Today we are introducing the Flash Briefing Skill API, a new addition to the Alexa Skills Kit, which enables developers to add feeds to Flash Briefing on Alexa, which delivers pre-recorded audio and text-to-speech (TTS) updates to customers. When using the Flash Briefing Skill API, you no longer need to build a voice interaction model to handle customer requests. You configure your compatible RSS feed and build skills that connect directly to Flash Briefing so that customers can simply ask “Alexa, what’s my Flash Briefing” to hear your content.
The Flash Briefing Skill API is free to use. Get Started Now >
To get started, you’ll configure a JSON or RSS feed and submit descriptive information about your skill in the portal. This can be done through the following steps:
1. Register for a free Amazon Developer Account if you have not done already and navigate to the Alexa Skills Kit box in the Alexa menu here.
2. Click on Add a New Skill
3. Select Flash Briefing Skill API, fill out a name and then click Next.
4. Unlike custom skills, the interaction model for Flash Briefing Skills will automatically be generated for you, simply hit Next.
5. Now we will need to define our Content Feed(s). Your Flash Briefing Skill can include one or more defined feeds.
Then, click on the Add new feed button.
6. You will then enter information about your content feed including name, how often the feed will be updated, the content type (audio or text), the genre, an icon as well as the URL for where you are hosting the feed.
7. Repeat these steps each feed you wish to include in the skill. The first feed you add will automatically be marked as the default feed. If you add more feeds, you can choose which feed is the default, by selecting it in the Default column.
8. Click Next when you are finished adding feeds and are ready to test your skill.
For additional information check out the Steps to Create a Flash Briefing Skill page here.
The content feed for your Flash Briefing Skill is created and hosted by you. The feed will provide audio or text that Alexa either plays or reads back to a customer. You can have one or more feeds in both JSON or RSS formats as long as you follow the accepted formats for a feed which are relatively simple, but there are some basic requirements for each supported format you will need to follow.
Each feed should meet the following requirements:
Here is an example content feed in JSON format that provides a single text item of content. Alexa will read aloud the maintext attribute content and then the titleText, description and redirectionUrl will all display in the Alexa app.
The following table lists format details for each supported format and the items you can include in your content feed. Each message should contain the HTTP content-type header specifying the format of the payload. The remainder of the items in the following table describe how each item in a feed should be formatted.
Feed Item |
Description |
Required? |
JSON element |
RSS element |
---|---|---|---|---|
HTTP Content-Type Header |
Indicates the format of the feed payload. |
Yes |
application/json |
application/rss+xml |
Identifier |
Unique identifier for each feed item. UUID format preferred, but not required. |
Yes |
uid |
guid |
Date |
Indicates freshness of feed item. ISO8601 format preferred. Any Simple Date Format accepted. Should be specified in UTC/Zulu time. |
Yes |
updateDate |
pubDate |
Title |
The title of the feed item to display in the Alexa app. |
Yes |
titleText |
title |
Audio content |
URL specifying the location of audio content for an audio feed. |
Yes, for audio feed items. |
|
|
Text content |
The text that is read to the customer. |
Yes in all cases. For an audio feed item, this element will be ignored and can contain an empty string ("") |
|
|
Display URL |
The link that displays in the Alexa app while a feed item is read or played |
No |
|
|
For more examples and full details on the Flash Briefing Skill Content Feed click here.
Testing your Flash Briefing skill can be done on your Alexa-enabled device or app. Simply follow these steps:
Submitting your skill for certification is done in the same way as previous skills. Simply navigate back to your skill in the developer portal and click Submit for Certification. However, the guidelines for Flash Briefing Skills are slightly different so please check out the Flash Briefing Skill Certification Checklist here before submitting your skill.
For more information about getting started with the Alexa Skills Kit and the Flash Briefing Skill API, check out the following additional assets:
Flash Briefing Skill API Reference
Flash Briefing Certification Checklist
Alexa Dev Chat Podcast
Alexa Training with Big Nerd Ranch
Alexa Skills Kit (ASK)
Alexa Developer Forums
-Dave (@TheDaveDev)