alexa-assistant

Implementation of the Google Assistant API for Alexa

Release 3.4

THIS SKILL IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY AND IS NOT ENDORSED BY GOOGLE OR AMAZON. WHILST THIS SKILL USES AN OFFICIAL GOOGLE API, IT WILL NEVER PASS AMAZON CERTIFICATION DUE TO THE WAY THE RESPONSES ARE HOSTED.

What's New in this release

• Supports Node.js 20.x
• Supports for ASK CLI deployment all-in-one skill and CloudFormation stack with optional local building using docker
• Added support for device location converting Alexa skill device address to location coordinates using Google Maps Geocode API
• Added localized skill translations for all supported languages between the Google Assistant and Alexa API
• Replaced deprecated render template interface with simple cards display when text response available
• No longer need to upload client_secret.json as replaced by Lambda environmental variables
• Refactor code separating functionalities and upgrading to ASK SDK v3
• Added automated build release via GitHub actions

Deployment Steps

0. Prerequisites

   • To deploy this skill, you will need the following tools:

     • ASK CLI
     • Docker (Optional to build Lambda dependencies locally)

   • To determine your Google OAuth2 client authorized redirect URIs, add your Alexa Vendor ID to the links below:

     • https://layla.amazon.com/api/skill/link/<vendorId>
     • https://pitangui.amazon.com/api/skill/link/<vendorId>
     • https://alexa.amazon.co.jp/api/skill/link/<vendorId>

   • Setup your Google environment by following the Google-related installation instructions only, skipping all Amazon-related steps, and taking note of the Project ID that was created. Once completed, create your Google Maps API key as follow:

     • Enable the Google Maps Geocoding API under the same project.
     • Enable the billing for the project. (Usage should be covered by monthly free tier credit)
     • Create a new API key credential and edit it:
       • Change name to google_assistant
       • Leave application restrictions to none
       • Set API restrictions to the Geocoding API only.

   • Configure your GoogleProjectId and GoogleMapsApiKey in ask-resources.json. To enable debug logs, add LambdaDebug set to true in the skill infrastructure cloudformation user config parameters.

   • Configure your Google Assistant API clientId and clientSecret in accountLinking.json

   • If your default language isn't English (US):

     • Configure your deploy awsRegion in ask-resources.json based on the table below:

       Skill Language	Endpoint Region	Deploy Region
       English (CA), English (US), French (CA), Portuguese (BR), Spanish (MX)	North America	us-east-1
       English (UK), French (FR), German, Italian, Spanish (ES)	Europe	eu-west-1
       English (IN)	India	eu-west-1
       English (AU), Japanese	Far East	us-west-2

   • If upgrading from v2:

     • Create ask hidden directory and states file adding the Skill ID listed under your Alexa developer console. This will prevent duplicate skills from being created under your account.

       $ cat .ask/ask-states.json
       {
         "askcliStatesVersion": "2020-03-31",
         "profiles": {
           "default": {
             "skillId": "<skillId>"
           }
         }
       }
       

     • Delete your existing AlexaAssistant CloudFormation stack under your AWS console.

   • If deploying from a Windows environment:

     • Allow the build script to be executed by setting the current user PowerShell execution policy to RemoteSigned.

       Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
       

1. Deploy the skill and the lambda function in one step:

   $ ask deploy
   Deploy configuration loaded from ask-resources.json
   Deploy project for profile [default]
   
   ==================== Deploy Skill Metadata ====================
   Skill package deployed successfully.
   Skill ID: <skillId>
   
   ==================== Build Skill Code ====================
   Skill code built successfully.
   Code for region default built to <skillPath>/.ask/lambda/build.zip successfully with build flow CustomBuildFlow.
   
   ==================== Deploy Skill Infrastructure ====================
   ✔ Deploy Alexa skill infrastructure for region "default"
   The api endpoints of skill.json have been updated from the skill infrastructure deploy results.
   Skill infrastructures deployed successfully through @ask-cli/cfn-deployer.
   
   ==================== Enable Skill ====================
   Skill is enabled successfully.
   

2. Update the skill account linking information using the Skill ID displayed in previous step:

   $ ask smapi update-account-linking-info -s <skillId> --account-linking-request file:accountLinking.json
   
   Command executed successfully!
   

3. Enable the skill on your Alexa account:

   • Go to your Alexa app > More > Skills & Games.
   • Select the "Google Assistant" skill under Your Skills > Dev tab.
   • Tap "Enable to Use", go through the account linking process and grant the "Device Country and Postal Code" permission.