Smart speaker output via webhooks

Wouter van den Bijgaart

Dec '24 • Questions

Hi!

Amazon Dot, Google Home... I've tried and had to stop every time.

Something that I thought was rather simple turned out to be much more complicated than expected.

I want a random audio file to play whenever something specific happens in our Salesforce system. For example:

A "Tada" sound when a deal is won.

An alarm sound when a user runs into a system error.

Before 2022, this could easily be achieved using platforms like IFTTT, Make.com, or Zapier, which allowed external triggers (like Salesforce) to play audio on devices such as Amazon Echo or Google Home. Unfortunately, support for this kind of integration was discontinued or became extremely limited.

Here’s where I ran into issues so far:

1. Amazon Echo Dot: It doesn’t allow triggering custom audio files via third-party platforms anymore. You’re limited to preset Alexa routines, which can’t handle dynamic or custom audio files.

2. Google Home: Similar problem—no native support for playing custom audio files triggered by external events like webhooks. The deprecation of some Google Assistant functionalities has made it even harder.

3. Home Assistant: While this seems like a potential solution, it requires more than just software. I’d need to set up a Raspberry Pi, install Home Assistant OS, configure webhooks, and manage connected devices. This involves hardware I’ve never used and technical steps that feel overwhelming if you’re not a developer.

My question:

Is there currently any device or setup that can play random, customizable audio files when triggered by an external event, like a webhook or automation tool?

I’m looking for a solution that:

Is relatively easy to set up (preferably no coding or advanced configuration like Home Assistant).

Can integrate with systems like Salesforce via tools like Zapier or Make.com.

Can reliably play custom audio files, not just preset sounds.

Have any of you successfully implemented a similar setup? Any advice, tools, or step-by-step resources would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

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