Today AWS announced that developers can now export their HAQM Lex chatbot schema into an Alexa-compatible format for use in an Alexa skill.  This enables developers to offer users even more ways to interact with HAQM Lex powered conversational chatbots.

How It Works

When you create any kind of conversational experience, you need to build an interaction model that maps a user’s spoken input to the intents your service can handle. You use an intent schema to define a set of valid intents, which are actions that fulfill a user’s spoken request.

HAQM Lex now provides the ability to export your HAQM Lex chatbot definition as a JSON file. You can then use the bot schema file to build an Alexa skill and reach customers through Alexa-enabled devices including the HAQM Echo, HAQM Dot, HAQM Look, HAQM Tap, HAQM Echo Show, and third-party devices with Alexa. The JSON configuration file contains the structure of your HAQM Lex chatbot including the intent schema with utterances, slots, prompts and slot types.

Create a skill from this file once downloaded by following these steps:

1. Log in to the Alexa Developer Portal
2. Start a new skill or select your existing skill
3. Navigate to the "Interaction Model" tab
4. Launch the Skill Builder (Beta) and select "Code Editor" on the left pane
5. Paste your HAQM Lex bot definition JSON into the Code Editor
6. Select “Build Model” from the top menu
7. Create a custom back end for your skill in AWS Lambda
   1. Steps at: http://developer.haqm.com/alexa-skills-kit/tutorials/fact-skill-2
8. Connect the Lambda Function to your Interaction Model
   1. Steps at: http://developer.haqm.com/alexa-skills-kit/tutorials/fact-skill-3
9. Complete any other updates to your skill information, interaction model, or publishing information
10. Submit your skill for publication

This export functionality is available through the HAQM Lex console, or through the AWS SDK with PutExport and GetExport.

What Is HAQM Lex?

HAQM Lex is a service for building conversational interactions into any application using voice and text. With HAQM Lex, the same deep learning technologies that power HAQM Alexa are now available to any developer, enabling you to quickly and easily build sophisticated, natural language, conversational bots (“chatbots”). HAQM Lex chatbots support both voice and text and are a great solution if you want to build a stand-alone bot or create a bot that works on multiple platforms (including Facebook Messenger, Slack and Twilio SMS). 

Learn More

Read more about exporting your schema from HAQM Lex in the documentation and visit the FAQs for more details.