# 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:** 1\
**Showing post:** 11

<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")

</div>

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 🙂

---

_[View the full topic](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/format-for-alexa-applestrudel-custom-text-command/59382)._