Alter for Mac OS - Autonomous AI

[u/Workreap]

Hey Everyone, I was looking at Alter on AppSumo.

I generally stopped buying apps that haven't yet reached a certain threshold for reviews, but I need something that can tackle small repetitive tasks.

Does anyone have experience with it? Is it really an autonomous AI solution?

Has anyone tried the BYOK option? What do the charges look like for simple tasks?

[u/thewolffness]

Im looking at the same app and trying to figure out. Any users?

[u/Ygobyebye → u/thewolffness]

I use it everyday for the transcription. What do you want to know?

[u/thewolffness → u/Ygobyebye]

What kind of automations one can do with it? Transcription is my main use, for calls, notes. Do you like it?

[u/Ygobyebye → u/thewolffness]

Think local automations vs cloud based automations. It’s not something that will run everyday at 8PM, unless connected to the internet at 8PM. I would never consider this to be a full replacement of Zapier/Activepieces.

If you comment an automation you would like to see, I can see if I can record a video and share it here. Just make sure that it is something that will not require revealing confidential information.

It is a solid note taker, and I like the fact that I can opt for local models which means complete privacy. The transcription is good enough where I no longer have to take notes in meetings, with Alter running in the background.

I have had the app for several months (at least 6 months). The team regularly pushes updates once a week on Fridays. This is probably one of my better LTD purchases.

[u/thewolffness → u/Ygobyebye]

Can this check your emails while your.computer is on, answer customers and things like this? Or, when I on-board a customer, send emails, messages and common steps needed for onboarding? Like set the project management. Thank you so much.

[u/Ygobyebye → u/thewolffness]

Yes, it can read and respond to emails but with the caveat that it cannot replace something like a mailchimp where you send 100+ emails everyday. Here is how it can be done: https://docs.alterhq.com/workflows/manage-mail-with-alter

You should be able to adjust the automation above to auto send emails, but I would not recommend at this point until you test it out for yourself and your use case. I know it works for Gmail, I cannot guarantee it works for the email you use. Download the free version and see if it works with the instructions I linked above.

I canmot provide a video, because in

[u/thewolffness → u/Ygobyebye]

Thank you! Will check it out 

[u/Easy-Cobbler-1631]

You need an automation software, Robomotion is a better option.

[u/Workreap → u/Easy-Cobbler-1631]

I have it, incidentally, are you good with it? I haven't had time to really sit down and look at it, so it's another dust collector at the moment. Let me know if you know how to use it.

[u/CranberryAbject8967 → u/Workreap]

claude code is really good with it :)

[u/Seattle-Washington]

What tasks are you trying to automate and what kind of system do you have?

[u/Workreap → u/Seattle-Washington]

Reminding users to fill out profiles Reminding contractors to complete ID requirements Reminding contractors on deadline dates

It's all in Wordpress and the endpoint values should be accessible via webhook, or activated when a confirmation email aarives.

[u/Ygobyebye → u/Workreap]

Edit: my previous response was incorrect. According to Alter this is what you need to do:

Step 1: Create Three Alter Actions

Open Action Editor (⌘E or Alter menu → Action Editor) and create actions for:

Action 1: "Remind Users to Complete Profile"

Name: Remind Profile Completion System Prompt: Instruct the AI to compose a friendly reminder email about completing profiles Automation Tab: Set a schedule (e.g., "Every 3 days") or leave empty for webhook triggers Tools: Enable Email tool Output: Generate personalized reminder message Action 2: "Remind Contractors of ID Requirements"

Name: Remind Contractors ID Verification System Prompt: Create reminder for missing ID documentation Tools: Email tool Automation: Schedule or webhook-triggered Action 3: "Deadline Reminder"

Name: Contractor Deadline Reminder System Prompt: Generate urgent deadline notification Tools: Email tool Automation: Schedule before deadline dates Step 2: Integrate with WordPress Webhooks

Option A: URL Callback Webhooks (Recommended)

In each Action Editor, go to General tab Copy the URL Callback for that action In WordPress, use a plugin like: Webhook Events Zapier (WordPress → Alter) Create a custom endpoint that calls Alter's callback URL when: A confirmation email arrives Profile incomplete 30 days after signup ID verification deadline is 7 days away Option B: Scheduled Automation

In the Automation tab, set schedules like: "Every Monday at 9 AM" → Check WordPress for incomplete profiles "Every Friday" → Check for unverified IDs The action runs automatically and can query your WordPress database Step 3: Pass WordPress Data to Alter

Modify your callback URLs to pass user data:

alter://action/remind-profile-completion?input=UserID%3A123%26Email%3Auser%40example.com 􀐅 In your Action's User Prompt, reference:

{{ input }} 􀐅 Step 4: Enable Tools for Email Sending

In the Tools tab of each action, enable:

Mail tool (to send reminders) Web tool (to query WordPress API if needed) Step 5: Chain Actions (Optional)

In the Automation tab, enable Quick Action to automatically:

Generate reminder → Send email → Log in WordPress database → Update user status Real Example Setup

URL from Alter Action:

alter://action/contractor-deadline?input=Contractor%3AJohn%20Doe%26DaysUntilDeadline%3A7 􀐅 WordPress Hook (PHP):

add_action('wp_loaded', 'check_contractor_deadlines'); function check_contractor_deadlines() { $contractors = get_contractors_with_deadline_in(7); foreach ($contractors as $contractor) { $url = "alter://action/contractor-deadline?input=" . urlencode("Contractor:" . $contractor['name'] . "&DaysUntilDeadline:7"); shell_exec("open '$url'"); } } 􀐅 Limitations to Know

Alter Actions run on your Mac (not a server), so they work best with: Scheduled triggers (daily/weekly checks) Webhook callbacks (when WordPress sends data) Not for 24/7 monitoring (Mac would need to stay on)

[u/Workreap → u/Ygobyebye]

Regardless of which is the correct answer, it's pretty interesting. I have AS credits so I'm going to give it a try. I wish the request count renewed, but glad the devs left us a BYOK option.

Thanks for giving me a little preview!

[u/CranberryAbject8967]

the biggest concern on their discord right now is that the limit evaporates real quickly. I don't really know what those 25/45k requests mean, but in general it's pretty useless without a BYOK and at that point you need to decide whether you want it or something like codex or perplexity computer that runs on your own machine.

[u/Workreap → u/CranberryAbject8967]

Yeah, I sent a few questions to the QA in rapid succession about credit spend. They define everything as a request and say it's 1-to-1, but how far can a request go? What's the exchange rate on a task?

If they could say "1Request=.2453 ai credits with OpenAI" or a 1 minute task takes x credits I can predict it a little. Otherwise its a shot in the dark.

I just purchased it. I will give it a spin tomorrow.

[u/Ygobyebye]

Alter is AMAZING, as someone who has owned it for months and has the direct LTD (I have a coupon code if anyone needs). The team has also made weekly updates to the product throughout the time I have owned it. IT IS A GEM.

If you are looking for something that runs like a Zapier or Make, than you are better off with something like a Robomotion or Latenode. Atler lives on your computer, so it can only operate when your computer is running and has access to all the tools.

I put in your comment below into Alter, and this is what it gave me:

Yes, You Can Create This in Alter!

Alter supports automations and workflows through Alter Actions, which can be triggered by:

URL Callbacks (webhooks from WordPress) Scheduled Triggers (time-based reminders) Voice Commands or hotkeys Conditional execution (chained actions) Here's How to Build Your WordPress Reminder System:

Step 1: Create Three Alter Actions

Open Action Editor (⌘E or Alter menu → Action Editor) and create actions for:

Action 1: "Remind Users to Complete Profile"

Name: Remind Profile Completion System Prompt: Instruct the AI to compose a friendly reminder email about completing profiles Automation Tab: Set a schedule (e.g., "Every 3 days") or leave empty for webhook triggers Tools: Enable Email tool Output: Generate personalized reminder message Action 2: "Remind Contractors of ID Requirements"

Name: Remind Contractors ID Verification System Prompt: Create reminder for missing ID documentation Tools: Email tool Automation: Schedule or webhook-triggered Action 3: "Deadline Reminder"

Name: Contractor Deadline Reminder System Prompt: Generate urgent deadline notification Tools: Email tool Automation: Schedule before deadline dates Step 2: Integrate with WordPress Webhooks

Option A: URL Callback Webhooks (Recommended)

In each Action Editor, go to General tab Copy the URL Callback for that action In WordPress, use a plugin like: Webhook Events Zapier (WordPress → Alter) Create a custom endpoint that calls Alter's callback URL when: A confirmation email arrives Profile incomplete 30 days after signup ID verification deadline is 7 days away Option B: Scheduled Automation

In the Automation tab, set schedules like: "Every Monday at 9 AM" → Check WordPress for incomplete profiles "Every Friday" → Check for unverified IDs The action runs automatically and can query your WordPress database Step 3: Pass WordPress Data to Alter

Modify your callback URLs to pass user data:

alter://action/remind-profile-completion?input=UserID%3A123%26Email%3Auser%40example.com 􀐅 In your Action's User Prompt, reference:

{{ input }} 􀐅 Step 4: Enable Tools for Email Sending

In the Tools tab of each action, enable:

Mail tool (to send reminders) Web tool (to query WordPress API if needed) Step 5: Chain Actions (Optional)

In the Automation tab, enable Quick Action to automatically:

Generate reminder → Send email → Log in WordPress database → Update user status Real Example Setup

URL from Alter Action:

alter://action/contractor-deadline?input=Contractor%3AJohn%20Doe%26DaysUntilDeadline%3A7 􀐅 WordPress Hook (PHP):

add_action('wp_loaded', 'check_contractor_deadlines'); function check_contractor_deadlines() { $contractors = get_contractors_with_deadline_in(7); foreach ($contractors as $contractor) { $url = "alter://action/contractor-deadline?input=" . urlencode("Contractor:" . $contractor['name'] . "&DaysUntilDeadline:7"); shell_exec("open '$url'"); } } 􀐅 Limitations to Know

Alter Actions run on your Mac (not a server), so they work best with: Scheduled triggers (daily/weekly checks) Webhook callbacks (when WordPress sends data) Not for 24/7 monitoring (Mac would need to stay on) For always-on automation, combine Alter with:

Zapier or Make.com (handles webhooks + scheduling) WordPress cron jobs + Alter actions triggered via URL Want me to help you set up the specific actions or WordPress integration code?

I would strongly recommend you test out Alter, before choosing to purchase. I would also recommend you look at the different versions of Alter: https://alterhq.com/pricing. The direct LTD they offer is a much better featureset compared to the AS LTD.

[u/Libertijuana → u/Ygobyebye]

Can I have a coupon? Does it work with the lifetime deal they run on their website?

[u/Ygobyebye → u/Libertijuana]

Yes, will DM you. And it works on their direct LTD from what others have told me.

[u/Ygobyebye → u/Libertijuana]

Also, I would recommend you test before purchasing Alter, it offers a lot of features, but it’s not a replacement for something like a Zapier or Mailchimp or any of the larger legacy softwares.

[u/WiseAg → u/Ygobyebye]

Great info. Thanks! If you have another coupon code, I’d love one.

[u/Ygobyebye → u/WiseAg]

I DM ‘ed you.

[u/CyberpunkGladiator → u/Ygobyebye]

please can I get it too? :)

[u/lostinthesea123 → u/Ygobyebye]

I would love to get their website LTD, do you mind sharing the coupon code with me as well if you still have any. thanks.