Comprehensive Alexa Skill Development course (2018 Updated) from Udemy

June 11,2018 - Updated content for new Amazon developer console and new AWS lambda function interface.

This is the first comprehensive online course on Alexa Skills Development

Welcome to comprehensive Alexa Skill Development course. You want to learn how to develop skills for Amazon's Alexa? This course is for you.

It is perfect time to learn Alexa Skill Development. Soon there will be lot of requirement for Alexa Skill Developers, as many companies wants to add Alexa voice control to their products and services. This comprehensive Alexa Skill tutorial teaches required skills to become Alexa Skill Developer. This course covers almost all features of Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) with real-world example skills (including a published skill), which includes 47 Lectures, source code and 9.5 hours of content.

Here are few highlights of the course:

Learn how to develop skills using both Lambda function and Web Service as an end point.
Node.js tutorial - In case you are not familiar with Node.js coding, this course teaches required knowledge on Node.js to develop Alexa Skills.
Coding from scratch - For the first skill, we will not be using any templates. We will start with empty file and code line by line, so that you will understand how the whole Alexa Skill flow works end to end.
Learning by example - I believe in learning by example, so we will be learning and exercising features of Alexa through developing skills.
Beginner to Expert - I carefully designed this course, such that it works for all levels of students.
Learn how to setup your local environment and We will be developing a skill called 'Email checker' using this feature.
Learn how to develop skill using Node.js and Python languages.
Learn most of the features of Alexa Skills Kit like:
1. SSML tags
2. Including card in your response
3. Sessions feature
4. Built-in intents and slots
5. Account linking feature
Learn how to setup your local environment and
Learn FLASK-ASK framework - For developing skills using Web Service as end point.
Learn how to access external database like AWS DynamoDB from your Alexa Skill to store per user information
Learn how to access external APIs from your Alexa Skills

Please feel free to checkout course content and preview videos to know about this course.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Develop alexa skills using alexa skills kit (ask) and publish skills to alexa skill store
Develop alexa skills using aws lambda function or web service as an end point
Create skills using account linking feature of alexa skills kit, so that you can link alexa user with use in your system
Do automated testing of alexa skills using mocha test framework or python unittest framework
Learn how to access external apis from your alexa skills

Learn how to access external database like aws dynamodb from your alexa skill to store per user information
Learn how to setup your local environment and aws cli, so that you can automate the process of uploading alexa skills from your local machine
Learn how to use flask-ask framework to develop alexa skills
create your own custom skills for amazon echo, echo dot devices

Develop alexa skills using alexa skills kit (ask) and publish skills to alexa skill store
Develop alexa skills using aws lambda function or web service as an end point
Create skills using account linking feature of alexa skills kit, so that you can link alexa user with use in your system
Do automated testing of alexa skills using mocha test framework or python unittest framework
Learn how to access external apis from your alexa skills
Learn how to access external database like aws dynamodb from your alexa skill to store per user information
Learn how to setup your local environment and aws cli, so that you can automate the process of uploading alexa skills from your local machine
Learn how to use flask-ask framework to develop alexa skills
create your own custom skills for amazon echo, echo dot devices

Syllabus

Getting started

Course promo video

Course Overview

Introduction to Amazon Echo, Alexa Voice Service and Alexa Skill Kit

First skill - Greetings Skill using AWS Lambda function

Please download these files to a directory on your machine and unzip tutorial_begin.zip file.

In this lecture, we will start developing our first skill called "Greetings skill". It covers:

Establishing goal for the skill
Developing voice interaction model
Registering skill with Amazon Developer portal

Greetings Skill - Request formation

Greetings Skill - AWS Lambda function Introduction and setup

Node.js quick tutorial (part-1)

Node.js quick tutorial (part-2)

Node.js quick tutorial (part-3)

Greetings Skill - Coding (Part-1)

Greetings Skill - Coding (Part-2) and testing

Greetings Skill - Improvements, Local environment setup and testing

Greetings Skill - SSML and upload automation

Greetings Skill - Sessions feature and using standard built-in intents (part-1)

Greetings Skill - Sessions feature and using standard built-in intents (part-2)

Greetings Skill - Including a card in response

Greetings Skill - Debugging

Greetings Skill - Automated testing using Mocha test framework - Part -1

Greetings Skill - Automated testing using Mocha test framework - Part-2

Greetings skill using Web service as an end point

Greetings skill using web service as an end point - Introduction

Greetings skill using Web service as an end point - Coding

Deploying the skill from Local Web Server

Hosting the skill on Heroku

Testing Greeting Skill (Web Service)

Requirements of Web Service and FLASK-ASK

Greetings Skill using FLASK-ASK

Greetings skill using FLASK-ASK (part-2)

Greetings skill using FLASK-ASK (Deploying to Heroku)

Food Nutrition Lookup skill development

Food Nutrition Lookup skill - Introduction

Food Nutrition Lookup skill - Setup

Food Nutrition Lookup skill - Coding - Part-1

Food Nutrition Lookup skill - Coding - Part-2

Food Nutrition Lookup skill - Testing

Food Nutrition Lookup skill - Deploying

Food Nutrition Lookup skill - Certification Requirements - Part-1

Food Nutrition Lookup skill - Certification Requirements - Part-2

Food Nutrition Lookup skill - Certification Requirements - Part-3

Food Nutrition Lookup skill - Improvements

Account Linking Feature - Email checker skill

Account Linking feature introduction and Google API console setup

Email checker skill - setup

Email checker skill - Implementation

Email checker skill - Testing

Email checker skill - Voice password and AWS DynamoDB setup

Email checker skill - Voice password implementation

Email checker skill - Voice password testing

Email checker skill - Adding forgot pin functionality and testing

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Develops Alexa skills using Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) and publishes skills to Alexa Skill Store

Creates skills using Account linking feature of Alexa Skills Kit, so that you can link Alexa user with use in your system

Learns how to access external databases like AWS DynamoDB from your Alexa Skill to store per user information

Teaches how to setup your local environment and

Develops professional skills or deep expertise in a particular topic or set of topics

Offers hands-on labs and interacive materials

Reviews summary

Adequately explained but outdated course

According to students, this adequately explained course is not always updated. However, the instructor is clear most of the time.

Instructor is clear

"The instructor is clear most of the time..."

Content not always updated

"...but the content is not always updated."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Comprehensive Alexa Skill Development course (2018 Updated) with these activities:

Node.js tutorial

Show steps

This tutorial will help you understand how to use Node.js to develop Alexa skills.

Browse courses on Node.js

Show steps

Go to the Node.js tutorial website.
Follow the instructions in the tutorial to create a Node.js project.
Test your Node.js project to make sure it works as expected.

Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) tutorial

Show steps

This tutorial will help you understand how to use the Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) to develop Alexa skills.

Show steps

Go to the ASK tutorial website.
Follow the instructions in the tutorial to create an Alexa skill.
Test your Alexa skill to make sure it works as expected.

Develop an Alexa skill using Node.js

Show steps

This activity will help you practice developing Alexa skills using Node.js.

Browse courses on Node.js

Show steps

Create a Node.js project.
Create an Alexa skill that uses your Node.js project.
Test your Alexa skill to make sure it works as expected.

Three other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all six activities

Develop an Alexa skill using Alexa Skills Kit (ASK)

Show steps

This activity will help you practice developing Alexa skills using the Alexa Skills Kit (ASK).

Show steps

Create an ASK project.
Create an Alexa skill that uses your ASK project.
Test your Alexa skill to make sure it works as expected.

Write a blog post about your experience developing Alexa skills

Show steps

This activity will help you share your knowledge of Alexa skill development with others.

Show steps

Choose a topic related to Alexa skill development.
Write a blog post about your experience developing Alexa skills.
Publish your blog post.

Create a video tutorial about how to develop Alexa skills

Show steps

This activity will help you share your knowledge of Alexa skill development with others.

Show steps

Choose a topic related to Alexa skill development.
Create a video tutorial about how to develop Alexa skills.
Publish your video tutorial.

Career center

Learners who complete Comprehensive Alexa Skill Development course (2018 Updated) will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Software Developer

Software Developers are responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining software applications. This course can help you develop the skills needed to become a Software Developer, such as programming, debugging, and testing. Additionally, the course covers topics such as cloud computing and web development, which are essential for modern Software Developers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Developer

Web Developer

Web Developers design and develop websites and web applications. This course can help you develop the skills needed to become a Web Developer, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Additionally, the course covers topics such as responsive design and user experience, which are essential for modern Web Developers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Developer

Data Scientist

Data Scientists use data to solve problems and make predictions. This course can help you develop the skills needed to become a Data Scientist, such as data analysis, machine learning, and statistics. Additionally, the course covers topics such as big data and cloud computing, which are essential for modern Data Scientists.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Machine Learning Engineer

Machine Learning Engineers design, develop, and deploy machine learning models. This course can help you develop the skills needed to become a Machine Learning Engineer, such as machine learning algorithms, deep learning, and natural language processing. Additionally, the course covers topics such as cloud computing and big data, which are essential for modern Machine Learning Engineers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Machine Learning Engineer

Cloud Architect

Cloud Architects design and manage cloud computing systems. This course can help you develop the skills needed to become a Cloud Architect, such as cloud computing platforms, cloud security, and cloud networking. Additionally, the course covers topics such as big data and machine learning, which are becoming increasingly important for Cloud Architects.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cloud Architect

DevOps Engineer

DevOps Engineers bridge the gap between development and operations teams. This course can help you develop the skills needed to become a DevOps Engineer, such as continuous integration, continuous delivery, and infrastructure automation. Additionally, the course covers topics such as cloud computing and agile development, which are essential for modern DevOps Engineers.

See salaries and explore the career path for DevOps Engineer

Data Analyst

Data Analysts collect, analyze, and interpret data to help organizations make better decisions. This course can help you develop the skills needed to become a Data Analyst, such as data analysis, data visualization, and statistics. Additionally, the course covers topics such as big data and cloud computing, which are becoming increasingly important for Data Analysts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

IT Architect

IT Architects design and manage IT systems. This course can help you develop the skills needed to become an IT Architect, such as IT infrastructure, IT security, and IT governance. Additionally, the course covers topics such as cloud computing and big data, which are becoming increasingly important for IT Architects.

See salaries and explore the career path for IT Architect

IT Manager

IT Managers plan, organize, and direct IT operations. This course can help you develop the skills needed to become an IT Manager, such as IT strategy, IT budgeting, and IT risk management. Additionally, the course covers topics such as cloud computing and big data, which are becoming increasingly important for IT Managers.

See salaries and explore the career path for IT Manager

Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and maintain software systems. This course can help you develop the skills needed to become a Software Engineer, such as programming, debugging, and testing. Additionally, the course covers topics such as cloud computing and big data, which are becoming increasingly important for Software Engineers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Web Designer

Web Designers create the look and feel of websites and web applications. This course can help you develop the skills needed to become a Web Designer, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Additionally, the course covers topics such as responsive design and user experience, which are essential for modern Web Designers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer

IT Specialist

IT Specialists provide technical support to users and organizations. This course can help you develop the skills needed to become an IT Specialist, such as troubleshooting, networking, and security. Additionally, the course covers topics such as cloud computing and big data, which are becoming increasingly important for IT Specialists.

See salaries and explore the career path for IT Specialist

Database Administrator

Database Administrators manage and maintain databases. This course can help you develop the skills needed to become a Database Administrator, such as database design, database optimization, and database security. Additionally, the course covers topics such as cloud computing and big data, which are becoming increasingly important for Database Administrators.

See salaries and explore the career path for Database Administrator

IT Consultant

IT Consultants provide advice and guidance to organizations on IT matters. This course can help you develop the skills needed to become an IT Consultant, such as business analysis, project management, and IT strategy. Additionally, the course covers topics such as cloud computing and big data, which are becoming increasingly important for IT Consultants.

See salaries and explore the career path for IT Consultant