Skype Accessories enhance the Skype experience for Skype users. They can be software applications or hardware products, but they’re all created by developers who use the Skype Desktop API, a text-based protocol, to interact with Skype software.
Ready to start developing with the Skype Desktop API? You’ll find everything you need to get started below.
Development Resources
The Skype Desktop API has a number of associated resources—libraries, tools, graphic assets, and a complete API reference:
If you’re developing applications or devices that send real-time streaming video over the Internet, you can view—and preview—that video in Skype using the Skype Transport Stream Format and Skype Extension Unit (XU). These specifications enable you to add video calling capabilities to your applications or create real-time streaming video devices, such as webcams that connect directly to the Internet, to send your data to any Skype user. To learn more, visit the Skype Encoding Camera Specification page.
Tracer is a Windows (.exe) console-based application that enables you to issue Skype Desktop API commands to a running Skype client.
Skype4COM is an ActiveX component that represents the Skype API as objects, with properties, commands, events and notifications. You can use Skype4COM in any ActiveX environment.
The Reference Manual contains Desktop API protocol description and IPC transport methods for communication between Desktop API based client applications and Skype desktop clients.
Certification
If you’re distributing hardware that uses the Skype Desktop API, you might choose to submit your product to Skype for quality testing. To learn more, visit the certification pages.
Documentation
The Reference Manual contains Desktop API protocol description and IPC transport methods for communication between Desktop API based client applications and Skype desktop clients.
Legal
All of the resources referenced on this page here are subject to the Skype API Terms and conditions.
By starting any download, you acknowledge that you have read and accepted these terms.
Need help?
You can ask questions and share tips about the Desktop API in the Desktop API support forum. If you'd like to post a question, you'll need to register your Skype name with Skype Developer, and join the Desktop API for Software program or Desktop API for Hardware program. There is no cost to join.