# Useful Skill for Alexa custom notifications
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444
**Category:** Hardware
**Created:** [31 January 2019 18:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444 "2019-01-31T18:33:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ghayne](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ghayne)
#### Post date: [31 January 2019 18:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444/1 "2019-01-31T18:33:20Z")
This Alexa skill looks to be useful for sending custom notifications from node red to Alexa:
> **[Notify Me - Thomptronics](http://www.thomptronics.com/notify-me)**
>
> Creators of clever Amazon Echo skills
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### Author:  [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)
#### Post date: [1 February 2019 12:20 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444/2 "2019-02-01T12:20:04Z")
Works like a charm. I activated the skill and then I used a simple Inject-\>HTTP Request-\>Debug. I put the entire message into the URL and boom, Alexa signaled I had a notification and when I said “Alexa read notifications” she did.
If I get some time, I may try to write a node to do this where the msg.payload would be what you want Alexa to say and you would put your access key into the node….
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### Author:  [@ghayne](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ghayne)
#### Post date: [1 February 2019 16:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444/3 "2019-02-01T16:58:02Z")
Yes, I tried it using the same method. A dedicated node would be wonderful!
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### Author:  [@ghayne](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ghayne)
#### Post date: [1 February 2019 17:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444/4 "2019-02-01T17:04:39Z")
Actually a simple change node works well too:
In this flow a Global variable holds the Access Code:
```auto
[{"id":"b1d912d3.a5ab6","type":"change","z":"af023adf.df3548","name":"","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"url","pt":"msg","to":"\"https://api.notifymyecho.com/v1/NotifyMe?notification=\"&payload&\"&accessCode=\"&$globalContext(\"AccessCode\")\t","tot":"jsonata"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":330,"y":140,"wires":[["fcef3932.be8e38"]]}]
```
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### Author:  [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)
#### Post date: [1 February 2019 17:11 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444/5 "2019-02-01T17:11:52Z")
@ghayne Brilliant!! no need for a dedicated node!
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### Author:  [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)
#### Post date: [1 February 2019 17:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444/6 "2019-02-01T17:14:46Z")
However...this exposes your access code to anyone if you export tthe flow and send it to them...A dedicated node might still be best, what do you think?
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### Author:  [@ghayne](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ghayne)
#### Post date: [1 February 2019 17:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444/7 "2019-02-01T17:30:49Z")
Is my Access Code in the flow I shared?
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### Author:  [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)
#### Post date: [1 February 2019 17:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444/8 "2019-02-01T17:33:10Z")
No, I was just thinking about the possibility of forgetting (not that that is someting I ever do...umm at least I don't remember doing it) to remove the change node that stores it.
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### Author:  [@ghayne](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ghayne)
#### Post date: [1 February 2019 17:35 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444/9 "2019-02-01T17:35:20Z")
In that case yes, a dedicated node would be better for sharing flows 🙂
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### Author:  [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)
#### Post date: [1 February 2019 17:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444/10 "2019-02-01T17:41:38Z")
I’ve not diug into it but this node may be useful [https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red-contrib-credentials](https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red-contrib-credentials)
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### Author:  [@ghayne](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ghayne)
#### Post date: [1 February 2019 17:46 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444/11 "2019-02-01T17:46:36Z")
Looks interesting @dceejay , but on reflection credentials stored in a Global variable are also safe from being exported, or am I wrong?
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### Author:  [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)
#### Post date: [1 February 2019 17:49 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444/12 "2019-02-01T17:49:01Z")
Yes as long as you don’t export the node that sets it in the first place
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### Author:  [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)
#### Post date: [1 February 2019 18:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444/13 "2019-02-01T18:25:37Z")
Well using`node-red-contrib-credentials` the access Code is not exported when you export that node, but it is visible in the editor (original site) when you open the node or if you use the `Context Data` tab in the sidebar.
It is not like a password where once you enter it, it is not displayed anymore.
How do people feel about the Access Code being visable to anyone who uses the editor and looks at the nodes or Contex Data?
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### Author:  [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)
#### Post date: [1 February 2019 18:45 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444/14 "2019-02-01T18:45:02Z")
Not good. Apologies for diverting the thread.
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### Author:  [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)
#### Post date: [3 February 2019 11:35 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444/15 "2019-02-03T11:35:27Z")
Ok I give up. I'm not a coder - I'm a debugger (did tech support for many many years).
I struggled thru the online classes quite awhile ago and have forgotten everything since and after three hours of trying to remember things I'm done. I've sent a PM to one of the other members of the forum asking if they could whip it up.
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### Author:  [@BartButenaers](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/BartButenaers)
#### Post date: [5 February 2019 16:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444/16 "2019-02-05T16:31:33Z")
Hey guys (@ghayne, @zenofmud, @dceejay),
I have just published version **1.0.0** of [node-red-contrib-alexa-notifyme](https://github.com/bartbutenaers/node-red-contrib-alexa-notifyme). This node is a great mix of the following ingredients, which you can only find on a great open-source community like Node-RED:
- A great idea from Garry
- A basic node skeleton from '_one of the other members of the forum_ '
- A pull-request and lots of test efforts from Paul
That is all you need folks ...
And of course an Amazon device, otherwise you are screwed (just like me) 😉
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### Author:  [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)
#### Post date: [4 August 2022 21:27 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/useful-skill-for-alexa-custom-notifications/7444/18 "2022-08-04T21:27:50Z")