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Alexa Skills - Developer Voice And Vote: Routines

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Be able to activate skills with routines

Routines are currently extremely limited compared to other devices. Combining multiple commands or skill activations or being able to write code into routines would be extremely valuable for power users.

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Brian Coombs shared this idea  ·   ·  Report…  ·  Admin →
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  • Bill Vierow commented  ·   ·  Report

    The best way I can think of to accomplish this easily (Echo Devs) would be to create a routine, where I can give the Alexa the commands manually. Under Routines...Instead of "Alexa says"... "Alexa Does".

    e.g. create a routine, I say "Alexa, Time for work"
    Command sent - unlock garage passcode 1111
    Command sent - tell blue link to Start my car and set the temperature to 80 degrees passcode 1111

    This would add a ton of skill functionality and simplify use for everyone.

  • Warner Morris commented  ·   ·  Report

    If skills will only be last item as music is now so you could not have music and a skill, or 2 skills. Also why is music restricted to the last stop in a routine. Starting music and then turning the lights to different colors is good. Changing lights and starting music when it is all over has no value.

  • Brantome commented  ·   ·  Report

    I believe Amazon have already intimated that adding a skill to a routine is coming soon, but like music actions, only as the last action.

  • M. RUTKA commented  ·   ·  Report

    I need exactly this to be able to do some stuff. It would give an edge for sure.

  • Mike Paine commented  ·   ·  Report

    When we say "call a skill" Underneath (least for me) I would like the ability to call a lambda function, then code would execute and do whatever is necessary.

  • regis commented  ·   ·  Report

    Adding skills in routines is a must but the routine itself can be improved. For example it is not possible to create a routine to show a specific photo album eventhough photos are not skills. Another example is that it is not possible to create a routine with two music commands, the first one to play a specific playlist and the second one to force the shuffle mode.

  • Curious commented  ·   ·  Report

    Pushing commands to Alexa would be so powerful! It also seems like it would be straightforward to implement, too.

    I'm trying to create a routine "Alexa, let's watch something" that would push the command "Open Netflix on FireTV", along with dimming the lights and closing the shades.

  • Michael E Luken commented  ·   ·  Report

    I also agree with this. It is pretty surprising I can't schedule a skill even though I can say it. IMO this is common sense and needs to happen quickly!

  • Marty Comella commented  ·   ·  Report

    This is a natural evolution of routines! Let us do this

  • jerome journot commented  ·   ·  Report

    It is very much needed for me to have the possibility to add a skill to a routine. Optimal would be to be able to configure the command of the skill to run but it would even be acceptable to start with the default launch request which could then handle the returned message programmatically.

  • Jill Lillis commented  ·   ·  Report

    Would this include being able to trigger a routing with different commands? I think its silly that we cannot add multiple phrase triggers for the same routine

  • Jill Lillis commented  ·   ·  Report

    Ability to have multiple trigger phrases for a routine instead of just one. So you can account for nuances in language requests.

    IE "Alexa, it is ********" also works with "Alexa start the show"

  • Jean-Claude DuBois commented  ·   ·  Report

    It would be nice, as others have said, to be able to use the skills I already have within a routine. My morning routine could therefore be "Turn on the lights, start a cup of coffee, and warm up the car".

    I have skills to do all of these things, but at present, I have to issue three commands, where with a routine, I could do it in just one. This would also help my wife who would rather just say "Alexa, Good Morning" then to remember all the specific commands needed.

  • Surender Singh commented  ·   ·  Report

    There must be some API as well to create routines from code to provide B2B support for various new business and customer engagements.

  • Frank Corrao commented  ·   ·  Report

    Absolutely needed. Should be able to add an action with the skill invocation and intent to perform a task during a routine.

  • Nick Schwab commented  ·   ·  Report

    Upvoted! I receive support requests from Alexa customers multiple times for week for this functionality so they can launch their favorite ambient sound/sleep sound in their nightly Routine.

  • Thomas Rhoads commented  ·   ·  Report

    Being able to trigger AnyPod from a routine would be nice in lieu of TuneIn not supporting Patreon authenticated podcast feeds. Alternatively... you guys could add authenticated podcast support to Amazon Music.

    Thanks!

  • Solomon commented  ·   ·  Report

    I would love to be able to activate skills during routines. Or as a general workaround have the feature to add to a routine an action as if you had said it. E.g. Alexa, trigger XYZ would have the routine act as if you had said it and activate the IFTTT applet. Essentially take the custom phrase ability that allows Alexa to speak back and invert it. I think this is more versatile as it doesn't require skill integration so much as removing the voice to text interpretation.

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