Announcing Actions Builder & Actions SDK: New tools optimized for the Google Assistant

Google has introduced two new tools, Actions Builder and Actions SDK, to simplify and enhance the development of custom voice apps for Google Assistant. Actions Builder is a web-based IDE that provides a graphical interface for visualizing conversational flows, managing Natural Language Understanding (NLU) training data, and debugging. The Actions SDK allows developers to work locally with a file-based representation of their projects, supporting code-based management and integration with source control tools. Both tools are designed to create a cohesive development experience, enabling developers to switch between them as needed. The new interaction model features intents and scenes to efficiently design conversational contexts, while a smarter and faster runtime engine improves user experience. Companies like Pretzel Labs and Galinha Pintadinha have successfully tested these new tools, reporting streamlined workflows and enhanced user interactions. Developer resources, including documentation and codelabs, are available to help new users get started with these tools.