Alter Tool Manager: Complete User Guide

WHAT’S THE TOOL MANAGER?

The Tool Manager is your control center for all integrations in Alter. It’s a unified interface where you can enable, disable, and manage how Alter connects with over 2,000 third-party services, including local native apps like Apple Calendar, Apple Notes or Shortcuts.

Why Tools Matter

Without tools, Alter is a powerful AI assistant. With tools, it becomes an intelligent orchestrator of your entire digital life. Tools allow Alter to:

Access your real-time information (calendar events, emails, project updates)
Take actions on your behalf (send emails, create tasks, update projects)
Connect disparate applications that don’t normally talk to each other
Create sophisticated workflows without technical setup
Understand context from multiple sources simultaneously

The Core Philosophy

Alter follows a “user control first” philosophy:

You decide what tools to enable
You can disable any tool instantly
You can see exactly what each tool can and cannot do

Quick Reference: Common Queries

Goal	Query	Tools Used
Find a meeting time	”When can I meet with Sarah?”	Calendar
Draft an email	”Write a professional reply to…”	Email
Schedule & notify	”Create a meeting at 2pm and add it to my calendar”	Calendar + Email/Slack
Project status	”What’s the status on the Q4 roadmap?”	Linear/Jira
Team check-in	”What have people posted in #updates today?”	Slack
Combined workflow	”Check if anyone replied to my email about X and remind me to follow up”	Email + Reminders

Alter_Tools_Manager-Active_Tools

GETTING STARTED WITH TOOLS

A quick example

Accessing the Tool Manager

Open Alter
Open the 3-dots menu and look for the Tools Manager entry
You’ll see two main sections:
- Local Tools: Built-in Apple integrations (Calendar, Mail, Notes, Reminders, Contacts, etc.)
- Apps Gallery: Third-party tool catalog organized by category

The Tool Manager Organization

Local Tools Tab Shows all native Apple applications that are available for integration. These are categorized into:

Communication (Contacts, Mail, Messages)
Productivity & Organization (Notes, Reminders, Calendar, Keynote, Finder)
System & Automation (Alter, System Settings, Shortcuts, Script Editor)
Web & Navigation (Maps, Safari)

Alter_Local_Tools

Apps Gallery Tab An organized marketplace of thousands of third-party tools, categorized by use case and function:

Communication & Collaboration (100+ tools): Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, Zoom, Gmail, Outlook
Project Management (80+ tools): ClickUp, Asana, Todoist, Trello, Linear, Monday.com, Jira
Finance & Accounting (60+ tools): Stripe, QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, Wave
CRM & Sales (70+ tools): HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, ActiveCampaign
Ecommerce (50+ tools): Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Etsy
Marketing & Email (80+ tools): Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ConvertKit, HubSpot
AI & Automation (30+ tools): OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Hugging Face
And hundreds more across Document Management, Social Media, Scheduling, and Data tools

Each tool displays with:

Tool name
Brief description
Action to connect your account

Alter_Tools_Manager_Apps_Gallery

TOOL MANAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES

⚡ The Optimal Tool Count: 10-20 Tools Per Workflow

Research on AI performance reveals that 10-20 tools per workflow is the sweet spot for balancing power with accuracy and speed. Here’s why this matters:

Granular tool selection delivers 3x better accuracy compared to enabling all available tools
Response times are 70% faster with focused tool sets
Each tool introduces hidden complexity: when expanding from 4 focused tools to 51 tools, accuracy can drop from 43% to 2% on the same task
Start lean: Begin with 5-10 essential tools for each workflow, test your processes, then add more only when specific tasks require them
Disable unused tools: Tools you’re not actively using waste tokens and slow down AI reasoning

Practical Application: If you use Slack, Linear, Google Calendar, and Gmail daily, keep those 4 enabled. Add Stripe only when processing payments or Notion to their own custom actions. This keeps Alter focused, fast, and cost-efficient.

Using Local LLMs with Tools (Ollama, LM Studio)

If you’re running Alter with a local LLM via Ollama or LM Studio, be aware that tools significantly increase the size of the request payload sent to your local model. Each enabled tool adds context and instructions that must be processed, which can impact performance and response times.

Recommendations for Local Model Users:

Minimize active tools: Keep only the essential tools enabled that you actively need
Use Alter Actions strategically: Define specific Alter Actions with only the necessary tools for particular tasks, rather than relying on broad tool availability
Disable tools you’re not using: This directly reduces payload size and improves model responsiveness
Test performance: Monitor response times with different tool configurations to find the optimal balance for your hardware

Local models typically have more constrained resources than cloud-based alternatives, so limiting tool exposure directly translates to faster, more reliable performance.

Recommendations Local models:

OpenAI OSS 20B: Very versatile
Qwen Coder 30B: When doing complex orchestrations

Tools in Alter Actions

If you want to use multiple tools together, the best way to do so is to create bespoke Alter Actions based on the type of work you need to do. This allows you to specify exactly which tools are needed for that specific task, ensuring consistency, speed, and accuracy.

In the Alter Action editor, you’ll find the tool configuration in the Advanced section, where you can handpick which tools are available for that particular action.

Alter_Action_Editor_Advanced

Why Create Alter Actions by Work Type?

Task-specific tool selection: Only the tools you need are active for that type of work
Guaranteed consistency: The same tools are used every time for similar tasks
Better accuracy: The AI knows exactly which tools to use without confusion
Faster execution: No cognitive overhead from irrelevant tools
Reusable workflows: Once configured, the action works the same way every time

Example: Meeting Report Alter Action

For work like “Create meeting report,” you’d create an Alter Action with:

Tools: Google Calendar, Email, Meeting Recording
Purpose: Extract meeting details, participants, and action items, then draft a summary email

Another Example: Content Review Alter Action

For work like “Review content for publishing,” you’d create an Alter Action with:

Tools: Google Drive, Slack, Todoist
Purpose: Access the draft document, get team feedback from Slack, create review checklist

How to Set This Up:

Go to Action Editor (cmd+maj+E or Menu Bar: Action Editor)
Create a new action describing the type of work (e.g., “Client Email Campaign,” “Weekly Report,” “Project Status Update”)
Click the “Advanced” section in the action editor
In the “Tools” section, enable only the tools relevant to that type of work
Write your system prompt describing what you want to accomplish
Test with a real example of that work type

This approach keeps your tool ecosystem lean and focused while enabling powerful multi-tool workflows tailored to each type of work you do.

Principle 1: Enable What You Use, Disable What You Don’t

Why: Each enabled tool increases cognitive load on the AI system. More tools = slower responses and potential confusion.

Practice:

Enable only tools you’re actively using this month
Disable tools you don’t need right now
You can re-enable anytime (it’s not permanent)

Example: If you’re doing a sprint focused on client communication, keep Slack and Gmail enabled but disable Linear or Jira temporarily.

Principle 2: Strategic Grouping for Alter Actions

When you create a custom Alter Action, specify only the tools that action needs.

Good Alter Action Configuration:

Meeting Report Generator
Tools: Google Calendar, Email, Meeting Recording
(Ignore: Slack, Linear, Reminders)

Why: This tells the AI exactly what it needs. It won’t consider Slack or Linear, so it gets the task done faster and more accurately.

Principle 3: Tool Privacy & Security

Disconnect Unused Tools:

Quarterly review: Is this tool still needed?
Disable tools you haven’t used in 30 days
This reduces security surface area

Review Active Tools:

Use the “Active Tools” section in the Tool Manager to see all currently enabled tools
The button in the top right of the Active Tools panel allows you to enable or disable all tools at once
This is useful for quickly toggling your entire tool set on or off

For common workflows, enable related tools together:

Workflow: Daily Standup Tools: Calendar + Email + Linear + Slack (Everything you need to report status)

Workflow: Meeting Management Tools: Calendar + Email + Transcription + Reminders (Complete meeting lifecycle)

Workflow: Content Creation Tools: Google Drive + Gmail + Calendar + Notes (Collaborative document work)

AVAILABLE TOOLS & INTEGRATIONS

Core Apple Ecosystem (Always Available)

These tools are built-in and don’t require separate setup:

Communication

Contacts
Mail
Messages

Productivity & Organization

Notes
Reminders
Calendar
Keynote
Finder

System & Automation

Alter
System Settings
Shortcuts
Script Editor

Web & Navigation

Maps
Safari

Remote Tools Integration

Alter connects with 1,570 remote tools, providing access to 6,164 total actions across all services.

Most Integrated Tools (by action count):

ClickUp - 50 actions (project management)
Stripe - 45 actions (payments)
Todoist - 42 actions (task management)
OpenAI - 41 actions (AI services)
QuickBooks - 38 actions (accounting)
Shopify - 35 actions (ecommerce)
Slack - 34 actions (team chat)
Xero - 32 actions (accounting)
Trello - 30 actions (task boards)
HubSpot - 28 actions (CRM)

Major Categories of Remote Tools:

Communication & Collaboration:

Slack (34 actions), Zoom (17+ actions), Microsoft Teams, Discord, Telegram, WhatsApp, Twilio, Aircall, Freshdesk, Intercom, and more

Project & Task Management:

ClickUp (50 actions), Todoist (42 actions), Asana, Monday.com, Linear, Jira, Trello, Notion, and more

Finance & Accounting:

Stripe (45 actions), QuickBooks (38 actions), Xero (32 actions), PayPal, Square, FreshBooks, Wave, and more

CRM & Sales:

Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, ActiveCampaign, Freshsales, Zoho CRM, and more

Ecommerce:

Shopify (35 actions), WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, Etsy, and more

ENABLING & CONFIGURING TOOLS

Basic Workflow: Enabling a Tool from Apps Gallery

Alter_Apps_Gallery_Google_Gmail

Open Apps Gallery Tools Manager → Apps Gallery tab
Find Your Tool
- Browse by category (AI, Business Management, Communication, etc.)
- Or use the search bar at the top to find a specific tool
Review the Tool
- Click on the tool card to see more details
- Review what the tool does
Enable Access
- Click the “Enable” or “Connect” button on the tool card
- You may be redirected to log into that service
- Grant Alter the necessary permissions
Confirmation
- Return to Alter once authorization is complete
- Choose which tool you want to enable by clicking on the ”+” button

Using Local Tools

Alter_Local_Tools_Apple_Calendar

Local Tools (Apple apps) are simpler—they’re already integrated since they’re native to your Mac:

Access Local Tools Tool Manager → Local Tools tab
Enable as Needed
- Toggle on Calendar, Mail, Notes, Reminders, etc.
- No separate authorization needed—they use your existing Mac credentials
- Choose which tool you want to enable by clicking on the ”+” button
Start Using
- These are immediately available for your queries
- Ask natural questions like “What’s on my calendar?” or “Create a reminder”

Disabling & Reconnecting Tools

To Disable a Tool:

Open Tool Manager
Go into Active Tools
Find the tool
Click the ”-” to remove the tool
The tool is instantly disconnected

To Reconnect: Click the ”+” again. If the connection is still valid, it reconnects instantly.

Handling Expired Permissions / Reconnecting from offline

Alter_Tools_Manager-Active_Tools_Reconnect

Sometimes permissions expire (especially after tool updates or seasonal changes). If a tool stops working:

Open Tool Manager
Look for a warning icon or “Reconnect” button
Click to re-authorize
Follow the authorization flow

USING TOOLS IN NATURAL QUERIES

This is where the magic happens. Once tools are enabled, you can reference them naturally in your questions and requests.

Natural Language Examples

Single Tool:

“What’s in my calendar for tomorrow?”
“Draft an email to my team about the Q4 launch”
“Show me my last 5 emails from Sarah”

Multiple Tools Working Together:

“Create a reminder for tomorrow at 9am about the email from marketing” (Uses: Reminders + Email)
“Who’s in my 2pm meeting today and what did we discuss last time?” (Uses: Calendar + previous meeting notes/transcripts)
“Send a Slack message to the design team about the project status from Linear” (Uses: Slack + Linear)

Complex Workflows:

“Look at my calendar for this week, check Linear for blockers on the roadmap, and draft a status report for leadership” (Uses: Calendar + Linear + Email)
“Find the latest Slack discussion about our pricing, check who’s involved, and schedule a follow-up meeting with them” (Uses: Slack + Calendar)

How Tool Selection Works

You don’t specify which tool to use—Alter figures it out. When you ask something related to time, Alter automatically checks Calendar. When you mention email, Alter accesses Gmail or Apple Mail.

Advanced Control: If you want to be specific, you can hint at which tool to use:

“Check my Google Calendar and tell me…”
“From my Gmail inbox…”
“Looking at Linear…”

Alter will prioritize the specified tool.

SUMMARY

The Tool Manager transforms Alter from a standalone AI assistant into an intelligent orchestrator of your entire digital life. By thoughtfully enabling tools, managing permissions, and creating purpose-built Alter Actions and Workspaces, you unlock workflows that would previously take hours to set up or execute manually.

Start simple—enable Calendar and Email. Build from there. Each tool you add opens new possibilities. Master the Tool Manager, and you’ve got a superpower.