Register the Alexa Skill as an “App” with the API provider, this is called Alexa OAuth Provider Registration

Before anything else, the Skill developer needs to register the Alexa Skill as an “App” with the API provider (e.g. Spotify). We call this step Alexa OAuth Provider Registration.

Typically, there is a section on the developer portal of the API provider, as it is with Spotify. Here, a form needs to be completed.

In the course of this registration process, we need to provide a so-called redirect URL, redirect URI, or redirect endpoint. The Alexa Framework provides the redirect endpoint and its URL, we thus need to fill in the redirect URL values we get from the Skill Interface.

At the end of the process, we receive credentials for our Alexa Skill, called clientID and clientSecret, on the registration website of the API Provider (here: Spotify). These values (clientID and clientSecret) need to be provided as input to the account linking configuration on the Skill Interface (as described in Part 2: Account Linking Configuration on Skill Interface ). We also need to collect two URLs from the API provider (here: Spotify): the Authorization URL and the Token URL.

If you want to see the OAuth registration process in action, and look me over the shoulder while doing it, check out my video on OAuth Provider Registration.

Check out the other posts in this series on Alexa Account Linking:

In my new book “Making Money with Alexa Skills – A Developer’s Guide” I describe not only how to develop, but also how to monetize Alexa Skills. Account linking is one of the possibilities for personalizing a Skill and make it unique – more practical approaches for personalizing Skills are described in the Alexa Book.

In the OAuth 2.0 book you can find a simple and understandable explanation of all the standard OAuth Flows (such as those supported by Alexa). What makes this book unique is that the complicated OAuth interactions are visualized as easy-to-understand Sequence Diagrams.

Alexa Account Linking – Part 1: OAuth Provider Registration

Also published on Medium.

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Matthias Biehl

As API strategist, Matthias helps clients discover their opportunities for innovation with APIs & ecosystems and turn them into actionable digital strategies. Based on his experience in leading large-scale API initiatives in both business and technology roles, he shares best practices and provides both strategic and practical guidance. He has stayed a techie at heart and at some point, got a Ph.D. Matthias publishes a blog at api-university.com, is the author of several books on APIs, and regularly speaks at technology conferences.