How to Create IP paramater for alexa skill that uses lambda?

Question

I am creating a lambda based Alexa skill, and I need to input an IP address for a server that changes for every user that installs the skill. I know there is an account linking option but I need the IP of the server be inputted when the skill is installed.

How do I do that? and how do I pass those parameters to the lambda function? Thanks ahead.

timguy · Accepted Answer · 2021-03-31T10:36:23.167

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So this "IP adress for a server" where should it come from?

You could ask the user in the first skill invocation for the ip
- read about intents and slots. The slot should be of type number (https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/custom-skills/implement-the-built-in-intents.html)
- how to know it's the first call? Save userId and a counter for skill invocations
- how to save? I suppose you run your backend on AWS lambda than you could use a dynamoDB. There is quite a nice feature. Read about the PersistanceAdapter. You can store unique featueres per user (https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/alexa-skills-kit-sdk-for-nodejs/manage-attributes.html). In your case you would need to set (setPersistentAttributes ) and save two attributes. The counter and the ip address.
Or do you need in written form? You could generate an id for the alexa skill userId, let alexa speak the id and the user use this id:
- log in in your webpage with this unique id
- configure/add an ip address
- now your skill backend can lookup the ip adress for the userId

edited Mar 31 '21 at 10:36

answered Mar 29 '21 at 10:13

timguy

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how do I ask for that IP in the invocation? – Alon Eyal Mar 29 '21 at 14:36
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I updated my answer. You could use dialogue confirmation to get automatic dialogue for the confirmation. Play around if it's easier to split the IP maybe in 4 different slots. – timguy Mar 29 '21 at 19:42
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Thanks for updating. How do I save that counter? and the IP? I need it to be unique to each user, and they don't need to say it more then one time. – Alon Eyal Mar 31 '21 at 05:35
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OK, and about the form option - How do the form get the user's ID? because that way, I can put all of the inputs with the user ID in a database and use it the next time the skill is called. – Alon Eyal Mar 31 '21 at 10:41
ok thought you are gonna go with option one (collect by voice). The form does not need the user id. Your first skill invocation: you persist alexaUserID and yourself generatedID. Speak the generatedId to the user. The go the form and save input with generatedId and other stuff (ip). Because alexaUserId and generatedId is a 1:1 relation it's enought to know one of them. – timguy Mar 31 '21 at 11:29
I created the form myself, how do I get the ID from the account linking from the Alexa app automatically to the form so I can send it to a backend? The second option is the way I want my skill to work. – Alon Eyal Mar 31 '21 at 17:12
how do I do that? – Alon Eyal Apr 01 '21 at 04:59
which part? Learn alexa skill basics to speak out a generated id. Read about dynamo db or an other persistence option. Learn to build a website and connect it with your persistance layer. It's a bit hard to help here. Just start with the first step to generate a id, persist it and give it back to the user. – timguy Apr 01 '21 at 08:21

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 29 '21 at 22:54

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Can you initiate the linking request from that external server to the skill instead? Look at the App to App linking feature.

https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/account-linking/app-to-app-account-linking-starting-from-your-app.html

answered Mar 29 '21 at 22:54

LetMyPeopleCode

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How to Create IP paramater for alexa skill that uses lambda?

2 Answers2