Hey folks, I’m working on an Alexa Skill using Node.js and ASK-SDK v2. I’m trying to fetch character info from an Airtable database. The user asks for a character, and the skill should grab a quick description from Airtable.
Here’s the thing: during testing, even when I say a character name that should match, the skill keeps saying it can’t find ‘UNDEFINED’ in the database. It’s like it’s not connecting to Airtable at all.
I’ve double-checked my API key and AirtableGet key in the code. I expected to see an ‘IN AIRTABLE GET’ log entry in AWS Lambda, but it’s not there. The logs jump straight from ‘IN CHARACTER HANDLER’ to ‘END RequestID’.
I’ve posted my full Index.js code below (minus sensitive info). Can anyone spot what I’m doing wrong? I’m scratching my head here. Thanks!
Having worked with Alexa Skills and Airtable before, I can relate to your frustration. One thing that stands out to me is the ‘UNDEFINED’ error you’re seeing. This often indicates a problem with variable scoping or asynchronous operations.
I’d suggest wrapping your Airtable call in a try-catch block to capture any errors that might be occurring. Also, make sure you’re properly awaiting the Airtable response before trying to use the data.
Another thing to check is your Airtable base ID and table name. Sometimes these can be mistyped, causing silent failures.
Lastly, consider implementing a timeout for your Airtable request. If the API is slow to respond, it might be timing out before you get the data. You can use Promise.race() to implement this.
If none of these solve the issue, you might want to try using a different Airtable library or even consider caching your Airtable data to reduce API calls. Good luck with your skill development!
I’ve encountered similar issues when integrating Airtable with Alexa Skills. One common pitfall is asynchronous execution. Make sure you’re using async/await or properly chaining promises in your handler. Another potential issue could be permissions. Double-check that your Lambda function has the necessary IAM role to access external resources like Airtable. It might also be worth logging the entire error object rather than just a message. This could provide more detailed information about what’s going wrong. Lastly, consider using a tool like Postman to test your Airtable API calls independently of the Alexa Skill. This can help isolate whether the problem is with the Airtable integration or elsewhere in your skill logic. If these suggestions don’t help, you might want to share a sanitized version of your Airtable integration code for more specific debugging.
hey, i’ve dealt with this before. make sure ur airtable api key is set as an environment variable in lambda. also, check if ur using the right base ID and table name. sometimes airtable’s api can be slow, so try increasing the lambda timeout. if nothing works, maybe try using a different airtable library or caching the data locally. good luck!