Kick Start Google Assistant Actions in just 20 minutes without Coding
Hey! Are you looking for something amazing and not at all time consuming ? Are you a beginner and don’t know how to code, then this is for you …This is a Complete Beginners Guide for making your own Google Assistant Action. You just need to follow the steps mentioned below:
1. Create a Project
Firstly, Click this link and open the Action Console by clicking on the button present on the top right corner.
Now, click on New Project and think of a name for your project and then after entering that, click on import project/create project. Also, Remember! Your Action’s display name should not be too generic. They do not allow names that use or are too similar to common words, phrases, categories, or features of the Google Assistant. You can read the guidelines for naming from here.
Now, we have to select a template for our project. There are different Templates available, you can choose any one of them, but here we are going to choose Flashcards.
Kudos 👏 We have created our first project !
2. Build an Action
Okay! Now we just need to fill in the content in a google sheet. A Template google sheet for Flashcards is given click on that.
Open the flashcard template and then click on make a copy. In that copy delete the sample content and fill your own, for your quiz. Update the Questions & Answers tab of your sheet copy with your own questions, answers, and hints. Try adding fun follow-ups that give users extra facts about the answer for making it more interactive. Both hints and follow-ups are optional.
Don’t forget to change your quiz title and settings in the configuration tab. You have to specify a Question Title and Answer Title, which describe the subject of your questions and answers to the user, the number of questions you want to ask from the user.
Woohoo! we have filled in the content for the quiz successfully. 🤩 Now we need to copy the link of this google sheet and change the settings to anyone with the link can see. Now paste it under the upload content tab and then click on upload.
3. Test the Action
Now go to stimulator and test your app/action. It’s fun to test your app. If you want to change your Action’s content, first make the changes you need to your Google Sheet. Then, go to Build and then Actions and re-upload your updated sheet.
4. Set an Invocation Name
For this Go to the Overview page for your project in the Actions Console. Under Quick setup, click Decide how your Action is invoked. Set the Display Name and Google Assistant voice and click Save. This name is shown to users in the Assistant Directory. Pick which voice you would like your Action to use.
6. Deploy your Actions
Okay! we have completed more than 50% of the process. Before publishing your Action, you need to provide information about your Action. This information shows up on your Assistant directory page. Go to the Overview page and then click on the “Enter information required for the Actions Directory”. Then enter the following:
I have also provided the links for the documentation of actions present on the official website. Kindly check them or comment below in case of any confusion.
◾ Description: Your Short and full descriptions should contain a brief summary of what the Action can do and its features.
◾ Icon and banner images: These images reflect your purpose and differentiate your Action from other ones.
◾ Contact Details: Contact details should be publicly available on your Action’s Assistant directory page so that users can contact you directly about issues and feedback.
◾ Privacy and consent: A privacy policy is required for publishing your Action but Terms Of Conditions is not necessary. For Privacy policy, you just need to click on learn more then a sample privacy policy opens up. Go to File>Make a Copy. In that copy firstly delete the unnecessary content. Then change ${APP NAME} and ${DEVELOPER NAME} to your app’s name and your name. After doing that click on SHARE and then change the settings to visible to anyone with the link and then copy the link and then paste it under the Privacy and consent section.
◾ Additional invocation phrases: By default, an invocation is automatically generated for your Action but you should add Additional sample invocations so that they are displayed to users on your Action’s directory page.
◾ Additional information : Fill in the Additional information according to your Google Action.
After adding all the information you’re ready to release your Action. 🎉 The changes you have made will be reflected in the preview of your Actions in the Action’s Directory.
6. Release your Action
Go to Overview > Release and then in Production, click on Create Release and at last, submit for review.
Thanks for reading my first post on Medium. Hope you like it. You can also check out my first Google Assistant Action i.e, Astro Fun. It is a Fun Quiz of Planets.
