SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apr. 19, 2018— (NASDAQ:AMZN)–Amazon today introduced Alexa Skill Blueprints, a new way to create your own personalized skills and responses for Alexa. Using a set of easy-to-use templates anyone can create customized experiences for Alexa within minutes just by filling in the blanks. Whether it’s your own answer to the question “Alexa, who is the best mom in the world?” or a skill that offers helpful information for the babysitter, “Alexa, open My Sitter,” Alexa Skill Blueprints allow you to build experiences into Alexa that are personalized to you and help make Alexa even more useful around your home. The skills you create are specially designed for you and your family, and will only appear on the devices registered to your Amazon account.
“Alexa Skill Blueprints is an entirely new way for you to teach Alexa personalized skills just for you and your family,” said Steve Rabuchin, Vice President, Amazon Alexa. “You don’t need experience building skills or coding to get started–my family created our own jokes skill in a matter of minutes, and it’s been a blast to interact with Alexa in a totally new and personal way.”
Using Alexa Skill Blueprints is as easy as filling in the blanks. You can have fun customizing responses to questions like “Alexa, what is the best city?” or “Alexa, who has the best sense of humor?” You can also use Skill Blueprints to create an interactive adventure story with your child as the lead character, “Alexa, start Anna’s Story,” or create a skill to poke fun at Dad’s corny one liners, “Alexa, open Dad’s Jokes.” The skills and responses you create with Alexa Skill Blueprints will be available instantly on the devices associated with your account.
Getting Started with Alexa Skill Blueprints:
Creating your own Alexa skill and responses is simple. Just follow three easy steps:
1. Select your blueprint template by visiting the Alexa Skill Blueprints website: blueprints.amazon.com. There you can browse more than 20 Skill Blueprints across four categories including Fun & Games, At Home, Storyteller, and Learning & Knowledge.
2. Unleash your creativity. Each blueprint comes with pre-filled content that can be used as-is or customized as you like.
3. With just one click your skill will be available on all Alexa-enabled devices associated with your Amazon account.
There is no limit to the number of skills you can create. Need to add even more hilarious jokes to the “Dad’s Jokes” skill? No problem, editing is just as simple using the Alexa Skill Blueprints website.
Alexa Skill Blueprints available at launch include:
At Home
- Custom Q&A: Customize responses to your questions
- Houseguest: Make your guests feel at home with quick access to important info
- Babysitter: Help your sitter find things, remember steps and get important info
- Pet Sitter: Help your pet sitter care for your favorite animal
Fun & Games
- Family Jokes: Create a list of your favorite jokes for when you need a laugh
- Trivia: Create your own multiple choice trivia game on any topic
- Inspirations: Curate a list of your favorite inspirational quotes
- Family Trivia: Play together and brush up on family history
- Bachelorette Party: Play to find out how well the bride’s friends know her
- Birthday Trivia: Play to see who knows the birthday girl or boy best
- Burns: Roast your friends and family with lighthearted burns
- Compliments: Flatter your favorites with a list of custom compliments
- Double Trouble: Find out which couple knows each other best with this customizable game
- First Letter: Play a game of categories starting with a certain letter
Storyteller
- Adventure: Write an adventure story where your child is the hero
- Fairy Tale: Customize an interactive prince and princess-themed tale
- Sci-Fi: Create an interactive story with a far-out theme
- Fable: Create a short narrative with a moral of the story
Learning & Knowledge
- Flash Cards: Study, test yourself, and master any subject by voice
- Facts: Keep a list of facts on your favorite topic, all in one place
- Quiz: Challenge yourself and others with a customizable quiz
Alexa Skill Blueprints is available now for customers in the US. To get started with Alexa Skill Blueprints visit: blueprints.amazon.com. For frequently asked questions: blueprints.amazon.com/help/
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
