How to create skills with Alexa blueprints

You can find many skills in the Amazon Alexa Skills Store. With everything from things to help you manage your smart home to other things to keep you entertained, there are plenty of Alexa skills for kids and adults alike.

However, you may be looking for something specific. Maybe you want a family trivia game, a fairy tale in which your child is the star character, or the guide to your house and neighbors to act as housekeeper.

Also guess what? You can create your own skills using the Alexa blueprint. Here’s how!

Browse Alexa skill blueprints

You can view and select a design on Blueprints.amazon.com website as well as in the Alexa mobile app. This makes it easy to create a skill on almost any device because the blueprint is essentially a template.

Browse the categories for At Home, Recommended Amazon Kids, Learning & Knowledge, Fun & Games, Storytellers, Greeting & Events, Communities & Organizations, and Business.

Select a blueprint to see more details and see examples. This helps you see how a babysitter blueprint can help when you’re away from home, or a family prank blueprint can liven up quality time.

If you find one you want, choose Create your own on the skill information screen.

Create skills

The steps are the same whether you’re crafting a skill with your web or mobile blueprint. However, those steps may vary depending on the type of design you choose.

For example, you would enter different information for the birthday quiz skill than the information for flashcards, pet sitters, or bedtime stories. You can see these steps when you select a blueprint to view its details.

To show you how easy it is, we’ll create one per device.

Create picky charting skills on the web

For this first example, we’ll use the Chore Chart blueprint to create a site skill. This skill helps keep track of household chores and who is responsible for each.

1. Visit Alexa blueprints your website, log in Amazon accountand choose a blueprint.
2. As described above, select Create your own right below the skill name. If you see a short tutorial to build skills, select Start now when you get to the end.
3. Next, you’ll be prompted to replace the details for the skill with your own. For the Work Chart, we will fill in the names of our family members and our housework.

4. Option Next in the top right to go to the next step.
5. Here again, you may be asked to enter more details for the skill. For the Chore Map design, we assign household chores to family members. Just keep in mind that the number of prompts and details required depends on the skill and the exact blueprint.

6. Option Next to continue.
7. One step that you will find in most blueprints is to customize the experience. This refers to how you interact with Alexa for that particular skill. For example, you can enter introductory phrases when someone opens a skill, and then enter other phrases for when someone completes the chores. These are the phrases that Alexa uses for that particular skill.

8. Option Next to finish entering details.
9. The final step in the skill creation process is to give it a name. Try to use something meaningful that you will remember but also something simple enough for Alexa to recognize.

10. Option Next one last time to create the skill.

After a few minutes to process all the information, your skill will be ready to use!

Create someone’s variable skill in mobile app

For this next example, we’ll use the Whose Turn blueprint to create a skill in the Alexa app. This skill prompts Alexa to choose who’s turn to do something.

1. Open the Alexa app on Android or iOS and select Than navigation.
2. Pick see more in the top section and select The design.
3. Browse the options by category, just like on the website. Then select the one you want to use and press Create your own.

4. Replace the details for the skill with your own. For the Whose Turn skill, we’ll add names to Alexa’s selections.
5. Clap Next in the top right to continue.
6. The next step for the Whose Turn skill is to personalize the experience. This allows you to customize how Alexa chooses names. After you ask a question, Alexa uses the phrases and sound effects you choose in this section. Optionally, you can scroll down for additional customization options.
7. Clap Next to name your custom skill.
8. Select the text on the name line to edit or enter your own. Again, choose a name that makes sense and one that Alexa easily recognizes.
9. Clap Next to create skills.

You will see progress as your skill is generated and confirmed when the process is complete. You can click X in the top right to exit when you’re done viewing your skills.

Edit the skill you create

When you create a skill using Alexa Blueprints, you may want to tweak it. You can do this on the web and also in the mobile app.

Your skills on the Web

1. Visit Alexa blueprints website and login. Choose The skill you created at top.
2. You will see a list of your skills. Choose Details on the right to open the file you want to edit.

3. On the right side, select Edit or Delete. You will notice that you can also choose Share with others to make it easy for your family or friends to access or Publish to the Skill Store for other Alexa users.

Your skills in mobile apps

You can also edit your custom skills easily in the Alexa mobile app.

1. Go Menu navigation.
2. Option see more > The design.
3. Above Your skills Select the design you want to edit.
4. Use the buttons at the bottom to make your changes.

Take Advantage of Alexa Blueprints

While there are many pre-made skills you can choose from, creating your own Alexa skills gives you great ways to personalize the experience on your Alexa device, complete tasks or have fun. a little!

So what will it be? A family quiz with your Amazon Echo, a custom Q&A on your Echo Dot, a sci-fi story in the Alexa mobile app, or something else entirely? Let us know!