# Format for Alexa Applestrudel Custom Text Command?

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/format-for-alexa-applestrudel-custom-text-command/59382>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [4 March 2022 20:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/format-for-alexa-applestrudel-custom-text-command/59382 "2022-03-04T20:43:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 13\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jmorris644](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/jmorris644/32/31964_2.png) [@jmorris644](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jmorris644)\
**Post date:** [4 March 2022 20:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/format-for-alexa-applestrudel-custom-text-command/59382/1 "2022-03-04T20:43:30Z")

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I am at a loss to figure out the JSON format for the Alexa Applestrudel node for a text command. I have it working for "speak" but just can't get it right for "text command".

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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:** [4 March 2022 21:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/format-for-alexa-applestrudel-custom-text-command/59382/2 "2022-03-04T21:47:30Z")

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I do not think one is defined for custom setting.

You can feed in a string msg properties for command and device, if set for textcommand  
e.g.

```auto
[{"id":"cd9b8bf8.ead0c8","type":"alexa-remote-routine","z":"bf9e1e33.030598","name":"","account":"c8738129.d902c","routineNode":{"type":"textCommand","payload":{"text":{"type":"msg","value":"payload"},"devices":{"type":"msg","value":"topic"}}},"x":400,"y":140,"wires":[["c9c82a4a.804d18"]]},{"id":"c9c82a4a.804d18","type":"debug","z":"bf9e1e33.030598","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":600,"y":140,"wires":[]},{"id":"55ff61e8.c4ce78","type":"inject","z":"bf9e1e33.030598","name":"","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"Lounge","payload":"turn lounge 1 to 5 percent","payloadType":"str","x":120,"y":140,"wires":[["cd9b8bf8.ead0c8"]]},{"id":"c8738129.d902c","type":"alexa-remote-account","name":"alexa remote 2","authMethod":"proxy","proxyOwnIp":"localhost","proxyPort":"3456","cookieFile":"","refreshInterval":"14","alexaServiceHost":"layla.amazon.co.uk","amazonPage":"amazon.co.uk","acceptLanguage":"en-GB","userAgent":"","useWsMqtt":"on","autoInit":"off"}]

```

Enter your command and device in the inject node.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jmorris644](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/jmorris644/32/31964_2.png) [@jmorris644](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jmorris644)\
**Post date:** [4 March 2022 21:55 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/format-for-alexa-applestrudel-custom-text-command/59382/3 "2022-03-04T21:55:23Z")

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Ah, thanks. I was not aware that if you changed the view of the devices it changed the type of input as well.

Thanks

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**Author:** ![cymplecy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/cymplecy/32/2773_2.png) [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)\
**Post date:** [5 March 2022 00:20 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/format-for-alexa-applestrudel-custom-text-command/59382/4 "2022-03-05T00:20:11Z")

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What is a "text command"?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [5 March 2022 01:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/format-for-alexa-applestrudel-custom-text-command/59382/5 "2022-03-05T01:04:17Z")

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In the routine node you can send a text command, anything you would say to alexa e.g "turn on lounge light" , "what is the weather", etc.

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**Author:** ![cymplecy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/cymplecy/32/2773_2.png) [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)\
**Post date:** [5 March 2022 09:59 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/format-for-alexa-applestrudel-custom-text-command/59382/6 "2022-03-05T09:59:58Z")

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I don't believe that I'm just finding out about this now!!! 🙂

Has it been a facility for a long time?

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**Author:** ![krambriw](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/krambriw/32/5429_2.png) [@krambriw](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/krambriw)\
**Post date:** [5 March 2022 11:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/format-for-alexa-applestrudel-custom-text-command/59382/7 "2022-03-05T11:32:49Z")

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On Github, I think since some 3 years. Up to version 5 now, started at 1

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [5 March 2022 13:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/format-for-alexa-applestrudel-custom-text-command/59382/8 "2022-03-05T13:48:23Z")

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> [@cymplecy](#):
>
> Has it been a facility for a long time?

The feature was added to the remote2 plain.sh in december 2020

> 2020-12-12: v0.17 added textcommand which lets you send anything via CLI you would otherwise say to Alexa

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cymplecy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/cymplecy/32/2773_2.png) [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)\
**Post date:** [5 March 2022 13:49 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/format-for-alexa-applestrudel-custom-text-command/59382/9 "2022-03-05T13:49:42Z")

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Only missed it for a year then 🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jmorris644](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/jmorris644/32/31964_2.png) [@jmorris644](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jmorris644)\
**Post date:** [5 March 2022 14:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/format-for-alexa-applestrudel-custom-text-command/59382/10 "2022-03-05T14:44:13Z")

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I thought it might be of interest to share what I am using this capability for.

I have automated my house via Alexa using these nodes. But it bothers me to have my home automation commands going out to the cloud and back.

So I have recently installed Rhasspy on a Pi and my home ubuntu server and am now using that for all of the home automation commands. Working fairly well so far.

What I am using the text command for is to send any verbal request given Rhasspy that Rhasspy does not understand as a home automation command to Alexa via the text command. Then I route the Alexa response back through Rhasspy to the originating Rhasspy satellite. It is a little delayed but works so far. I will continue with some tweaks to make it flawless.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cymplecy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/cymplecy/32/2773_2.png) [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)\
**Post date:** [5 March 2022 15:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/format-for-alexa-applestrudel-custom-text-command/59382/11 "2022-03-05T15:03:01Z")

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At the moment, I am using an old Pi to convert text to speech and I've wired the output of it to headphones and glued headphone earpiece next to mic input on a cheap Alexa Flex

All works well

But when I saw about this text command - I thought - I'll be able to send my desired command direct to the Flex 🙂

But (as with everything to do with this sort of thing) it doesn't work for the thing I want it work for

i.e  
If I say tell my pi to say "Alexa, ask cheerlights to change to colour red" - my pi speaks this into my Flex and the flex responds correctly

But if I send the text command "ask cheerlights to change to colour red" - I'm getting "cheerlights isn't responding"

So it's failed straight out of the box for me ☹

I'll stick with my "acoustic coupler" method for now 🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jmorris644](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/jmorris644/32/31964_2.png) [@jmorris644](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jmorris644)\
**Post date:** [5 March 2022 15:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/format-for-alexa-applestrudel-custom-text-command/59382/12 "2022-03-05T15:41:41Z")

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Did you to the init for applestrudel where you had to enter your Amazon userid and password?

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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:** [4 May 2022 15:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/format-for-alexa-applestrudel-custom-text-command/59382/13 "2022-05-04T15:42:17Z")

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