Alexa.PowerController Interface 3

Implement the Alexa.PowerController interface in your Alexa add-on so that users can turn their smart home devices on and off. For more details about smart home add-ons, see Connect Your Device Cloud with Smart Home Add-ons. For the list of languages that the PowerController interface supports, see List of Alexa Interfaces and Supported Languages. For the definitions of the message properties, see Alexa Interface Message and Property Reference.

Utterances

When you use the Alexa.PowerController interface, the voice interaction model is already built for you. After the user says one of the following utterances, Alexa sends a corresponding directive to your add-on. The following examples show some user utterances:

Reportable properties

The Alexa.PowerController interface uses the powerState property as the primary property. The valid values are ON or OFF.

Discovery

You describe endpoints that support Alexa.PowerController using the standard discovery mechanism described in Alexa.Discovery. Set retrievable to true for all interfaces and properties that you report when Alexa sends your add-on a state report request. Set proactivelyReported to true for interfaces and properties that you proactively report to Alexa in a change report. For directives that require user verification before Alexa performs the action, include the verificationsRequired object in your discovery response. For more details, see Directives that require user verification. For the full list of display categories, see display categories. To let Alexa know the health of your device, also implement the Alexa.EndpointHealth interface.

Discover response example

The following example shows a Discover.Response message for an Alexa add-on that controls a light and supports the Alexa.PowerController and Alexa.BrightnessController interfaces.

{
  "event": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa.Discovery",
      "name": "Discover.Response",
      "payloadVersion": "3",
      "messageId": "Unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID"
    },
    "payload": {
      "endpoints": [
        {
          "endpointId": "Unique ID of the endpoint",
          "manufacturerName": "Manufacturer of the endpoint",
          "description": "Description to be shown in the Alexa app",
          "friendlyName": "Living Room Light",
          "displayCategories": ["LIGHT"],
          "additionalAttributes":  {
            "manufacturer": "Manufacturer of the endpoint",
            "model" : "Model of the device",
            "serialNumber": "Serial number of the device",
            "firmwareVersion" : "Firmware version of the device",
            "softwareVersion": "Software version of the device",
            "customIdentifier": "Optional custom identifier for the device"
          },
          "cookie": {},
          "capabilities": [
            {
              "type": "AlexaInterface",
              "interface": "Alexa.PowerController",
              "version": "3",
              "properties": {
                "supported": [
                  {
                    "name": "powerState"
                  }
                ],
                "proactivelyReported": true,
                "retrievable": true
              }
            },
            {
              "type": "AlexaInterface",
              "interface": "Alexa.BrightnessController",
              "version": "3",
              "properties": {
                "supported": [
                  {
                    "name": "brightness"
                  }
                ],
                "proactivelyReported": true,
                "retrievable": true
              }
            },
            {
              "type": "AlexaInterface",
              "interface": "Alexa.EndpointHealth",
              "version": "3",
              "properties": {
                "supported": [
                  {
                    "name": "connectivity"
                  }
                ],
                "proactivelyReported": true,
                "retrievable": true
              }
            },
            {
              "type": "AlexaInterface",
              "interface": "Alexa",
              "version": "3"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Directives

Alexa sends the following Alexa.PowerController interface directives to your add-on.

TurnOn directive

Support the TurnOn directive so that users can turn on devices. The following example shows a user utterance:

TurnOn directive example

The following example illustrates a TurnOn directive that Alexa sends to your add-on.

{
  "directive": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa.PowerController",
      "name": "TurnOn",
      "messageId": "Unique version 4 UUID",
      "correlationToken": "Opaque correlation token",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "OAuth2.0 bearer token"
      },
      "endpointId": "Endpoint ID",
      "cookie": {}
    },
    "payload": {}
  }
}

TurnOn directive payload

The TurnOn directive doesn’t define any payload parameters.

TurnOn response

If you handle a TurnOn directive successfully, respond with an Alexa.Response event. A successful response confirms that the endpoint completed the requested action. You can respond synchronously from your Lambda function or asynchronously through the Alexa event gateway. If you choose to respond asynchronously, include a correlation token and a scope with an authorization token. For details about both response types, see Alexa.Response. In the context object, include the values of all properties that changed. The following example shows a TurnOn response.

{
  "event": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa",
      "name": "Response",
      "messageId": "Unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID",
      "correlationToken": "Opaque correlation token that matches the request",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "OAuth2.0 bearer token"
      },
      "endpointId": "Endpoint ID"
    },
    "payload": {}
  },
  "context": {
    "properties": [
      {
        "namespace": "Alexa.PowerController",
        "name": "powerState",
        "value": "ON",
        "timeOfSample": "2017-02-03T16:20:50.52Z",
        "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 500
      }
    ]
  }
}

TurnOn directive error handling

If you can’t handle a TurnOn directive successfully, respond with an Alexa.ErrorResponse event.

TurnOff directive

Support the TurnOff directive so that users can turn off devices. The following example shows a user utterance:

TurnOff directive example

The following example illustrates a TurnOff directive that Alexa sends to your add-on.

{
  "directive": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa.PowerController",
      "name": "TurnOff",
      "messageId": "Unique version 4 UUID",
      "correlationToken": "Opaque correlation token",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "OAuth2.0 bearer token"
      },
      "endpointId": "Endpoint ID",
      "cookie": {}
    },
    "payload": {}
  }
}

TurnOff directive payload

The TurnOff directive doesn’t define a payload.

TurnOff response

If you handle a TurnOff directive successfully, respond with an Alexa.Response event. A successful response confirms that the endpoint completed the requested action. You can respond synchronously from your Lambda function or asynchronously through the Alexa event gateway. If you choose to respond asynchronously, include a correlation token and a scope with an authorization token. For details about both response types, see Alexa.Response. In the context object, include the values of all properties that changed. The following example shows a TurnOff response.

{
  "event": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa",
      "name": "Response",
      "messageId": "Unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID",
      "correlationToken": "Opaque correlation token that matches the request",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "OAuth2.0 bearer token"
      },
      "endpointId": "Endpoint ID"
    },
    "payload": {}
  },
  "context": {
    "properties": [
      {
        "namespace": "Alexa.PowerController",
        "name": "powerState",
        "value": "OFF",
        "timeOfSample": "2017-02-03T16:20:50.52Z",
        "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 500
      }
    ]
  }
}

TurnOff directive error handling

If you can’t handle a TurnOff directive successfully, respond with an Alexa.ErrorResponse event.

State reporting

Alexa sends a ReportState directive to request information about the state of an endpoint. When Alexa sends a ReportState directive, you send a StateReport event in response. The response contains the current state of all the retrievable properties in the context object. You identify your retrievable properties in your discovery response. For details about state reports, see Understand State and Change Reporting.

StateReport response example

{
  "event": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa",
      "name": "StateReport",
      "messageId": "Unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID",
      "correlationToken": "Opaque correlation token that matches the request",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "OAuth2.0 bearer token"
      },
      "endpointId": "Endpoint ID"
    },
    "payload": {}
  },
  "context": {
    "properties": [
      {
        "namespace": "Alexa.PowerController",
        "name": "powerState",
        "value": "OFF",
        "timeOfSample": "2017-02-03T16:20:50.52Z",
        "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
      }
    ]
  }
}

Change reporting

You send a ChangeReport event to report changes proactively in the state of an endpoint. You identify the properties that you proactively report in your discovery response. For details about change reports, see Understand State and Change Reporting.

ChangeReport event example

{  
  "event": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa",
      "name": "ChangeReport",
      "messageId": "Unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "OAuth2.0 bearer token"
      },
      "endpointId": "Endpoint ID"
    },
    "payload": {
      "change": {
        "cause": {
          "type": "PHYSICAL_INTERACTION"
        },
        "properties": [
          {
            "namespace": "Alexa.PowerController",
            "name": "powerState",
            "value": "ON",
            "timeOfSample": "2024-05-01T09:32:05.05Z",
            "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  },
  "context": {
    "namespace": "Alexa.EndpointHealth",
    "name": "connectivity",
    "value": {
      "value": "OK"
    },
    "timeOfSample": "2024-05-01T09:31:00.00Z",
    "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
  }
}

Require user verification

When a user attempts to turn on or turn off a device, you can optionally require the user to verify the action before Alexa performs it. To require user verification, specify which directives you require verification for in your Discover.Response. For details, see verificationsRequired object and example for a thermostat that requires user verification. The following example shows a sample conversation when you require user verification:

English (All)
Japanese

Get Started

Connect Your Device to Alexa

Certify Your Device

Developer Reference

Utterances

Reportable properties

Discovery

Discover response example

Directives

TurnOn directive

TurnOn directive example

TurnOn directive payload

TurnOn response

TurnOn directive error handling

TurnOff directive

TurnOff directive example

TurnOff directive payload

TurnOff response

TurnOff directive error handling

State reporting

StateReport response example

Change reporting

ChangeReport event example

Require user verification

​Utterances

​Reportable properties

​Discovery

​Discover response example

​Directives

​TurnOn directive

​TurnOn directive example

​TurnOn directive payload

​TurnOn response

​TurnOn directive error handling

​TurnOff directive

​TurnOff directive example

​TurnOff directive payload

​TurnOff response

​TurnOff directive error handling

​State reporting

​StateReport response example

​Change reporting

​ChangeReport event example

​Require user verification

​Related topics

Utterances

Reportable properties

Discovery

Discover response example

Directives

TurnOn directive

TurnOn directive example

TurnOn directive payload

TurnOn response

TurnOn directive error handling

TurnOff directive

TurnOff directive example

TurnOff directive payload

TurnOff response

TurnOff directive error handling

State reporting

StateReport response example

Change reporting

ChangeReport event example

Require user verification

Related topics