almost 6 years ago
And the winner is...
The judges have weighed in, and our community has voted! Every maker who submitted an eligible and certified skill will be receiving the First Certified Skills Award! (Remember, that means one certification prize per maker, not per skill.) All winners will receive an email with next steps in the coming days so keep an eye out. Congratulations!
In the meantime, go to the Amazon Alexa Skills Challenge gallery to congratulate the winners and check out all of the awesome new ways to interact with Alexa.
Even though the competition is over, you don't have to stop coding. Update your…
almost 6 years ago
Last call for votes
If you haven’t cast your vote yet for your favorite Alexa skill, there’s still time. The polls will remain open until 5pm ET on June 23. Spread the word and if you submitted a skill, tell your friends & family to vote for you!
Questions?
We're here to help. If you have any questions about the hackathon, post on the discussion forum or email support@devpost.com and we'll respond as soon as we can.
almost 6 years ago
Public voting is now open
It's your turn to pick the Popular Choice award winner! Browse the Amazon Alexa Skills Challenge submission gallery and vote for your favorite new skill. Be sure to spread the word via your social networks, too!
Questions?
We're here to help. If you have any questions about the hackathon, post on the discussion forum or email support@devpost.com and we'll respond as soon as we can.
about 6 years ago
Final call: Submissions close on Tuesday!
Just a final shout-out that you have two days remaining in the Amazon Alexa Skills Challenge. Submissions are due May 9, 2017, before 5pm ET. Find out what time that is in your city.
Questions?
We're here to help. If you have any questions about the hackathon, post on the discussion forum or email support@devpost.com and we'll respond as soon as we can.
about 6 years ago
4 days to go + the List Skill API
The final deadline is May 9th at 5:00PM EST.
Make sure your submission is complete: Your skill ID must be listed and your demo video needs to show your skill function on an Alexa device or the Echosim simulater.
Check out the new List Skill API!
Questions?
We're here to help. If you have any questions about the hackathon, post on the discussion forum or email support@devpost.com and we'll respond as soon as we can.
about 6 years ago
One week to go – the deadline is almost here!
Whew, it’s the home stretch! There’s only one week left to submit your voice-activated Alexa skill. Submissions are due May 9, 2017, before 5pm ET. Find out what time that is in your city.
Remember, you must also submit your skill for Alexa Skills Store certification by the submission deadline. Here's how to do that. There's still time to claim one of the First 200 Certified Skills Published awards. Don't miss out!
New stuff alert! The Alexa team just released additional SSML options so you can make Alexa whisper, bleep expletives, alter the pitch and more. Plus,…
about 6 years ago
Two weeks to go – submit early!
There are two weeks left to build a new Alexa skill that makes people’s lives more awesome.
Submissions are due May 9, 2017, before 5pm ET. Find out what time that is in your city.
If you haven't started a submission yet, please do so now. (We’ll walk you through our submission form process if you need help.) And if you've just recently joined the hackathon, explore the quick-start guide and draw some inspiration from the competition resources.
Submission checklist
Before you say "ship it!", make sure you run through this list:
- Have you created a…
about 6 years ago
New Tools + Office Hours
Happy Friday!
Amazon just released a couple new tools that you’re going to love. First, a new testing tool for Alexa skills that will let you share your skill with beta testers for feedback before submitting to certification. Second, a brand new Alexa skill builder that will make skill creation even more intuitive.
If you have any technical questions about your submission, don’t forget to join one of the Alexa Office Hours. The support team is ready to help!
Questions?
We're here to help. If you have any questions about the hackathon, post on the discussion forum or…
about 6 years ago
Three weeks to go — start your submission now!
There are three weeks left in the Amazon Alexa Skills Challenge! Beat the deadline rush by getting your submission ready early. Submissions are due May 9, 2017, before 5pm ET. Find out what time that is in your city.
If you haven’t already started a submission, you should do it now. And if you’re just getting started, read the official rules and follow the quick-start guide.
You should also make sure you know how to submit your skill for Alexa Skills Store certification by 5pm ET on May 9, 2017. Here are instructions about how to do…
about 6 years ago
First Certified Skills
Echosim.io, the skill testing tool, just released cool new features! Read more about those updates here. They could come in handy when getting your skill ready for submission.
It's not too late to qualify for the First Certified Skills Published Award! The skills are pouring in, but there is still room in the top 200 so don't miss out!
Questions?
We're here to help. If you have any questions about the hackathon, post on the discussion forum or email support@devpost.com and we'll respond as soon as we can.
about 6 years ago
One month left – start your submission
There’s one month remaining in the Amazon Alexa Skills Challenge! Submissions are due May 9, 2017, before 5pm ET.
Start your submission now
Starting a submission is a good way to make sure that your new Alexa skill meets the requirements. There’s nothing worse than getting to the deadline, only to realize that you’re missing a key component. Remember: once you submit a project, you can keep editing it as needed at any time prior to the submission deadline. Need a primer on how the submission form works? Head over to our submission form tutorial.
Review the Alexa…
about 6 years ago
Say more with Speechcons
The Alexa Skills Kit introduced a new feature in February called Speechcons that allows you to add emphasis on specific words! It's like Markup for the ASK. Check out the documentation here and enhance your skill!. Are you publishing a skill during the month of March? You can fill out a form and be eligible to receive a free Alexa Dev T-shirt!Questions?
We're here to help. If you have any questions about the hackathon, post on the discussion forum or email support@devpost.com and we'll respond as soon as we can.
about 6 years ago
Making a great submission video
We know you’re focused on building a kick-ass Alexa skill right now, but don't forget about your submission video. It's often the first (and sometimes only!) thing that judges and voters review.
A good video tells the story behind your submission, providing a clear and concise explanation of what your skill is and does. Here are some tips and a list of screencasting tools:
- Establish your elevator pitch. In the first few seconds of your video, explain why your Alexa skill is awesome. You can get into the details of how it works later on in the video, but…
about 6 years ago
AWS Promotional Credits for Alexa
Exciting news! This morning Amazon announced AWS Promotional Credits for Alexa. This new program makes it free for Alexa developers to build and host most Alexa skills using AWS. The program’s goal is to give developers access to the world's most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform to create and scale engaging skills for Alexa. Learn more about the program here.
How it Works
Developers with a published Alexa skill can apply to receive a $100 AWS promotional credit and can also receive an additional $100 per month in AWS promotional credits if they incur AWS usage charges for their…
over 6 years ago
Quick-start guide
Thanks for joining the Amazon Alexa Skills Challenge! You're officially registered now, and we’ll be sending you regular updates throughout the competition.
Here’s how to get started building your new Alexa skill today. Submissions are due May 9, 2017, at 5pm ET.
- Plan your attack. Visit the resources page to find out how to get started, view tutorials & documentation, find out about support channels, & learn about the advantages of building with Alexa.
- Get a head start on your submission. Fill out the basic fields on the application form and familiarize yourself with the submission requirements. This will give…