question

Robert Walters avatar image
Robert Walters asked

Change the Invocation name of Alexa Skill

Our organization has change our brand name and as part of this rebranding activity, we have updated our website, chatbot, IVR content and a number of other applications and channels.

Now, we also want to update the invocation name of our Alexa Skill app so that is aligned with our new brand name.

I googled it but it seems invocation name cannot be changed once the skill is published/certified.

Any idea what we can do? Is it really not possible to change the invocation name? If that is the case, what are our options? And ideas?

If we now create a new skill, how can we get our existing Alexa users to move across to our new Skill?

invocation name
10 |5000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 2 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 512.0 KiB each and 1.0 MiB total.

2 Answers

Andy Whitworth avatar image
Andy Whitworth answered

Contact Amazon. As a developer you cannot change a published skill's invocation name but Amazon can. They may decline to do this however, but if you make a strong enough case then it is possible.

Disclaimer: I'm not an Amazon employee or representative :)

10 |5000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 2 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 512.0 KiB each and 1.0 MiB total.

Joseph Kesselman avatar image
Joseph Kesselman answered

If all else fails: Create a new skill under the new name, and modify the old skill to tell users they should switch to the new one. Wait until usage of the old skill drops off (making the "please switch over" message more obtrusive over time, if necessary, to persuade users to move), then shut it down.

Basic software deprecation approach, basically.

I'm not an Amazon employee or representative either. Just someone who's been dealing with software for entirely too many decades.

10 |5000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 2 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 512.0 KiB each and 1.0 MiB total.