Get Started with the Alexa Skills Toolkit for Visual Studio Code
The Alexa Skills (ASK) Toolkit for Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is an extension that makes it easier for you to create, test, and deploy Alexa skills. The ASK Toolkit provides a dedicated workspace for Alexa skills in VS Code. You can create and deploy Alexa skills, test and debug your local skills with the Alexa simulator, and more. Use the ASK Toolkit to create Alexa-hosted or self-hosted skills.
If you want to create and publish Alexa skills from the command line, see Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) Command Line Interface (CLI) Overview. Or, you can create and publish skills with the Alexa Developer Console.
Prerequisites
Before you can install and use the ASK Toolkit for VS Code, you must have the following:
- An Amazon developer account.
- Visual Studio Code version 1.22.0 or later.
To use the Alexa Conversation Descriptive Language (ACDL) feature, you need VS Code version 1.67 or later.
Also, make sure that you enable Intellisense in VS Code. - Git version 2.27 or later for interacting with remote project files stored in a public git repository.
Install the ASK Toolkit extension
Use one of the following options to install the ASK Toolkit:
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Install the toolkit by visiting the VS Code marketplace.
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In VS Code, open the View menu and choose Extensions. In the search box, type Alexa Skills Kit. Choose Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) Toolkit, and then click Install.
After you install the toolkit, close, and then reopen VS Code.
Sign in to your Amazon developer account from VS Code
Use the following procedure to log into your Amazon developer account from VS Code.
- In the activity bar, click the Alexa icon.
- On the Sign in page, click Sign in.
The Amazon developer account sign-in page launches in your browser. - Sign in to your developer account in the browser, and then return to VS Code.
Next steps
- After you install the ASK Toolkit, to start working with skills, see Create and Manage Skills in Visual Studio Code.
- To create, edit, and preview APL documents, see Manage and Preview APL Documents in Visual Studio Code.
- To work with Alexa Conversations Descriptive Language (ACDL) files, see Manage ACDL Files in Visual Studio Code
- To test your skill, see Test Skills in Visual Studio Code.
Last updated: Jan 26, 2024