Help
### Frequently asked questions
-----
#### 1\. What are Alexa Skill Blueprints?
Alexa Skill Blueprints are a new way for you to customise your Alexa
experience by adding personalised Alexa skills and responses. These make
Alexa even more knowledgeable, delivering a delightful experience that
is unique to you and your family.
#### 2\. How do I create a skill using Alexa Skill Blueprints?
You can create your own Alexa skills and responses in minutes with easy
to use templates - just fill in the blanks. Choose from the different
blueprints to see what kind of skill you'd like to make. [Browse the
various blueprints](/home) to see which one you'd like to customise to
fit your household.
#### 3\. What's the difference between a Skill Blueprint and a regular Alexa skill?
Alexa skills are like apps for Alexa. You can already choose from
thousands of skills, from ordering a pizza to requesting a ride. Skill
Blueprints are templates that you can use to create skills of your own
and customise to fit your lifestyle.
#### 4\. How many skills can I make?
There's no limit to the number of skills you can make, so create as many
as you like.
#### 5\. Who has access to the personalised content I create?
Your personalised skills and responses are only available on Alexa
devices associated with your account.
#### 6\. Can I use an Alexa Developer account to use Skill Blueprints?
Yes, you can log in with any Amazon account, including developer
accounts, to use Skill Blueprints. You will be able to see the skills
you've made using Blueprints, but you cannot edit them in the developer
portal.
#### 7\. How do I know which account my device is using?
Just ask, "Alexa, which account is this?" and your Alexa-enabled device
will tell you which account is currently logged in.
#### 8\. My Alexa device is registered to a different account than the one I used to log in to Skill Blueprints. Can I still access the skills I've made from my devices?
You should use the same account for Skill Blueprints that you used to
register your Alexa devices, otherwise you'll have to switch accounts
using the Alexa app.
1. Go to the Alexa app and select **Settings**.
2. Select the device you want to use and choose **Deregister**.
3. At the bottom of the Settings page, select **Sign Out**.
4. Log back in to the app with the account you used to make your
skills. You will need to make sure you're signed into the account
you wish to link your device to.
5. From **Settings**, select **Set Up A New Device** to link your
Alexa-enabled device.
#### 9\. Can I use Skill Blueprints on my mobile device?
Yes you can create skills using Blueprints on your desktop or mobile
device, but the website is optimised for desktop.
#### 10\. Why can't I open my skill?
If you recently made or edited your skill, it may take a couple minutes
to process. To see if your skill is ready, go to the [Skills You've
Made](/skills) page, select it from the list to view its detailed page,
and check that the status is set to **Ready to use**.
If your skill is ready to use, make sure that both the country setting
for your account and the language setting for your device match the
Blueprints website you used to create your skill. For example, if you
created your skill using blueprints.amazon.com.au, then your country
should be set to Australia or New Zealand, and your language should be
set to English (Australia/New Zealand).
To change the country setting for your account:
1. On the Amazon.com website, select **Your Account**.
2. Select **Content and Devices**.
3. Select **Preferences**.
4. Select **Change your country/region**.
5. Enter your address in Australia, or New Zealand.
To change the language setting for your device:
1. In the Alexa app, open **Device Settings**.
2. Select the device to modify its settings.
3. Select **Language**.
4. Select **English (Australia/New Zealand)**.
If your country and language are set correctly, but do not match the
Blueprints website that you used to create your skill, then you will
need to recreate your skill using the Blueprints website to match your
country and language settings.
If your skill is ready to use and your country and language match the
Blueprints website you used to create your skill, then you will need to
check to make sure you're using the right skill name. You'll need to
restart your skill by saying, "Alexa, open..." Or, "Alexa, start..." For
example, "Alexa, open My Family Trivia."
Alexa is still learning new words and names, so your skill name might be
a little too difficult to understand. You can always change the skill
name on the [Skills You've Made](/skills) page to something simple and
unique. Check out the section on [naming your
skill](/help/make-your-skill) for tips.
#### 11\. I can't find the skill I made. Where did it go?
Your skill may have a different name than what you remember or you may
have made it under a different account. You can find all of your skills
for your account in the [Skills You've Made](/skills) page. You can also
ask your Alexa device which account is currently logged in.
If you disabled a skill that you want to use, you will need to enable it
again. Go to the Alexa app and select **Skills** then choose **Your
Skills**. Select the skill and choose **Enable skill**.
#### 12\. Why can't I use certain names for my skill?
Alexa is still learning new words and names, so your skill name might be
too difficult for Alexa to understand or may be too similar to another
skill name you've made. If the skill doesn't open reliably with the
skill name you've chosen, you may have to rename your skill with a
simple, unique name that is between two and three syllables long. Check
out the [Make your skill](/help/make-your-skill) page to learn more
about naming your skill.
#### 13\. Can I change my skill name after I create my skill?
Yes, you can edit the name of your skill if you don't like it or if it's
too complicated to remember.
To change the name for your personal skill:
1. On the blueprints.amazon.com.au website, select **Skills you’ve
made**.
2. Select the **Details** link for the personal skill you want to
change.
3. Check that the access is set to **Just Me**; if not click on
**Revoke** to unshare the skill and confirm by clicking on **Revoke
Access**.
4. Click on the pencil icon to the right of personal skill name.
5. Update the name to something that is short and easy to remember.
6. Click **Rename skill** to save the new name for your personal skill.
#### 14\. How long before my skill is ready to use?
After you create a skill, it will be ready to use in a few minutes. To
see if your skill is ready to use, check out the [Skills You've
Made](/skills) page and select the skill to see more details.
#### 15\. The skill doesn't respond like I want it to. How can I fix it?
Alexa is still learning new phrases and may not always understand that
certain words refer to the same idea. For Q&A especially, you’ll need
to prompt Alexa using the exact same questions that you customised for
your skill. If you find that you’re asking your questions differently,
you may want to update your skill to reflect the specific language
you’re using. You can view what you've said to Alexa in the Alexa app
by going to **Settings** and choosing **History**.
You can edit the content in your skill anytime. Go to the [Skills You've
Made](/skills) page, choose your skill, and select **Edit**.
#### 16\. Can Alexa understand special characters?
Alexa can interpret alpha-numeric characters and certain special
characters including: question marks ( ? ), exclamation points ( \! ),
colons ( : ), periods ( . ), apostrophes ( ' ), dashes ( - ), and commas
( , ). When you're creating your skill, if you add in a special
character that is not supported, you'll see an error message.
#### 17\. Can I delete my skill?
Yes, but you may want to disable your skill in the Alexa App instead.
Disabling a skill allows you to keep it from being used, but you can
enable it later if you change your mind. Deleting a skill will remove it
from your account and you will not be able to use that skill name again.
To disable your skill, go to the Alexa app and select **Skills** then
choose **Your Skills**. Select the skill and choose **Disable skill**.
If you wish to delete your skill, go to the [Skills You've
Made](/skills) page, select the skill and choose **Delete**.
#### 18\. How many people can I share my skill with?
There's no limit to the number of people you can share your Blueprints
skill with. Just keep in mind that once you share your skill, anyone can
share that link outside of your network as well.
#### 19\. Can someone edit my skill after I've shared it with them?
No, as the skill creator only you have the ability to edit your skill or
revoke access to your skill for everyone.
#### 20\. Why can't I share a skill using WhatsApp or text from my computer?
Even if your computer supports texting apps, sharing via text or
WhatsApp is only available when logged into Skill Blueprints from a
mobile device.
#### 21\. Can I remove access to my skill for individual people?
No, at this time you cannot selectively remove access for specific
people currently using your skill. If you set the access on your skill
back to **Just me**, you will remove access for everyone.
#### 22\. How do I change the name of my skill once I've shared it?
To edit the name, you'll need to revoke access to your skill first.
1. Go to the **Skills You've Made** page and select a skill.
2. Under **Access**, select the option to **Revoke**. The status of
your skill will change back to **Just me**.
3. Choose edit icon next to the name of your skill.
4. After editing the name, go back to **Skill Actions** and select
**Share With Others**.
5. When prompted, share the new link to your skill with recipients via
email, text, or as a post over social media.
#### 23\. Will recipients still be able to use my skill if I revoke access, then re-share it with the same name?
No, the old link and access to the skill will be disabled for everyone.
A new link will be generated for your skill that you'll need to share
for anyone to use your skill.
#### 24\. Why don't I see my Blueprints skill I've shared in the Alexa Skills Store?
Blueprints skills are not certified for publication on the Alexa Skills
Store. You can only share personal skills via the link supplied to you
from the **Skills You've Made** page.
#### 25\. How do I know if someone has shared a Blueprints skill with me?
You will receive an email, text, or notification on your social media
account telling you about the skill, who sent it, and a link to enable
the skill for yourself. After opening the link, you'll need to log in to
your Amazon account to view the skill page. Once you've logged in,
select the **Enable** button if you want to use that skill. Once you see
a confirmation message, the skill is ready to use on any Alexa-enabled
device registered to the Amazon account where you enabled the skill.
#### 26\. How do I find a skill once it's been shared with me?
In the Alexa App, go to **Skills & Games** \> **Your Skills** \>
**Private Skills**. You'll have the option to view details or enable the
skill by selecting the **Enable Skill** button. You won't be able to
access shared skills in Skill Blueprints portal, only the skills you've
made.
#### 27\. Why can't I use a skill that was shared with me?
The creator of the skill may have deleted the skill, changed the skill's
name or revoked access to it.
#### 28\. What happens if two skills share the same name?
Always pick a unique name for your skill to make sure it’s memorable and
to avoid name sharing between skills. Due to how skills are invoked, if
there are two skills that have identical names, Alexa might start either
skill.
#### 29\. Someone shared a skill with me that has offensive or inappropriate language. What should I do?
Please use the link on the skill detail page that was shared with you to report the hateful or offensive language. Skills that violate Amazon's policies will be disabled from shared accounts.
#### 30\. Why can’t I open a skill that someone shared with me?
You can use any skill that someone shares with you as long as the skill
was created using the Blueprints website that matches both the country
setting for your account and the language setting for your device. See
the Frequently Asked Question \#10 “Why can’t I open my skill”.’
#### 31\. What's the difference between sharing and publishing a skill?
A shared skill is only available to people who have access to the shared
skill link you’ve distributed. When you publish a skill, your skill is
available for anyone to find, use, and review on the Alexa Skills Store.
Your skill can be reviewed and given a star rating, just like any other
skill in the Alexa Skills Store today.
^{id=revokebeforepublish}^
#### 32\. I have shared my personal skill with my friends. Will my skill still be accessible to them after it is published?
No. You will need to revoke shared access to your skill before you can
publish it. After you publish your skill, you can view your skill on the
Alexa Skills Store and use the share option to send a link to your skill
in the store via email, text, or over social media platforms such as
Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. You can also copy this link and post it
on your website to promote your skill to your followers.
#### 33\. How long will the publishing process take?
Reviewing and publishing a skill can take 1 to 2 business days due to
the rigorous testing standards Amazon has in place for adding new skills
to the Alexa Skills Store. You will get an email letting you know if
your skill did or did not pass the review process. If your skill did not
pass, the email will outline steps you can take to fix the skill and
resubmit it.
#### 34\. How will I know if my skill was successfully published?
When the review process is completed you will see a notification on the
Skill detail page letting you know if your skill was **Approved** or
**Rejected**. In addition, you will receive an email that will contain
the results of the review process. Once your skill is live, you will
receive a notification on the Blueprints skill page.
#### 35\. Can I withdraw my publishing request?
Yes, if you've submitted a skill and it's still in the review phase,
then select the **Withdraw Submission** button. If you haven't completed
the publishing process yet and your skill is not in review, then you can
choose the option to **Cancel Publishing** and your publishing
information that you've filled out will be deleted. You can always come
back and submit your skill at a later date.
#### 36\. Will I be able to change the opening phrase for my skill after it is live?
No. Once your skill is live in the Alexa Skills Store, you can no longer
change the opening phrase.
#### 37\. How do I set a brand name as my opening phrase?
A one‐word opening phrase is allowed if you own a brand or have approval
from a brand to use it. When you're editing your opening phrase, you'll
need to provide documentation that justifies that you are the owner or
that you have the right to use the brand.
^{id=branddocument}^
#### 38\. How should I submit brand and intellectual property rights documentation?
When using a brand name in your Opening phrase, Alexa Skills Store name,
or in the Created by field, you’ll need to provide documentation
demonstrating that you have the right to use that brand. You can either
submit a signed confirmation letter from the intellectual property
rights holder or a copy of the applicable license agreement. You can
upload your documentation to a file sharing service such as Dropbox, S3
etc. and provide a sharable link to your documents in the text below the
**Opening Phrase**, **Alexa Skills Store Name**, and **Created by**
fields. If you do not have a sharable link to your documentation or have
previously provided documentation to Amazon, you can e-mail your proof
of intellectual property rights as an attachment to
aucc-support@amazon.com.au. You'll need to include the name of your
skill in the subject line. Please use the subject line 'Skill Name – IP
Documentation Submission'.
**Note**, please wait for a confirmation by email that your
documentation has been accepted before resubmitting your skill for
review.
#### 39\. Will I be able to change my skill after it is published?
You can't change your opening phrase after publication but you can edit
other skill details and resubmit it for review.
^{id=skillsuppression}^
#### 40\. Why was my skill removed from the Alexa Skills Store?
Amazon regularly reviews skills that are live in the Alexa Skills Store.
If the content of your skill does not adhere to the [content
guidelines](https://blueprints.amazon.com.au/help/terms?page=content-guidelines),
Amazon reserves the right to remove your skill from the Alexa Skills
Store. You will receive an email outlining the issue(s) and how to fix
them so you can resubmit your skill for publication.
^{id=blogblueprint}^
#### 41\. How can I use Blog Blueprint?
WordPress Bloggers who have installed the Amazon AI Plugin for WordPress
can use the Blog Blueprint to launch their blog posts as a podcast by
providing the RSS feed generated by the plugin. The Amazon AI Plugin
converts text-based blog posts into speech by leveraging the
Text-to-Speech capabilities from Amazon Polly, generating an audio (RSS)
feed for text-based blog content. Learn more about the [Amazon AI Plugin
for WordPress](https://wordpress.org/plugins/amazon-polly/).
#### 42\. What is an RSS feed?
An RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed delivers updated content you’ve
published on your site in an easy format for other sites to share so
your audience can get custom tailored content in one place. For
blueprints that use RSS feeds, you can share your content through your
Alexa skill by setting up your RSS feed so your skill can automatically
play new content you’ve added to your site.
^{id=flashbriefingRSS}^
#### 43\. What are the requirements for the Flash Briefing RSS feed?
If you plan to use your existing RSS feed for your flash briefing skill,
your feed needs to adhere to the following requirements:
- The audio content should be hosted as https
- The audio content should be 256kbps mono or stereo MP3
- Content should not exceed 10 minutes in length
- Program loudness for Alexa should average -14 dB LUFS/LKFS
- The true-peak value should not exceed –2 dBFS
#### 44\. What are the requirements for using a radio livestream?
Only .m3u and .pls file formats are supported at this time.
