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Understanding the Flash Briefing Skill API

Understanding the Flash Briefing Skill API

Flash Briefings, Flash Briefing Skills and the Flash Briefing Skill API

A Flash Briefing provides a quick overview of news and other content such as comedy, interviews, and lists that a customer discovers and enables in Skills section of the Alexa app. Customers receive their Flash Briefing by asking their Alexa-enabled device things like, “Alexa, give me my Flash Briefing” or “Alexa, tell me the news”. Alexa either reads text content or plays audio content that is provided by each enabled skill. Typically a Flash Briefing becomes a part of a customer’s daily routine as they get ready for work or school, or wind down after their day.


The Flash Briefing Skill API defines the format of content and enables you to create Flash Briefing skills. You use the developer portal to provide the the name, image and other descriptive information that display in the skills list, as well as configure the feeds that populate a Flash Briefing skill with content.


Who Can Create Flash Briefing Skills for Alexa

You can create a Flash Briefing skill if you own or have the right to distribute original text or audio content that updates frequently, understand web technologies and have the ability to configure HTTPS, RSS and/or JSON content. The voice interactions for a Flash Briefing skill are defined by Amazon, but you must be able edit the format of your content so that the Flash Briefing Skill API can understand it.

Get Started with the Flash Briefing Skill API

To create a Flash Briefing skill you must have the following:

  • An Amazon developer account. Sign up is free.
  • An Alexa-enabled device or app such as Amazon Echo, for testing purposes.
  • Knowledge of RSS and/or JSON, and skills to modify your content to fit the Flash Briefing Skill API format.

The Flash Briefing skill submission process provides the steps to submit descriptive information about your skill and configure one or more feeds for each skill. You can then test your skill in your Alexa-enabled device and provide additional information about how you handle customer data and privacy. Once you’ve provided this information, you can submit your Flash Briefing skill for certification and use by customers.

Next Steps to Create a Skill

Steps to Create a Flash Briefing Skill

Flash Briefing Skill API Feed Reference

Alexa Policy Guidelines

Flash Briefing Skill Certification Checklist