Alexa.Launcher Interface
Implement the Alexa.Launcher interface in your Alexa skill so that users can request Alexa to launch a specified app, such as Prime Video, or invoke a UI shortcut, such as TV display settings. For details about predefined apps and shortcuts, see Launch Target Reference.
For the list of languages that the Alexa.Launcher interface supports, see List of Alexa Interfaces and Supported Languages.
Utterances
The Alexa.Launcher interface uses the pre-built voice interaction model. After the customer says one of the following utterances, Alexa sends a corresponding directive to your skill.
The following examples show some customer utterances:
Alexa, launch Prime Video.
Alexa, go home.
Alexa, go to settings.
Alexa, Prime Video. (For one-to-one paired devices.)
Alexa, settings. (For one-to-one paired devices.)
Properties and objects
The Alexa.Launcher interface includes the following properties and objects.
Reportable properties
The Alexa.Launcher interface uses the target property as the primary property. You identify that you support the property in your discovery response.
Target object
The Target object contains a name and identifier that represents a predefined application or UI shortcut.
The following example shows a predefined application target.
{
"name": "target",
"value": {
"name": "Prime Video",
"identifier": "amzn1.alexa-ask-target.app.72095"
}
}
The following table shows the definition of the Target object.
| Property | Description | Type | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Name of the application or UI shortcut. |
String |
Yes |
|
|
Identifier associated with the application or UI shortcut. |
String |
Yes |
Discovery
You describe endpoints that support Alexa.Launcher by using the standard discovery mechanism described in Alexa.Discovery.
Set retrievable to true for the properties that you report when Alexa sends your skill a state report request.
Set proactivelyReported to true for the properties that you proactively report to Alexa in a change report.
Use TV, STREAMING_DEVICE, GAME_CONSOLE, or another appropriate display category. For the full list of display categories, see display categories.
Discover response example
The following example shows an Alexa.Discover.Response message for a device that can launch apps and shortcuts.
{
"event": {
"header": {
"namespace": "Alexa.Discovery",
"name": "Discover.Response",
"payloadVersion": "3",
"messageId": "a unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID"
},
"payload": {
"endpoints": [{
"endpointId": "unique ID of the endpoint",
"manufacturerName": "the manufacturer name of the endpoint",
"description": "a description that is shown in the Alexa app",
"friendlyName": "Living Room TV",
"displayCategories": ["TV"],
"additionalAttributes": {
"manufacturer": "the manufacturer name of the endpoint",
"model": "the model of the device",
"serialNumber": "the serial number of the device",
"firmwareVersion": "the firmware version of the device",
"softwareVersion": "the software version of the device"
},
"capabilities": [{
"type": "AlexaInterface",
"interface": "Alexa.Launcher",
"version": "3",
"properties": {
"supported": [{
"name": "target"
}],
"proactivelyReported": true,
"retrievable": true
}
},
{
"type": "AlexaInterface",
"interface": "Alexa.EndpointHealth",
"version": "3.2",
"properties": {
"supported": [{
"name": "connectivity"
}],
"proactivelyReported": true,
"retrievable": true
}
},
{
"type": "AlexaInterface",
"interface": "Alexa",
"version": "3"
}
]
}]
}
}
}
Proactive Discovery with AddOrUpdateReport
When a user adds a new endpoint to their account or makes changes to an existing endpoint, you must send an Alexa.Discovery.AddOrUpdateReport message proactively to the Alexa event gateway. You can include all the endpoints associated with the user account, or only the new or updated endpoints. You can choose based on your skill implementation. For details, see AddOrUpdateReport.
AddOrUpdateReport example
The following example shows a AddOrUpdateReport message for a new endpoint.
{
"event": {
"header": {
"namespace": "Alexa.Discovery",
"name": "AddOrUpdateReport",
"payloadVersion": "3",
"messageId": "a unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID"
},
"payload": {
"endpoints": [{
"endpointId": "unique ID of the new endpoint",
"manufacturerName": "the manufacturer name of the endpoint",
"description": "a description that is shown in the Alexa app",
"friendlyName": "Living Room TV",
"displayCategories": ["TV"],
"additionalAttributes": {
"manufacturer": "the manufacturer name of the endpoint",
"model": "the model of the device",
"serialNumber": "the serial number of the device",
"firmwareVersion": "the firmware version of the device",
"softwareVersion": "the software version of the device"
},
"capabilities": [{
"type": "AlexaInterface",
"interface": "Alexa.Launcher",
"version": "3",
"properties": {
"supported": [{
"name": "target"
}],
"proactivelyReported": true,
"retrievable": true
}
},
{
"type": "AlexaInterface",
"interface": "Alexa.EndpointHealth",
"version": "3.2",
"properties": {
"supported": [{
"name": "connectivity"
}],
"proactivelyReported": true,
"retrievable": true
}
},
{
"type": "AlexaInterface",
"interface": "Alexa",
"version": "3"
}
]
}],
"scope": {
"type": "BearerToken",
"token": "access-token-from-Amazon"
}
}
}
}
Directives
LaunchTarget directive
Support the LaunchTarget directive so that users can request to launch a specified app or shortcut. Alexa matches the app or shortcut named by the user to an identifier in the predefined launch target list, and then sends the name and identifier in the request.
LaunchTarget directive example
After the user says, "Alexa, launch Prime Video," Alexa sends the following directive to your skill.
{
"directive": {
"header": {
"namespace": "Alexa.Launcher",
"name": "LaunchTarget",
"messageId": "a unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID",
"correlationToken": "an opaque correlation token",
"payloadVersion": "3"
},
"endpoint": {
"scope": {
"type": "BearerToken",
"token": "an OAuth2 bearer token"
},
"endpointId": "endpoint id",
"cookie": {}
},
"payload": {
"name": "Prime Video",
"identifier": "amzn1.alexa-ask-target.app.72095"
}
}
}
}
LaunchTarget directive payload
The following table shows the payload details for the LaunchTarget directive.
| Property | Description | Type | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Name of the application or shortcut. |
String |
Yes |
|
|
Identifier associated with the application or shortcut. |
String |
Yes |
LaunchTarget response
If you handle a LaunchTarget directive successfully, respond with an Alexa.Response event. Include the values of the target property in the context object.
{
"event": {
"header": {
"namespace": "Alexa",
"name": "Response",
"messageId": "a unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID",
"correlationToken": "an opaque correlation token that matches the request",
"payloadVersion": "3"
},
"endpoint": {
"endpointId": "endpoint ID"
},
"payload": {}
},
"context": {
"properties": [
{
"namespace": "Alexa.Launcher",
"name": "target",
"value": {
"name": "Prime Video",
"identifier": "amzn1.alexa-ask-target.app.72095"
},
"timeOfSample": "2021-12-01T18:20:50Z",
"uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 500
},
{
"namespace": "Alexa.EndpointHealth",
"name": "connectivity",
"value": {
"value": "OK"
},
"timeOfSample": "2021-12-01T18:20:50Z",
"uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
}
]
}
}
LaunchTarget error handling
If you can't handle a LaunchTarget directive successfully, respond with an Alexa.Video.ErrorResponse event. You can also respond with a generic Alexa.ErrorResponse event if your error isn't specific to video.
State reporting
Alexa sends an Alexa.ReportState directive to request information about the state of an endpoint. You send an Alexa.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 State Reporting for Video Skills.
StateReport response example
{
"event": {
"header": {
"namespace": "Alexa",
"name": "StateReport",
"messageId": "a unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID",
"correlationToken": "an opaque correlation token that matches the request",
"payloadVersion": "3"
},
"endpoint": {
"endpointId": "endpoint id"
},
"payload": {}
},
"context": {
"properties": [
{
"namespace": "Alexa.Launcher",
"name": "target",
"value": {
"name": "Prime Video",
"identifier": "amzn1.alexa-ask-target.app.72095"
},
"timeOfSample": "2021-12-01T18:20:50Z",
"uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 500
},
{
"namespace": "Alexa.EndpointHealth",
"name": "connectivity",
"value": {
"value": "OK"
},
"timeOfSample": "2021-12-01T18:20:50Z",
"uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
}
]
}
}
Change reporting
You send an Alexa.ChangeReport event to report changes proactively in the state of an endpoint. You identify the properties that you proactively report in your discovery response.
If a state change happens because of a directive from Alexa, you send both a directive response and a change report event. For details about change reports, see State Reporting for Video Skills.
ChangeReport event example
The following example shows that the target changed to a shortcut due to a user request. For details about the target property, see Reportable properties.
{
"event": {
"header": {
"namespace": "Alexa",
"name": "ChangeReport",
"messageId": "a unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID",
"payloadVersion": "3"
},
"endpoint": {
"scope": {
"type": "BearerToken",
"token": "an OAuth2 bearer token"
},
"endpointId": "endpoint id"
},
"payload": {
"change": {
"cause": {
"type": "VOICE_INTERACTION"
},
"properties": [
{
"namespace": "Alexa.Launcher",
"name": "target",
"value": {
"name": "Settings",
"identifier": "amzn1.alexa-ask-target.shortcut.07395"
},
"timeOfSample": "2021-12-01T18:20:50Z",
"uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 500
}
]
}
}
},
"context": {
"properties": [{
"namespace": "Alexa.EndpointHealth",
"name": "connectivity",
"value": {
"value": "OK"
},
"timeOfSample": "2021-12-01T18:20:50Z",
"uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
}]
}
}