Amazon is taking its digital assistant to the next level with Alexa Blueprints, a new tool that allows anyone to create customized skills and responses in just a few minutes.
If Alexa skills, in general, require some advanced knowledge and tech-savviness, Alexa Blueprints don't require any coding skills. The tool is designed for regular people who own an Alexa-enabled device, allowing them to create their own responses to customized questions, responses, or their own voice apps.
Amazon Alexa Blueprints
While there are thousands of Alexa skills ready to perform various tasks and functions, this time it's more personal. Alexa Blueprints enable users to have personalized skills that Alexa can learn for one's particular household and family.
It's a more personal way of interacting with Amazon's digital assistant, and being able to create customized skills without coding knowledge should be a boon for many users.
How To Create Alexa Skills And Responses With Blueprints
Amazon has set up a special website for Alexa Blueprints, allowing users to select templates for the skill or response they want to create. More than 20 templates are available so far, covering various categories including Storyteller, Fun & Games, Learning & Knowledge, Compliments, and other. These are just the templates available at launch, but Amazon will surely add more down the line.
Using the existing templates, users can simply add bits of information to personalize them and make them suitable for their own needs and preferences. The process is quite simple and straightforward, designed to be accessible even for those with no technical knowledge.
How it Works
Once users fill in the template with their own personalized information, they can give it a title and publish it with just one click, making it readily available for all Alexa-supported devices on the respective Amazon account.
It's worthy of note that publishing the skill doesn't mean making it available in the Alexa Skills Store or to the general public, just to one's own devices. Once the personalized skill is ready, users will be able to find it on the Blueprints website, under the Skills You've Made section. Users can enable, disable, or delete the skills they created at any time.
Amazon Echo devices are among the most popular smart speakers currently on the market, but Amazon is facing increased competition from Google, Apple, and others.
Neither Google Home nor Apple's HomePod, however, offer this level of customization, so Alexa Blueprints could give Amazon a notable edge in the race.
Have you tried out Alexa Blueprints yet? Drop by our comments section once you do and tell us about your experience.
