# Alexa my question, how to get a response using alexa skills blueprints or 'on device activity' node?

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/alexa-my-question-how-to-get-a-response-using-alexa-skills-blueprints-or-on-device-activity-node/93932>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [16 December 2024 10:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/alexa-my-question-how-to-get-a-response-using-alexa-skills-blueprints-or-on-device-activity-node/93932 "2024-12-16T10:15:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![questuk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/questuk/32/4059_2.png) [@questuk](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/questuk)\
**Post date:** [16 December 2024 10:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/alexa-my-question-how-to-get-a-response-using-alexa-skills-blueprints-or-on-device-activity-node/93932/1 "2024-12-16T10:15:51Z")

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Hi,

I am using node-red-contrib-alexa-remote2-applestrudel, v5.0.50

I have searched online and found, this from 2020, but I cannot set an empty action on my phone.

> I set up a routine in the Alexa app without an action, (an empty routine if you will) and when I ask “What is the Freezer temperature” nothing happens in the app, but, I use the Alexa Event node to watch for “Freezer Temperature” in the JSON. I have a DHT11 monitoring the freezer’s temperature, I save it to a flow variable, then if the Alexa Event node sees “Freezer Temperature” she speaks back the flow variable (the temperature) using the “Alexa Routine” node.

In the past I have added my exact string under **routines** to my phone that I want Alexa to respond to, but I have most probably 25 that I have to laboriously type in.

Then Node-RED via the 'on device activity' node process's these successfully.

I would like an easier way of doing this ?

I have today noticed that Alexa has a **Skills blueprints** online, would this work and has anyone used them ?

The best way would be for Node-RED and the above node to work, but I can't see how to get this working ?

Any ideas, Thanks

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**Author:** ![E1cid](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/e1cid/32/77971_2.png) [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)\
**Post date:** [16 December 2024 14:46 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/alexa-my-question-how-to-get-a-response-using-alexa-skills-blueprints-or-on-device-activity-node/93932/2 "2024-12-16T14:46:54Z")

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Sadly device activity is very flakey.

You can use a virtual device such as [node-red-contrib-virtual-smart-home (node) - Node-RED](https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red-contrib-virtual-smart-home) or [node-red-contrib-amazon-echo (node) - Node-RED](https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red-contrib-amazon-echo)

You can set up routines that will fire a virtual device, you can use one device for hundreds of routines. By setting brightness in the routine, you can pick up the brightness in node-red to tell which routine has be actioned.

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**Author:** ![E1cid](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/e1cid/32/77971_2.png) [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)\
**Post date:** [10 January 2025 16:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/alexa-my-question-how-to-get-a-response-using-alexa-skills-blueprints-or-on-device-activity-node/93932/3 "2025-01-10T16:42:08Z")

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Just spotted this node may be worth a look

> **[node-red-contrib-dulonode](https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red-contrib-dulonode)**
>
> DuloNode - Alexa on Node-RED made easy.

[https://www.dulonode.com/docs/getting-started/](https://www.dulonode.com/docs/getting-started/)

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**Author:** ![Sean-McG](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/sean-mcg/32/54677_2.png) [@Sean-McG](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Sean-McG)\
**Post date:** [13 January 2025 10:11 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/alexa-my-question-how-to-get-a-response-using-alexa-skills-blueprints-or-on-device-activity-node/93932/4 "2025-01-13T10:11:07Z")

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> [@E1cid](#):
>
> Just spotted this node may be worth a look

I had a quick look at this, see [Pure fun with Alexa and Alexa Skills - #155 by smcgann99](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/pure-fun-with-alexa-and-alexa-skills/46867/155)

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [13 April 2025 10:11 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/alexa-my-question-how-to-get-a-response-using-alexa-skills-blueprints-or-on-device-activity-node/93932/5 "2025-04-13T10:11:25Z")

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