Learn To Program Alexa - Codecademy

Skip to Content Free CourseLearn to Program Alexa

Learn how to build and host Alexa Skills that respond to users’ vocal commands.

Diagonal B RegularThis course includes
  • AI assistance for guided coding help
  • Projects to apply new skills
  • Quizzes to test your knowledge
  • A certificate of completion
Start23,834 learners enrolledDiagonal B RegularThis course includes
  • AI assistance for guided coding help
  • Projects to apply new skills
  • Quizzes to test your knowledge
  • A certificate of completion
  • Skill level

    Beginner
  • Time to complete

    Average based on combined completion rates — individual pacing in lessons, projects, and quizzes may vary 2 hours
  • Projects

    4
  • Prerequisites

    None

About this course

Learn to create custom Alexa skills with hands-on projects like building a “”Hello Codecademy”” skill. Explore interaction models and Amazon Lambda functions to design personalized voice responses. This course equips you with the tools to develop, publish, and enhance your skills for voice user interfaces (VUIs).

Built in partnership with

Skills you'll gain

  • Develop custom Alexa skills

  • Build interaction models and Lambda functions

  • Understand voice user interface (VUI) design

Syllabus

7 lessons • 4 projects • 4 quizzesExpand all sections
  • 1

    Build Your First Alexa Skill (SDK v2)

    Learn to build skills for Alexa using the Alexa Skills Kit and Amazon Web Services (AWS).

  • 2

    Create Your Lambda Function (SDK v2)

    In this course, you will learn how to create your own Lambda function using the AWS console.

  • 3

    Get User Input (SDK v1)

    Make Alexa skills interactive using behaviors from the Alexa sdk.

  • 4

    Add Persistence to Your Skill (SDK v1)

    Learn how to persist values during and between Alexa skills.

  • Certificate of completion available with Plus or Pro

    Earn a certificate of completion and showcase your accomplishment on your resume or LinkedIn.
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The platform

Hands-on learning

AI-assisted learningMake progress faster with our AI Learning Assistant, a tool that automatically understands your current course, instructions, and solution code — and gives you instant, personalized feedback.Real-world projectsTake what you're learning into the real world. Choose from guided projects that help you solidify new concepts — or test yourself with independent projects designed to build your portfolio.Job-readiness checkerSee how well your skills and experience meet the requirements for jobs you're interested in. AI generates a personalized report to show you how ready you are for your dream job and where to improve to qualify for a role.Interview simulatorUse AI to identify strengths and get personalized, actionable feedback to improve your interviewing skills. Easily see what's needed to improve your skills — no matter what stage you're at in your career.AssessmentsTest new skills as you learn them so you can better understand and apply new concepts. You'll also see which topics need more review and get practice recommendations to continue to improve.Animated GIF of an AI provided error explanation within Codecademy's learning environmentAn AI-generated hint within the instructions of a Codecademy projectAnimated GIF of Codecademy's Job Readiness Checker tool generating a compatibility report for a senior software engineer roleAnimated GIF of building a phone screen interview using Codecademy's Interview SimulatorA fill-in-the-blank JavaScript question in a Codecademy assessmentExplore features

Projects in this course

  • practice Project

    Create a New Intent

    In this project, we're going to practice with the skill kit in Alexa Skill so you can hone your skills and feel confident taking them to the real world. Why? Intents are the questions you want to ask Alexa. Let's edit some previous work to solidify your skills.
  • practice Project

    My Favorite Language: Handler

    In this project, we're going to practice using Lambda in Alexa Skills so you can hone your skills and feel confident taking them to the real world. Why? Lambda is a new and powerful service on AWS that lets you run code without provisioning or managing servers. Harness the power of Lambda to power your Alexa Skills.
  • practice Project

    Most Popular Sport

    In this project, we're going to practice slots in Alexa Skills so you can hone your skills and feel confident taking them to the real world. Why? Slots allow us to build more sophisticated Alexa Skills.
Diagonal A DenseMeet the creator of the courseMeet the full teamChecker DenseZoe BachmanCurriculum DirectorCurriculum Director at Codecademy and creative technologist. She has designed a range of Codecademy courses, including Learn HTML, Learn C#, Learn Alexa, and the beginner-friendly Learn How to Code.Meet the full teamGrid RegularGrid Regular

Earn a certificate of completion

Show your network you've done the work by earning a certificate of completion for each course or path you finish.
  • Show proofReceive a certificate that demonstrates you've completed a course or path.
  • Build a collectionThe more courses and paths you complete, the more certificates you collect.
  • Share with your networkEasily add certificates of completion to your LinkedIn profile to share your accomplishments.

Reviews from learners

  • Checker DenseThe progress I have made since starting to use codecademy is immense! I can study for short periods or long periods at my own convenience - mostly late in the evenings.ChrisCodecademy Learner @ USA
  • Checker DenseI felt like I learned months in a week. I love how Codecademy uses learning by practice and gives great challenges to help the learner to understand a new concept and subject.RodrigoCodecademy Learner @ UK
  • Checker DenseBrilliant learning experience. Very interactive. Literally a game changer if you're learning on your own.John-AndrewCodecademy Learner @ USA

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Join over 50 million learners and start Learn to Program Alexa today!

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View full catalogChecker Dense

Unlock additional features with a paid plan

  • Practice Projects

    Guided projects that help you solidify the skills and concepts you're learning.
  • Assessments

    Auto-graded quizzes and immediate feedback help you reinforce your skills as you learn.
  • Certificate of Completion

    Earn a document to prove you've completed a course or path that you can share with your network.
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