
  • IntentA I want a {Slot}.
  • IntentB I want a fact.

Custom Slot Values: {Slot} fact.

Delete one of the duplicate intents.

The skill fails when trying to use an acronym or an initialism.

Acronym: An abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word.

Initialism: An abbreviation consisting of initial letters pronounced separately.

Example incorrect acronym: n a s a
Example incorrect initialism: gps

Example correct acronym: NASA
Example correct initialism: g. p. s.

The skill fails when trying to use special characters.

The skill uses unsupported special characters.

Example: →, #, +

Change the characters into pronounceable words, such as next, number, hashtag, or *plus.

The skill fails when using a different language.

The skill tries to use an unselected language locale.

The skill available in US English (en_US), but intents aren't written in English.

Sample utterance: StartIntent empezar.

When working with multiple locales for the same skill, make sure that you use the correct language and you have provided the proper support for each language. Don't select that you support another language unless you have translated the text into the target language.

Your certification submission is missing log-in credentials.

The certification team can't test account linking for your skill, due to a lack of valid credentials.

Provide valid account linking credentials (e.g. username and password) with your certification submission.

To submit your credentials in the developer console, click the Distribution Privacy & Compliance tab and add your credentials to the Testing Instructions section.

No devices are discovered during testing.

When you submit your smart home skill for certification, make sure that your discovered devices remain in your account and online until you receive certification feedback on the skill or certification is complete.

The certification team can't find any discovered devices to test and verify the functionality of your Smart Home Skill skill.

Add at least one discoverable device to the account that you submitted for certification. To enable testing by the certification team, make sure that account-linking test credentials are correct and the device is available 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

Your skill fails certification because it uses invalid keywords.

The skill description or prompt mentions that the skill is a trial, sample or test skill.

Example skill description: This skill is for test purposes. This skill checks your knowledge of trains in Japan! Just launch the skill and the quiz begins, Enjoy.

Example prompt:
User: "Alexa, open color picker."

Alexa: "Welcome! I will help you pick a color."

User: "help."

Alexa: "This skill is for internal testing purposes. If you want a color, say 'pick my color.'"

Remove any keywords that state the skill is trial, sample, or test.

Example skill description: This skill is for test purposes This skill checks your knowledge of trains in Japan! Just launch the skill and the quiz begins, Enjoy.

Remove any keywords in the prompts that state the skill is trial, sample, or test.

Example prompt:
User: "Alexa, open color picker."

Alexa: "Welcome! I will help you pick a color."

User: "help."

Alexa: "This skill is for internal testing purposes. If you want a color, say 'pick my color.'"

Flash Briefing skills must contain content from within the last seven days.

User: "Alexa, what's my Flash Briefing?"

Alexa: "From Japan news: Japan news doesn't contain any recent content at the moment."

User: "Alexa, what's my Flash Briefing?"

Skill: "From Japan news: "Yesterday, a new amusement park opened in the Odaiba area…"

The skill doesn't fulfill the user request.

The user enabled the skill expecting it would play the genre of music indicated by the skill name, but the skill doesn't plays content appropriate to the skill description.

The user says, "Alexa, open sixties hits.", but the skill plays a song from the eighties.

Correct the skill name and skill description to reflect the audio content.

The URL wasn't accessible during testing.

When you submit your skill for certification, make sure that your URL is accessible and remains online until you receive certification feedback on the skill or certification is complete.

The certification team can't verify the functionality of your custom skill with audio.

Host the audio file at an Internet-accessible HTTPS endpoint on port 443 and present a valid and trusted SSL certificate. To enable testing by the certification team, make sure that the URL is available 24 hours per day, seven days a week.