Alexa.RemoteVideoPlayer Interface: SearchAndPlay (VSK Fire TV)

When users ask Alexa to play specific video content, such as "Watch Bosch" or "Watch the Warriors game," the Alexa.RemoteVideoPlayer interface sends SearchAndPlay directives to your app or Lambda.

Overview
Utterances for SearchAndPlay Directives
SearchAndPlay Directive Example
Payload Definitions
- Entity Types
- Experience Types
Handling SearchAndPlay Directives
Response Example
Declaring Capability Support for this Interface

Overview

The SearchAndPlay directive signals that the customer has asked Alexa to "watch" an item. SearchAndPlay results in playback of the specifically requested title, or a title that best matches the requested entity. If there are no matched titles, search results are returned instead.

Here are some example utterances:

Alexa, watch title
Alexa, play title
Alexa, stream title
Alexa, start title

Utterances for SearchAndPlay Directives

Alexa sends a SearchAndPlay directive to your app (for app-only integrations) or to your Lambda (for cloudside integrations) when users say the following utterances.

Feature	Sample Utterances	Expected Response
Watch [title] Required for certification	Watch breaking bad	The requested media plays. If there are multiple matches for the content, the user is prompted to select the desired media.
Watch by actor Required for certification	Watch sean connery	Either media with the actor plays (through an algorithm that selects the best match for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch by genre name Required for certification	Watch comedy	Either media from the requested genre plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by franchise [title] Required for certification	Watch star trek	Either the top recommended result for the requested franchise plays, or the user is presented with a list of matching franchises.
Watch by media type Optional	Watch a movie	Either media matching the non-title request plays (through an algorithm that selects a recommended video for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch [title] with season number Optional	Watch breaking bad season two	The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with episode number Optional	Watch breaking bad episode five	The correct season is identified by the user's last-watched episode. The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with season and episode number Optional	Watch breaking bad season two episode five	The content corresponding to the requested season and episode plays.
Watch by character name Optional	Watch james bond	Either media matching the character name plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports team Optional	Watch seahawks	Either media matching the sports team plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports type Optional	Watch soccer	Either media matching the sports type plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports league Optional	Watch n. b. a. league	Either media matching the sports league plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports event Optional	Watch soccer game	Either media matching the sports event plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.

Feature	Sample Utterances	Expected Response
Watch [title] Required for certification	mets / joue / lance / pars [VideoName] sur [AppName]	The requested media plays. If there are multiple matches for the content, the user is prompted to select the desired media.
Watch by actor Required for certification	regarde un film avec [actor] mets un film avec [actor] joue un film avec [actor] pars un film avec [actor]	Either media with the actor plays (through an algorithm that selects the best match for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch by genre name Required for certification	regarder un [GenreName] regarder une [GenreName] mets un [GenreName] mets une [GenreName] joue un [GenreName] joue une [GenreName	Either media from the requested genre plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by franchise [title] Required for certification	regarde [title] mets [title] joue [title] pars [title]	Either the top recommended result for the requested franchise plays, or the user is presented with a list of matching franchises.
Watch by media type Optional	regarde un film mets un film joue un film pars un film	Either media matching the non-title request plays (through an algorithm that selects a recommended video for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch [title] with season number Optional	regarde la saison [x] de [title] mets la saison [x] de [title] joue la saison [x] de [title] pars la saison [x] de [title] regarde [title] saison [x] mets [title] saison [x] joue [title] saison [x] pars [title] saison [x] joue la saison [x] de [title]	The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with episode number Optional	regarde l'épisode [x] de [title] mets l'épisode [x] de [title] joue l'épisode [x] de [title] pars l'épisode [x] de [title] joue [title] épisode [x] mets [title] épisode [x]	The correct season is identified by the user's last-watched episode. The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with season and episode number Optional	Same as fr-FR	The content corresponding to the requested season and episode plays.
Watch by character name Optional	Not supported	Either media matching the character name plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports team Optional	Regarde le [team] Regarde le match de [team]	Either media matching the sports team plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports type Optional	Not supported	Either media matching the sports type plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports league Optional	Mets [league] Joue [league] Regarde [league]	Either media matching the sports league plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports event Optional	Not supported	Either media matching the sports event plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.

Feature	Sample Utterances	Expected Response
Watch [title] Required for certification	mets / joue / lance [VideoName] sur [AppName]	The requested media plays. If there are multiple matches for the content, the user is prompted to select the desired media.
Watch by actor Required for certification	regarde un film avec [actor] mets un film avec [actor] joue un film avec [actor]	Either media with the actor plays (through an algorithm that selects the best match for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch by genre name Required for certification	regarder un [GenreName] regarder une [GenreName] mets un [GenreName] mets une [GenreName] joue un [GenreName] joue une [GenreName	Either media from the requested genre plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by franchise [title] Required for certification	Regarde [title] Mets [title] Joue [title]	Either the top recommended result for the requested franchise plays, or the user is presented with a list of matching franchises.
Watch by media type Optional	regarde un film mets un film joue un film	Either media matching the non-title request plays (through an algorithm that selects a recommended video for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch [title] with season number Optional	Regarde la saison [x] de [title] Mets la saison [x] de [title] Regarde [title] saison [x] Mets [title] saison [x] Joue [title] saison [x] Joue la saison [x] de [title]	The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with episode number Optional	Regarde l'épisode [x] de [title] Mets l'épisode [x] de [title] Joue l'épisode [x] de [title] Joue [title] épisode [x]	The correct season is identified by the user's last-watched episode. The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with season and episode number Optional	Regarde l'épisode [x] de la saison [x] de [title] Joue l'épisode [x] de la saison [x] de [title] Mets l'épisode [x] de la saison [x] de [title]	The content corresponding to the requested season and episode plays.
Watch by character name Optional	Not supported	Either media matching the character name plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports team Optional	Regarde le [team] Regarde le match de [team]	Either media matching the sports team plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports type Optional	Not supported	Either media matching the sports type plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports league Optional	Mets [league] Joue [league] Regarde [league]	Either media matching the sports league plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports event Optional	Not supported	Either media matching the sports event plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.

Feature	Sample Utterances	Expected Response
Watch [title] Required for certification	ich möchte [VideoName] gucken spiel [VideoName] spiel watchlist ab von [VideoName]	The requested media plays. If there are multiple matches for the content, the user is prompted to select the desired media.
Watch by actor Required for certification	spiel [VideoName] (mit [ActorName]) auf [AppName] streame einen film mit [ActorName] auf [AppName] streame einen [ActorName] film auf [AppName] streame eine serie mit [ActorName] auf [AppName] streame eine [ActorName] serie auf [AppName]	Either media with the actor plays (through an algorithm that selects the best match for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch by genre name Required for certification	spiel eine [GenreName] [MediaType] auf [DeviceType] ab spiel eine [GenreName] [MediaType] auf [AppName] ab [GenreName] [MediaType] schauen spiel einen [GenreName] [MediaType]	Either media from the requested genre plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by franchise [title] Required for certification	ich möchte [VideoName] gucken spiel [VideoName] spiel watchlist ab von [VideoName]?	Either the top recommended result for the requested franchise plays, or the user is presented with a list of matching franchises.
Watch by media type Optional	spiel einen [MediaType] spiel [MediaType] aus der/meiner watchlist streame den [MediaType] [VideoName] auf [AppName]/[Device] spiel trailer von [VideoName] spiel die neueste folge von [VideoName]	Either media matching the non-title request plays (through an algorithm that selects a recommended video for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch [title] with season number Optional	spiel [VideoName] [Season] [Season_Numer] spiel [VideoName] [Season] [Season_Numer] auf [AppName]	The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with episode number Optional	spiel die [Episode_Number] [Episode] von [VideoName] spiel [VideoName] [Episode_Number] spiel von [VideoName] [Episode] [Episode_Number]	The correct season is identified by the user's last-watched episode. The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with season and episode number Optional	spiel [Season] [Season_Numer] [Episode] [Episode_Number] von [VideoName] spiel [VideoName] [Season] [Season_Numer] [Episode] [Episode_Number] spiel die [VideoName] [Season] [Season_Numer] [Episode] [Episode_Number] auf [AppName] ab	The content corresponding to the requested season and episode plays.
Watch by character name Optional	Not supported	Either media matching the character name plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports team Optional	spiel [SportsTeam] [Event] auf [AppName] [SportsTeam] [Event] anschauen/ansehen das [SportsTeam] [Event] auf [AppName] anschauen/ansehen spiel das [SportsTeam] [Event] auf meinem [Device]	Either media matching the sports team plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports type Optional	spiel das [Sport] [Event] auf meinem [Device] das [Sport] [Event] ansehen	Either media matching the sports type plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports league Optional	spiel [SportsTeam] [Event] auf [AppName] [SportsTeam] [Event] anschauen	Either media matching the sports league plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports event Optional	spiel das [Sport] [Event] auf meinem [Device] das [Sport] [Event] ansehen	Either media matching the sports event plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.

Feature	Sample Utterances	Expected Response
Watch [title] Required for certification	[VideoName] चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [AppName] पे/पर/में [VideoName] चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play	The requested media plays. If there are multiple matches for the content, the user is prompted to select the desired media.
Watch by actor Required for certification	[ActorName] का/की/के movies को चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [ActorName] का/की/के movies चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [ActorName] का/की/के [GenreName] को चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [ActorName] का/की/के [GenreName] चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [ActorName] का/की/के [VideoName] को चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [ActorName] का/की/के [VideoName] चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [ActorName] का/की/के/वाला [GenreName] की [VideoName] को चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [ActorName] का/की/के/वाला [GenreName] की [VideoName] चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो	Either media with the actor plays (through an algorithm that selects the best match for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch by genre name Required for certification	[GenreName] [VideoName] को चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [GenreName] [VideoName] चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो	Either media from the requested genre plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by franchise [title] Required for certification	star trek देखो/देखना/देखिए	Either the top recommended result for the requested franchise plays, or the user is presented with a list of matching franchises.
Watch by media type Optional	[VideoName] movies चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो	Either media matching the non-title request plays (through an algorithm that selects a recommended video for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch [title] with season number Optional	[VideoName] का/की/के [SeasonNumber] को चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [VideoName] का/की/के [SeasonNumber] चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [VideoName] का/की/के [SeasonNumber] को चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [VideoName] का/की/के [SeasonNumber] [SeasonNumber] चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो	The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with episode number Optional	[VideoName] का/की/के [EpisodeNumber] को चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [VideoName] का/की/के [EpisodeNumber] चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो	The correct season is identified by the user's last-watched episode. The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with season and episode number Optional	[VideoName] season one episode one चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play करो [VideoName] season एक का episode एक चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play करो	The content corresponding to the requested season and episode plays.
Watch by character name Optional	[CharacterName] का/की/के/वाला movies चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [CharacterName] का/की/के/वाला movies को चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो Watch [CharacterName] movie [VideoName]	Either media matching the character name plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports team Optional	[Sport/League/Seam] games चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [Sport/League/Seam] के games को चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो	Either media matching the sports team plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports type Optional	[Sport/League/Seam] games चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [Sport/League/Seam] के games को चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो	Either media matching the sports type plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports league Optional	[Sport/League/Seam] games चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [Sport/League/Seam] के games को चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो	Either media matching the sports league plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports event Optional	[Sport/League/Seam] games चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो [Sport/League/Seam] के games को चलाओ/बजाओ/लगाओ/play/देखो	Either media matching the sports event plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.

Feature	Sample Utterances	Expected Response
Watch [title] Required for certification	metti / trasmetti / riproduci / fammi guardare / fammi vedere + [VideoName] (+ da/su [DeviceName])	The requested media plays. If there are multiple matches for the content, the user is prompted to select the desired media.
Watch by actor Required for certification	guarda un film con [ActorName] metti un film con [ActorName]	Either media with the actor plays (through an algorithm that selects the best match for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch by genre name Required for certification	guarda una [GenreName] fammi vedere una commedia mostra mi una commedia metti una commedia	Either media from the requested genre plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by franchise [title] Required for certification	guarda star trek fammi vedere star trek mostra star trek	Either the top recommended result for the requested franchise plays, or the user is presented with a list of matching franchises.
Watch by media type Optional	guarda un film metti un fim trasmetti un film riproduci un film	Either media matching the non-title request plays (through an algorithm that selects a recommended video for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch [title] with season number Optional	guarda [VideoName] stagione due metti [VideoName] stagione due riproduci [VideoName] stagione due	The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with episode number Optional	guarda [VideoName] episodio cinque metti [VideoName] episodio cinque riproduci [VideoName] episodio cinque	The correct season is identified by the user's last-watched episode. The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with season and episode number Optional	guarda [VideoName] stagione due episodio cinque metti [VideoName] stagione due episodio cinque riproduci [VideoName] stagione due episodio cinque	The content corresponding to the requested season and episode plays.
Watch by character name Optional	guarda [CharacterName] fammi vedere un film con james bond mostrami un film di james bond	Either media matching the character name plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports team Optional	riproduci la partita del [SportsTeam]	Either media matching the sports team plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports type Optional	not supported	Either media matching the sports type plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports league Optional	trasmetti la partita della [League]	Either media matching the sports league plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports event Optional	not supported	Either media matching the sports event plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.

Feature	Sample Utterances	Expected Response
Watch [title] Required for certification	[VideoName]を再生して [VideoName]を[AppName]で再生して [AppName]で[VideoName][MediaType]を再生して	The requested media plays. If there are multiple matches for the content, the user is prompted to select the desired media.
Watch by actor Required for certification	[ActorNameName]が出ている[MediaType]を再生	Either media with the actor plays (through an algorithm that selects the best match for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch by genre name Required for certification	[AppName]で[GenreNameName][MediaType]を再生[AppName]で[GenreNameName]を再生	Either media from the requested genre plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by franchise [title] Required for certification		Either the top recommended result for the requested franchise plays, or the user is presented with a list of matching franchises.
Watch by media type Optional	[VideoName]を再生して [VideoName]を＜AppName]で再生して [AppName]で[VideoName][MediaType]を再生して [MediaType]を再生して [ActorNameName]が出ている[MediaType]を再生 [Anaphor][MediaType]を流して [AppName]で[GenreNameName][MediaType]を再生 [AppName]で[VideoName][MediaType]を再生して [ChannelName]の[MediaType]を再生	Either media matching the non-title request plays (through an algorithm that selects a recommended video for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch [title] with season number Optional	[VideoName]の[Season][Season_Number]の	The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with episode number Optional	[Episode_Number][Episode]を再生	The correct season is identified by the user's last-watched episode. The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with season and episode number Optional	[Episode_Number][Episode]を再生 [VideoName]の[Season][Season_Number]の	The content corresponding to the requested season and episode plays.
Watch by character name Optional		Either media matching the character name plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports team Optional	[SportsTeam]の[Event]を[AppName]で見せて	Either media matching the sports team plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports type Optional	[SportsTeam]の[Event]を[AppName]で見せて	Either media matching the sports type plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports league Optional	[SportsTeam]の[Event]を[AppName]で見せて	Either media matching the sports league plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports event Optional	[SportsTeam]の[Event]を[AppName]で見せて	Either media matching the sports event plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.

Feature	Sample Utterances	Expected Response
Watch [title] Required for certification	tocar/assistir/reproduzir [VideoName] no/na [AppName]	The requested media plays. If there are multiple matches for the content, the user is prompted to select the desired media.
Watch by actor Required for certification	assistir [ator] colocar [ator] coloque filmes com [ator] encontre filmes com [ator] me mostre filmes com [ator]	Either media with the actor plays (through an algorithm that selects the best match for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch by genre name Required for certification	assitir [GenreName] assistir programas de [GenreName] programas de [GenreName] colocar [GenreName] por favor reproduzir [GenreName] reproduzir programas de [GenreName] colocar um programa de [GenreName]	Either media from the requested genre plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by franchise [title] Required for certification	assitir jornada nas estrelas colocar jornada nas estrelas reproduzir jornada nas estrelas você pode passsar jornada nas estrelas por favor reproduzir jornada nas estrelas	Either the top recommended result for the requested franchise plays, or the user is presented with a list of matching franchises.
Watch by media type Optional	assistir um filme colocar um filme nós podemos assistir um filme ver um filme	Either media matching the non-title request plays (through an algorithm that selects a recommended video for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch [title] with season number Optional	assistir [title] temporada [x] colocar [title] temporada [x] reproduzir [title] temporada [x]	The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with episode number Optional	assistir [title] episódio [x] colocar [title] episódio [x] reproduzir [title] episódio [x] reproduzir o [title] episódio [x]	The correct season is identified by the user's last-watched episode. The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with season and episode number Optional	assistir [title] temporada [x] episódio [x] colocar [title] temporada [x] episódio [x] reproduzir [title] temporada [x] episódio [x]	The content corresponding to the requested season and episode plays.
Watch by character name Optional	Not Supported	Either media matching the character name plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports team Optional	assisitr [SportTeam] assitir o/a [SportTeam] colocar no/na [SportTeam] colocar o jogo do/da [SportTeam] me mostre o jogo do/da [SportTeam] mostre o jogo do/da [SportTeam]	Either media matching the sports team plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports type Optional	assistir [Sport]	Either media matching the sports type plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports league Optional	assistir [League] colocar [League]	Either media matching the sports league plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports event Optional	not supported	Either media matching the sports event plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.

Feature	Sample Utterances	Expected Response
Watch [title] Required for certification	pon interstellar reproduce interstellar ver interstellar	The requested media plays. If there are multiple matches for the content, the user is prompted to select the desired media.
Watch by actor Required for certification	pon salma hayek reproduce salma hayek	Either media with the actor plays (through an algorithm that selects the best match for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch by genre name Required for certification	pon comedia en netflix (Not supported without AppName)	Either media from the requested genre plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by franchise [title] Required for certification	pon star wars reproduce star wars	Either the top recommended result for the requested franchise plays, or the user is presented with a list of matching franchises.
Watch by media type Optional	pon la película^* reproduce la película^* Note: Not supported in es-ES or es-US	Either media matching the non-title request plays (through an algorithm that selects a recommended video for the user), or a list of results is presented to the user.
Watch [title] with season number Optional	empieza la segunda temporada de los rompecorazones comienza la segunda temporada de los rompecorazones reproduce la segunda temporada de los rompecorazones	The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with episode number Optional	pon el capítulo final de los serrano	The correct season is identified by the user's last-watched episode. The last-watched episode in the series plays, if the episode wasn't completed. If the last-watched episode was completed, the next unwatched episode plays.
Watch [title] with season and episode number Optional	pon el segundo episodio de la primera temporada de anabel reproduce el cuarto episodio de la temporada tres de águila roja	The content corresponding to the requested season and episode plays.
Watch by character name Optional	reproduce algo con james bond	Either media matching the character name plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports team Optional	ver el partido del real madrid	Either media matching the sports team plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of media results.
Watch by sports type Optional	reproduce el partido de fútbol en mi televisor ver el partido de fútbol en mi tele ver el partido de fútbol	Either media matching the sports type plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports league Optional	pon el partido de la a. c. b. en mi tele ver el partido de la a. c. b. en mi televisor	Either media matching the sports league plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.
Watch by sports event Optional	ver el partido de fútbol	Either media matching the sports event plays (through an algorithm that selects recommended media for the user), or the user is presented with a list of results.

SearchAndPlay Directive Example

The following is an example SearchAndPlay directive. This is a directive that Alexa might send in response to a user's request to watch "Manchester by the Sea."

App-only Integrations
Cloudside Integrations

EXTRA_DIRECTIVE_NAMESPACE: Alexa.RemoteVideoPlayer
EXTRA_DIRECTIVE_NAME: SearchAndPlay
EXTRA_DIRECTIVE_PAYLOAD_VERSION: 3
EXTRA_DIRECTIVE_PAYLOAD: payload

payload contains the following:

{
    "payload": {
      "experience": {
            "mode": "VOICE_OPTIMIZED",
            },
      "entities": [
          {
              "externalIds": {
                  "imdb": "tt4574334"
              },
              "type": "Video",
              "uri": "entity://provider/show/manchesterbythesea",
              "value": "Manchester by the Sea"
          }
      ],
      "searchText": [
          {
              "transcribed": "Manchester by the Sea"
          }
      ],
      "timeWindow": {
          "end": "2016-09-07T23:59:00+00:00",
          "start": "2016-09-01T00:00:00+00:00"
      }
  }
}

{
    "directive": {
        "endpoint": {
            "cookie": {},
            "endpointId": "<the identifier of the target endpoint>",
            "scope": {
                "token": "<an OAuth2 bearer token>",
                "type": "BearerToken"
            }
        },
        "header": {
            "correlationToken": "dFMb0z+PgpgdDmluhJ1LddFvSqZ/jCc8ptlAKulUj90jSqg==",
            "messageId": "e7f9c31f-cb90-4003-9795-c6fb9f487945",
            "name": "SearchAndPlay",
            "namespace": "Alexa.RemoteVideoPlayer",
            "payloadVersion": "3"
        },
        "payload": {
           "experience": {
               "mode": "VOICE_OPTIMIZED",
                },
            "entities": [
                {
                    "externalIds": {
                        "imdb": "tt4574334"
                    },
                    "type": "Video",
                    "uri": "entity://provider/show/manchesterbythesea",
                    "value": "Manchester by the Sea"
                }
            ],
            "searchText": [
                {
                    "transcribed": "Manchester by the Sea"
                }
            ],
            "timeWindow": {
                "end": "2016-09-07T23:59:00+00:00",
                "start": "2016-09-01T00:00:00+00:00"
            }
        }
    }
}

Payload Definitions


Field	Description	Data Type
`entities` optional	An array of entity objects to play, such as a Title, Franchise, Actor, Team, or MediaType. See Entity Types for more details about entity types and values.	array
`experience` optional	An object that optimizes the display of search results. With the `experience` object, you can change the search results based on the device your customer used to search. See Experience Types for more details about the `experience` object and its values.	Object containing `mode`
`searchText` optional	Contains a transcribed version of the user's search query as a string value in the `transcribed` field. See Viewing the Customer's Actual Request for details.	Object containing `transcribe`
`transcribed` optional	Provides the transcribed version of the user's utterance. See The searchText Object for details. Examples: `h.d. popular comedy tv shows`	String
`timeWindow` optional	Provides the time window for the content the customer wants to play. For example if a customer wants to play an episode from last week, time window would indicate the preceding week.	Object containing `start` and `end` times.
`end` optional	The end time of the time window. Examples: `2016-09-07T23:59:00+00:00`, `2018-01-24T02:30:00Z`	A string in ISO 8601 format.
`start` optional	The start time of the time window. Examples: `2016-09-07T23:59:00+00:00`, `2018-01-24T02:30:00Z`	A string in ISO 8601 format.

Entity Types

The entities object consists of a list of objects, each of which contains a type and a value along with other possible data such as external IDs. The following values are possible for the type value: Actor, App, Channel, Character, Director, Episode, Event, Franchise, Genre, League, MediaType, ProductionCompany, Season, Sport, SportsTeam, Video, Popularity, Recency, and VideoResolution. Details about the payloads for each entity type are provided in the sections below.

Actor

Actor represents an actor credited in video media content; for example, Casey Affleck might contain the following:

Actor Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`externalIds`	A map of external identifiers for this entity. Key is the provider, value is the id.	Object	—
└─ `ASIN`	The external ASIN of this entity	String	`B01LTHZVKG`
└─ `imdb`	The IMDB identifier for the actor.	String	`tt4034228`
`uri`	URI mapping to the actor/actress	URI	`entity://provider/actor/caseyaffleck`
`value`	The name of the actor	String	`Casey Affleck`

App

App represents the explicit app name specified by the user in utterance; for example, "Manchester by the Sea on Prime" might contain the following:

App Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`externalIds`	A map of external identifiers for this entity. Key is the provider, value is the id.	Object	—
└─ `ENTITY_ID`	An application identifier from a list of apps.	String	`amzn1.alexa-ask-target.app.72095`
`value`	The name of the application	String	`Prime Video`

Channel

Channel represents the identifying data for a television channel; for example, "PBS" might contain the following:

Channel Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`externalIds`	A map of external identifiers for this entity. Key is the provider, value is the id.	Object	—
└─ `imdb`	The external IMDB identifier	String	`tt4034228`
`entityMetadata`	A map of meta data associated with the channel	Object	—
└─ `channelNumber`	The channel number	Integer	`1234`
└─ `channelCallSign`	The call sign for the channel	String	`KBTC`
`uri`	The URI of the channel	URI	`entity://provider/channel/1234`
`value`	The name of the channel	String	`PBS`

Character

A Character represented in video media content.

Character Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`externalIds`	A map of external identifiers for this entity. Key is the provider, value is the id.	Object	—
└─ `ASIN`	The Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN) for this entity	String	`B00DT55P3K`
└─ `imdb`	The IMDB identifier for the character.	String	`character id`
`uri`	URI mapping to the character	URI	`entity://provider/character/snowwhite`
`value`	The name of the character	String	`Snow White`

Director

Director represents the director name for the video media content; for example, "Kenneth Lonergan" might contain the following:

Director Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`externalIds`	A map of external identifiers for this entity. Key is the provider, value is the id.	Object	—
└─ `imdb`	The external IMDB identifier	String	`tt4034228`
`uri`	URI mapping to the director	URI	`entity://provider/director/kennethlonergan`
`value`	The name of the director	String	`Kenneth Lonergan`

Episode

Episode represents the episode number for serial content like TV Shows; for example, the eighth episode of "Transparent" would have episode number 8.

Episode Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`value`	The episode number	Integer	`8`

Event

An Event is a reference to a type of event; examples would include sports, music, or other types of events. For example, searching for "Football games" would search for a game event entity and a football sport entity.

Event Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`externalIds`	A map of external identifiers for this entity. Key is the provider, value is the id.	Object	—
└─ `imdb`	The IMDB identifier for the event.	String	`tt4034228`
`uri`	URI mapping to the event	URI	`entity://amazon/events/games`
`value`	The name of the event type	String	`Games`

Franchise

A Franchise is a video entity which can represent a number of video entities, like movies or TV shows. For example, take the fictional franchise "Intergalactic Wars" which represents a collection of movie trilogies, as well as animated and live action TV shows. This entity type was introduced to account for requests by customers such as "Find Intergalactic Wars movies", which would search for all "Intergalactic Wars" programs of the MOVIE value for MediaType, rather than attempting to match to a single title.

Franchise Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`externalIds`	A map of external identifiers for this entity. Key is the provider, value is the id.	Object	—
└─ `imdb`	The external IMDB identifier	String	`tt4034228`
`uri`	URI mapping to the franchise	URI mapping to the event	`entity://amazon/franchise/intergalacticwars`
`value`	The name of the genre	String	`Intergalactic Wars`

Genre

Genre represents the genre of video media content such as action, drama or comedy. For example, the Action genre might contain the following:

Genre Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`externalIds`	A map of external identifiers for this entity. Key is the provider, value is the id.	Object	—
└─ `imdb`	The external IMDB identifier	String	`tt4034228`
`uri`	URI mapping to the genre	URI	`entity://provider/genre/action`
`value`	The name of the genre	String	`Action`

League

League represents the categorical information for a sporting league; for example, NCAA is a league that might contain the following:

League Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`externalIds`	A map of external identifiers for this entity. Key is the provider, value is the id.	Object	—
└─ `imdb`	The IMDB identifier for the league	String	`tt4034228`
`uri`	URI mapping to the league	URI	`entity://amazon/league/ncaa`
`value`	The name of the league	String	`NCAA`

MediaType

MediaType represents the media type category of a particular piece of content; for example, the MediaType for "Manchester by the Sea" would be MOVIE.

MediaType Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`value`	The media type; possible values are `MOVIE`, `VIDEO`, `TV_SHOW`	Enum	`MOVIE`

ProductionCompany

ProductionCompany represents the production company name for the video media content; for example, Marvels, Disney.

ProductionCompany Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`value`	Production company name	String	`Marvel`

Season

Season represents the season number for serial content like TV Shows; for example, the season two of "Transparent" would have season number 2.

Season Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`value`	The season number	Integer	`2`

Sport

Sport represents the categorical information of a sport; for example, football is a sport that might contain the following:

Sport Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`externalIds`	A map of external identifiers for this entity. Key is the provider, value is the id.	Object	—
└─ `imdb`	The IMDB identifier for the sport	String	`tt4034228`
`uri`	URI mapping to the sports	URI	`entity://amazon/sport/football`
`value`	The name of the sport	String	`Football`

SportsTeam

SportsTeam represents the categorical information of a professional sports team; for example, "University of Washington Huskies" is a sports team that might contain the following:

SportsTeam Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`externalIds`	A map of external identifiers for this entity. Key is the provider, value is the id.	Object	—
└─ `imdb`	The IMDB identifier for this team.	String	`tt4034228`
`uri`	URI mapping to the sports team	URI	`entity://amazon/sportsteam/huskies`
`value`	The name of the sports team	String	`University of Washington Huskies`

Video

Video represents the identifying data for the piece of video content; for example, "Manchester by the Sea" might contain the following:

Video Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`externalIds`	A map of external identifiers for this entity. Key is the provider, value is the id.	Object	—
`ASIN`	The external ASIN of this entity	String	`B01LTHZVKG`
└─ `imdb`	The IMDB identifier	String	`tt4034228`
`userConfirmations`	Object containing information about user confirmations for the item	Object
└─ `entitlementVoiceActivation`	Flag to inform partner if voice enablement of viewing period or entitlement is successful. Possible values - `CONFIRMED` (optional).	Enum; Default policy - unrecognized values are ignored	`CONFIRMED`
`uri`	URI mapping to the video	URI	`entity://provider/movie/manchesterbythesea`
`value`	The name of the video	String	`Manchester by the Sea`

Popularity

Popularity indicates whether the user asks for popular content.

Popularity Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`value`	Indicates to provider that the user searches for popular content	String	`TRUE`

Note that this entity type does not have any `externalIds` included. A sample response (excerpted to the relevant values only) might look as follows: ```json "entities": [..{ "value": "TRUE", "type": "Popularity" } ..], ```

Recency

The resolved values for Recency indicate whether the user asks for new or old content.

Recency Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`value`	Indicates whether the user searches for new or old content; possible values are `NEW`, `OLD`	Enum	`NEW`

VideoResolution

VideoResolution represents the requested video resolution in one of the following standards:

SD (480p)
HD (720p-1080p)
4k (2160p)
8k (4320p)

VideoResolution Payload Fields	Description	Type	Example
`value`	Video resolution; possible values are `SD`, `HD`, `4k`, `8k`	Enum	`HD`

Experience Types

Use the experience object to optimize the display of search results based on the device used to perform the search. For example, if a customers searches from a Fire TV remote, the experience object shows a large number of search results that the customer can browse through with a remote. However, if the search request is from an Echo paired to Fire TV, the experience object limits the number of results shown, and how they are displayed, allowing the customer to see results without using the remote.

The experience object consists of a mode object, which determines how to display the search results. The mode object takes two values: VOICE_OPTIMIZED and DEFAULT.

VOICE_OPTIMIZED: The optimized display of search results for voice-only devices. Provides a list of results that customers can navigate via voice, without the need for a remote.
DEFAULT: The default displays of all search results list format, regardless of the device used for the search.

To ensure forward compatibility, fallback to DEFAULT instead of failing if you receive an unknown value in mode.

Handling SearchAndPlay Directives

SearchAndPlay directives contain instructions to watch or play media. The directive contains the desired media object and URI obtained described as an entity. The directive contains an array of entities that specifies what to search and play.

(The SearchAndPlay directive is similar to GetPlayableItems in the video skills for multimodal implementations.)

The following sections provide guidance for handling SearchAndPlay directives with different requests.

Watch by Title

When users say "Alexa, watch Interstellar" or any other title to your Alexa-enabled device, you will receive a SearchAndPlay directive in your app or Lambda.

As part of the SearchAndPlay directive, you will see an externalIds section in the directive. Within this section, you should look for a field corresponding with your own catalog. This field will contain the same ID values you used in your catalog integration, allowing you to know precisely which show a user desires to watch. You can then use that to fulfill the user's request by playing the media.

If within the same catalog you still see multiple ID values in the directive, this may be because Alexa identified multiple shows within your catalog that match the title the user asked for. You should select the best one to play for the user. Leverage any algorithms that help match the content to the user.

If you do not see your own catalog ID values in the externalIds field, and you've made sure that you're asking Alexa to watch content that is in your app, contact your Amazon representative for assistance.

Watch by Title, Episode, and Season

When users say "Alexa, watch Interstellar Season 2 Episode 2," you will receive a similar directive as when users say "Alexa, watch Interstellar." However, the key difference is that this directive will also have the following JSON inside of it:

{
  "type": "Episode",
  "value": "2"
},
{
  "type": "Season",
  "value": "2"
}

This JSON indicates the season and episode number that the user requested. You must play the season/episode the customer requests. The catalog ID you receive will contain only the top-level show's catalog ID, not the season/episode ID. However, you should be able to use the season/episode number alongside the show's catalog ID to play the correct content.

You should also account for the fact that a user might choose to specify a season but not an episode, or an episode but not the season — you must still fulfill their request. Follow this guidance for identifying the right content:

If the user asks to watch a title by season, (e.g., "Alexa, watch Bosch, Season 3"), and it is unclear which episode of a TV series a user wants, show the last watched episode. If the last watched episode is completed, show the next unwatched episode after that. Alternatively, show an episode list for the season.
If the user asks to watch a title by episode, (e.g., "Alexa, watch Bosch, episode 5") that could belong to multiple seasons, identify the correct season by checking the user's last-watched episode. If the last-watched episode was within Season 2, then play episode 5 in Season 2. Alternatively, show an episode list for the season.

Watch by Franchise

For certain utterances, it's not actually clear which content the user wants. For example, a user might say "Alexa, watch Jurassic Park." In such a scenario, we don't know if the user meant Jurassic Park 1, Jurassic Park 2, or Jurassic Park 3. Media that has multiple variants like this is called a "franchise." Franchise scenarios, which don't fit neatly into the season/episode model, are handled by "Watch by Franchise."

When a user conducts a watch-by-franchise request, you will receive the franchise that the user requested (in this case, Jurassic Park) in the directive, but the directive will not contain a catalog ID. For these directives, the expectation is that you will conduct a search within your catalog for this content and then play the top result from your search. If that is not possible, you must at least take the user to search results within your app so that the user can use their remote to see the content they would like. You shouldn't simply ignore the directive.

A list of franchises is available in Franchise List.

Watch by Genre, Sport, Team, League, and Other Ambiguous Watch Directives

Alexa also supports phrases such as "Alexa, watch a comedy" or "Alexa, watch basketball." For generic scenarios like these, you have the option of either taking the user to search results, or taking the user to the detail page of that particular genre or appropriate entity.

For example, many apps have special pages dedicated to comedies, action movies, sitcoms, etc., which are different from simple search results. These genre pages curate media related to that topic. If desired, you can choose to take the user to these genre pages when the relevant ambiguous request is received by the user. The expectation is that, even in the worst case scenario, your app should at least take the user to search results. You shouldn't simply ignore the directive.

A list of genres that might be received in directives is available in Genre List.

Handling Ambiguous Requests

Similar to SearchAndDisplayResults, SearchAndPlay supports multiple entity types, including a content title, franchise name, actor, director, sports team, media type and more. This means one of these directives might contain an ambiguous entity request.

For example, a customer could request, "Alexa, watch a popular comedy," or "Alexa, watch a Billy Bob Thornton movie." Despite the ambiguity, you can decide how to act on a request. For example, you can do the following:

Begin playing a popular comedy or Bob Thornton movie
Generate a list of the top ten comedies or Billy Bob Thornton movies and randomly select one for the customer to avoid repetition
Go straight to search results for that ambiguous entity

You can choose how to respond; however, it's recommended that you accommodate a customer's request if at all possible.

Viewing the Actual Customer's Request

Recall that an Alexa service in the cloud does the work of interpreting the customer's request, determining the intent, and then packaging it into a directive. What if you want to see the actual user's request (rather than Alexa's interpretation of it)? fortunately, a version of the user's actual request is available.

In the directive payload, the searchText object represents the customer search request. In the searchText object, the transcribed value is a string that represents the customer intent. This transcribed value is a stripped-down version of what the customer said. For example, here's how the transcribed value might look like for the request, "Alexa, watch popular comedy tv shows in HD":

{
    "searchText": {
        "transcribed": "h.d. popular comedy tv shows"
    }
}

As you can see, the transcribed property is a summarized/redacted version of the request that selects the main words of the request. The searchText object has the following limitations:

There is no word order guarantee. For the same utterance, searchText might return the transcribed values with different order, such as:
- "h. d. korean war documentary movies"
- "korean war documentary h. d. movies"
The content of searchText might change over time or by directive. For the same utterance, searchText might return different transcribed values at different points in time, such as:
- "top ten comedies"
- "top 10 comedies"
Action verbs are omitted. The transcribed value will not show the action verbs used in the user's request.

Note that searchText can include content provider names (if they were part of the customer's request). Here are some examples:

The request, "Alexa, find content provider movies" will return the transcribed value "content provider movies"
The request, "Alexa, find comedies on content provider" will return the transcribed value "content provider comedies"

Important: Use searchText only as a fallback for other values in the search payload. The searchText field is optional and might not appear in the directive you receive. Your implementation must return a response even if the directive contains no searchText value.

Use searchText if you want to focus on key word searches (for example, a full text search). Note that entities rely on resolved catalog values. Use these entities if you have specialized catalogs pertaining to specific values, such as Movie catalog, Genre catalog, and so on, or if you have some form of data model that facilitates structured queries.

If your app handled the directive successfully, your BroadcastReceiver class should send a success intent back with a success status, like this:

if (response != null && sendResponse) {
 Intent success = new Intent().putExtra(VSKIntentConstants.EXTRA_DIRECTIVE_STATUS, didSucceed);
 try {
   response.send(context, 0, success);
 } catch(PendingIntent.CanceledException e) {
   //we probably took too long to respond, log error
 }
}

For more details, see Step 7: Add a BroadcastReceiver. Also see the AlexaDirectiveReceiver class in the sample app for a more specific code example.

When a SearchAndPlayResults directive successfully completes, your app or Lambda should respond with an Alexa.Response message.

{
   "context": {
       "properties": []
   },
   "event": {
       "header": {
           "correlationToken": "dFMb0z+PgpgdDmluhJ1LddFvSqZ/jCc8ptlAKulUj90jSqg==",
           "messageId": "1d8749ce-2805-4781-bb34-c5c59ce71f6a",
           "name": "Response",
           "namespace": "Alexa",
           "payloadVersion": "3"
       },
       "payload": {}
   }
}

No payload content is required. With video skills on Fire TV apps, the response back to Alexa is minimal, with an empty payload. This is because you sent the needed instruction to your Fire TV app through ADM.

If you cannot complete the customer request for some reason, reply with an error. See Error Handling for more details.

Declaring Capability Support for this Interface

App-only Integrations
Cloudside Integrations

To receive SearchAndDisplayResults directives to your app from the RemoteVideoPlayer interface, you must indicate support for this interface when you declare your capabilities. See the following for more information on declaring capabilities with app-only integrations:

To indicate that your video skill supports SearchAndPlay directives from the Alexa.RemoteVideoPlayer interface, you must indicate support for it in your response to the Discover directive sent through the Alexa.Discovery interface. More details are provided in Alexa.Discovery.

Last updated: Jun 09, 2021