AnyList Skill Update July 2024

On July 1, 2024, Amazon shut down the List Skill API, which allowed AnyList and other apps to sync directly with Alexa’s lists.

However, we’ve updated the AnyList skill, so you can continue to use Alexa to add items to AnyList, but you will need to use a slightly different command.

How do I use Alexa to add items to AnyList with the updated skill?

You do not need to re-install the AnyList skill, but you do need to change the way you issue commands to add items to your list.

Specifically, you need to begin your commands with the phrase “ask AnyList” or “tell AnyList”.

For example, “Alexa, ask AnyList to add apples to my grocery list”.

If you don’t say “ask AnyList” or “tell AnyList”, Alexa may respond that the item has been added, but the item will be in one of Alexa’s lists and will not appear in AnyList.

If the new command is not working for you, you can try following these steps to disable and re-enable the AnyList skill.

Note: There is currently an issue with Alexa recognizing the “ask AnyList” and “tell AnyList” commands outside of the United States. Learn More

How can I make it easier to use the updated skill?

We have a few recommendations to help ensure the best possible experience with our updated skill.

• First, you can set a default list for the AnyList skill. Then you can omit the list name when adding items to that list, e.g. “Alexa, ask AnyList to add apples.”

• If you’re currently using the “Alexa Shopping List” or “Alexa To-Do List” in AnyList, you can rename the lists to anything you’d like.

• We recommend removing Alexa’s copy of your AnyList lists from the Amazon Alexa app, as it will help prevent requests to add items with the old command from creating items that are only accessible in the Amazon Alexa app.

• We also recommend removing the items from Alexa’s Shopping List in the Amazon Alexa app. That way, any items that are accidentally added with the old command will be easy to locate.

• For at least the first few weeks after you begin using the new command to add items to AnyList, we recommend periodically checking your lists in the Amazon Alexa app, just in case any items were accidentally added to Alexa’s lists with the old command.

• Finally, when asking Alexa to add an item to AnyList, listen carefully to Alexa’s response. If the response does not begin with “AnyList added…”, then Alexa added the item to one of its lists instead and the item will not appear in AnyList. If this happens, you can try issuing the command again. We are continuing to work with Amazon to help ensure these requests are always sent to our skill, but if this happens to you frequently, please contact us.