Get Started with the Alexa Skills Toolkit for Visual Studio Code

The Alexa Skills (ASK) Toolkit for Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is an extension that makes it easier for you to create, test, and deploy Alexa skills. The ASK Toolkit provides a dedicated workspace for Alexa skills in VS Code. You can create and deploy Alexa skills, test and debug your local skills with the Alexa simulator, and more. Use the ASK Toolkit to create Alexa-hosted or self-hosted skills.

If you want to create and publish Alexa skills from the command line, see Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) Command Line Interface (CLI) Overview. Or, you can create and publish skills with the Alexa Developer Console.

Prerequisites

Before you can install and use the ASK Toolkit for VS Code, you must have the following:

Install the ASK Toolkit extension

Use one of the following options to install the ASK Toolkit:

  • Install the toolkit by visiting the VS Code marketplace.

  • In VS Code, open the View menu and choose Extensions. In the search box, type Alexa Skills Kit. Choose Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) Toolkit, and then click Install.

After you install the toolkit, close, and then reopen VS Code.

Sign in to your Amazon developer account from VS Code

Use the following procedure to log into your Amazon developer account from VS Code.

  1. In the activity bar, click the Alexa icon.
  2. On the Sign in page, click Sign in.
    The Amazon developer account sign-in page launches in your browser.
  3. Sign in to your developer account in the browser, and then return to VS Code.

Next steps

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Last updated: Jan 26, 2024