Alexa Skill: YouTube Data API

This Alexa Skill queries the YouTube Data API, and returns the subscriber count and viewer count based off what the user asks for. Examples:

• "Alexa, ask youtube data stream for current subscribers count"
• "Alexa, ask youtube data stream for number of video views this month"

Project Requirements

• To fully understand what's taking place
  • You need some understanding of AWS
  • You need some understanding of Node.js
  • You need some understanding of API's

Lambda Setup

• Navigate to AWS Console, sign in, click Lambda, set geolocation (top right) as N. Virginia, click create new Lambda function
• Select Blank function as template
• Select Alexa Skills Kit as a trigger
  • You need to create an account in the Alexa Developer console for the alexa skills kit to show in the lambda trigger dropdown menu
  • URL: https://developer.amazon.com/
• Set lambda function name as 'youtubeDataAPIAlexaSkill'
• Create a role with basic lambda execution permission (lambda_basic_execution)
• Add the temp.js code to your lambda function
• Get a YouTube Data API Key from https://console.developers.google.com/apis/
  • Go to Library, click YouTube Data API, click get credentials, and copy API key
• Get your channel id from YouTube Advanced Settings
  • Log In, click user icon, click account settings icon, click advanced (next to profile picture)
  • Copy Youtube Channel ID
• Using both your YouTube API Key and YouTube Channel ID add them to the endpoint variable inside of your lambda function (code copied from temp.js)
  • Each different intent needs the updated endpoint for your Alexa skill to work properly

Alexa Setup

• Go to https://developer.amazon.com/, sign in, click Alexa, click Alexa Skills Kit
• Click 'Add a New Skill'
• Create an Alexa app name, I used 'YouTube Data API'
• Create an Invocation name, I used 'youtube data stream' (this is your Alexa skill name)
• Click Next
• Add the intent-schema.json code and insert into 'Intent Schema' section
• Add the sample-utterances.txt text and insert into 'Sample Utterances' section
• Click next
• Connect your Lambda function using the ARN from AWS Lambda console
  • Example, arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:xxxxxx:function:youtubeDataAPIAlexaSkill
• Click next
• Type a sample utterance, ex: 'current subscriber count' and hit 'Ask {app name}'
  • This should trigger your lambda function and respond with how many subscribers you have

Reporting bugs

If any of the information above, doesn't work or is missing a step. You can reach me at ryanjonesirl@gmail.com

Technologies Used

• AWS
• Alexa
• Lambda
• Youtube Data API
• Alexa Skills Kit