Amazon launches customization feature Alexa Skill Blueprints

By

Cassidy Mantor

Published
Apr 20, 2018

Amazon has launched Alexa Skill Blueprints, giving users the opportunity to create personalized Alexa skills suited to their homes and families. Categories of skills include at home, fun and games, storyteller and learning.

"Alexa Skill Blueprints is an entirely new way for you to teach Alexa personalized skills just for you and your family," stated Steve Rabuchin, vice president, Amazon Alexa in a company statement.

Rabuchin went on to explain that the feature allows interaction with Alexa in a more personal way, adding "You don't need experience building skills or coding to get started."

Amazon has launched 20 blueprints for skills. The blueprints come with pre-filled content that can be used as it is or customized. Once saved, the content becomes instantly available on all Alexa-enabled devices linked to the user's Amazon account.

One example Amazon has given of an activity which can be undertaken through the new skills includes parents creating custom stories featuring their children as the main characters and family jokes. Alexa can also store vital information that could be helpful for a babysitter or pet sitter, as well as offer flash card and quiz-style learning tools.

Blueprints can also be used for entertaining. Amazon gives the examples of using Alexa Skill Blueprints socially to play games with party guests, or to give custom compliments or "lighthearted burns".

Alexa Skill Blueprints is now available for Amazon users in the US.