Amazon Echo owners can now add their own voice apps to the Alexa Skills Store

Amazon is making voice apps created by Echo owners available in the Alexa Skills Store. In contrast to the more technical process through which the average Alexa skill is made, Skill Blueprints are made with easy-to-use templates that require no coding, allowing anyone to make their own voice app.

Like the more than 80,000 Alexa skills now available, Skill Blueprints in the Alexa Skills Store can be rated and reviewed by the larger user community. Blueprints in the Alexa Skills Store will first be introduced for users in the United States.

New Blueprints made especially for bloggers, content creators, and other organizations were also introduced today. These can be used by personal trainers and fitness studios, for example, or by anyone interested in reaching out to clients or customers. Storyteller Blueprints were also introduced today and run the gamut from fairy tales and spooky stories to adventure, sci-fi, and stories about a family member. Voice app templates for university lectures and spiritual talks for religious sermons were also introduced today.

While skills can now be added to the Alexa Skills Store, they can also be created for personal use. Suggestions from Amazon include making a personalized game show with family or birthday trivia and flashcards or quiz Blueprints for studying. Private and personal Blueprints can also be made for things like house chores or to give an Airbnb guest a rundown of house rules and other information.

Amazon first introduced Skill Blueprints last spring, and users have been able to share their Skill Blueprints with friends and other users via messages, emails, and through other social media channels since June.

Making Skill Blueprints available in the Alexa Skills Store may introduce some simpler voice apps to the tens of thousands available today from third-party developers and businesses.

Amazon’s latest step to increase the portability of user-made voice apps follows the introduction of shareable Siri Shortcuts last fall for iOS 12.