Create New Skills with Alexa Blueprints

Amazon’s Alexa-enabled devices, including the original Echo, the Dot, and their range of Fire Sticks and Smart TVs, offer plenty of great features. But there’s been one thing missing from the perky virtual assistant: the ability to quickly and easily create your own skills.

That changed this week with the reveal of Alexa Blueprints, a collection of customizable templates that allow you to program unique study aids, games, and reminders.

No Code Required

Previously, the only way to add skills to your Alexa-enabled devices was to choose a pre-programed script or write your own using a sophisticated coding language. Since most people don’t have the savvy to code their own, they were stuck with whatever was offered on Amazon.

As exciting as it may be to order a pizza with a single voice command, many owners wanted more from Alexa. The templates released by Amazon go a long way to meet that need, bridging the gap between the pre-made skills and totally original coding. Ambitious programmers can still write their own skills, but the average Alexa owner can now have more flexibility and control over their devices.

Create Your Own Skill in Minutes

Writing a new skill using Alexa Blueprints is easy and intuitive. Currently, there are 20 templates available in a variety of categories, with more to come. Using the simple graphic interface, you choose a skill you’d like to create and then follow the instructions on the screen. The first time you create a skill, an animated tutorial walks you through the steps, ensuring that anyone can be successful.

Many of the templates are geared toward entertainment, with programmable bedtime stories for the kids, trivia games based on friends and family, or personalized inspirational quotes. It’s not all fun and games, however; the “At Home” category of blueprints offers customized instructions for babysitters, houseguests, or pet sitters, while the “Learning & Knowledge” category helps students to create flashcards and quizzes as study aids.

Custom Call & Response

For Alexa owners who want even more customization, there’s one more blueprint to check out. The “Custom Q&A” skill template allows you to write your own question and then script Alexa’s response. While it’s not as open-ended as coding your own skills from scratch, the blueprints offered can help you get more from your Alexa-enabled devices.