> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.alterhq.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Use Alter in ChatGPT > Enable MCP Gateway, install the Alter plugin, and choose what ChatGPT can access on your Mac Connect ChatGPT to Alter to search your meetings, read transcripts, run saved actions, and continue Alter conversations. Alter runs the tools on your Mac and returns the results to ChatGPT. ## Before you start * Sign in to Alter on your Mac. * Install a ChatGPT desktop version that supports plugins and personal marketplaces. * Keep your Mac online with Alter running while you use the connection. > [!NOTE] > > Plugin availability depends on your ChatGPT version, account, mode, and workspace policy. If you cannot use a personal marketplace, see [Connect with a remote MCP URL](#connect-with-a-remote-mcp-url). ## Enable MCP Gateway in Alter **1. Open Gateways** In Alter, press **⌘,** to open **Settings**, then select **Gateways** under **Integrations**. **2. Add and enable MCP Gateway** Choose **Add gateway → MCP Gateway**, or open your existing MCP Gateway. Turn on **Enabled**. **3. Choose allowed access** Under **Allowed access**, enable the capabilities you want ChatGPT to use. For a first test, enable **Read meeting transcripts**. Choose **Save and restart**, then wait for the connection to be ready. The default action for new Alter chats is **Ask Anything**. ![Alter MCP Gateway settings with Enabled switched on and the connection controls](https://mintcdn.com/alter-95c0cbf0/Hy1s62bRsMvpVH6C/images/gateways/chatgpt/alter-mcp-connection.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=Hy1s62bRsMvpVH6C\&q=85\&s=4b8b77cf9de2094d96a8b0b3cdfad0f9) Enable MCP Gateway, save your changes, and wait for the connection to be ready. ## Install the ChatGPT desktop plugin **1. Prepare the plugin in Alter** Open your MCP Gateway and choose **Install ChatGPT plugin…** in the **ChatGPT desktop** section. Alter prepares the plugin and adds it to your personal marketplace on this Mac. You still need to install it inside ChatGPT. ![ChatGPT desktop section in Alter with Install ChatGPT plugin and Download plugin buttons](https://mintcdn.com/alter-95c0cbf0/Hy1s62bRsMvpVH6C/images/gateways/chatgpt/alter-chatgpt-install.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=Hy1s62bRsMvpVH6C\&q=85\&s=dee81c548b1edabac02124c157a0e46d) Use Install ChatGPT plugin to prepare the desktop connection. **2. Open Plugins in ChatGPT** Fully quit and reopen ChatGPT. Click the **Plugins** icon in the left sidebar. ![ChatGPT sidebar with a magenta arrow pointing to the Plugins icon](https://mintcdn.com/alter-95c0cbf0/Hy1s62bRsMvpVH6C/images/gateways/chatgpt/chatgpt-open-plugins.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=Hy1s62bRsMvpVH6C\&q=85\&s=10781c2bee2d32af947cf24a625966da) Open Plugins using the sidebar icon marked by the arrow. **3. Enable Alter under Personal and Local** Select **Personal**, then choose **Local** in the location selector at the top. Find **Alter** and click the **+** button beside it to install and enable the plugin. If you already have a personal marketplace, it keeps its existing name and other plugins. ![ChatGPT Plugins page with arrows pointing to Personal, Local, and the plus button beside Alter](https://mintcdn.com/alter-95c0cbf0/Hy1s62bRsMvpVH6C/images/gateways/chatgpt/chatgpt-personal-local-enable.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=Hy1s62bRsMvpVH6C\&q=85\&s=16cbb97e0fe8ba17f0e96560b7e3ff30) Choose Personal and Local, then click + beside Alter. **4. Run the first-time setup** In the **Alter is ready for use** dialog, choose **Set up Alter**. ChatGPT opens a setup chat to check the connection and report the available capabilities. Follow any approval prompts it shows. ![Alter installation dialog with an arrow pointing to Set up Alter](https://mintcdn.com/alter-95c0cbf0/Hy1s62bRsMvpVH6C/images/gateways/chatgpt/chatgpt-set-up-alter.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=Hy1s62bRsMvpVH6C\&q=85\&s=ae0935e92b99a78443352e6352c95585) Choose Set up Alter to check the connection for the first time. Check that ChatGPT reports a successful read-only connection check. Your available capabilities depend on the access switches you enabled in Alter. ![Setup chat confirming Alter is connected and the read-only check succeeded, while noting this Local host does not expose event subscriptions](https://mintcdn.com/alter-95c0cbf0/Hy1s62bRsMvpVH6C/images/gateways/chatgpt/chatgpt-connection-check.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=Hy1s62bRsMvpVH6C\&q=85\&s=a14f35c51c85648385730585d1cba298) Example successful connection check in Local mode. Tools are connected; event subscriptions are unavailable in this mode. Setup is for first-time installation and connection troubleshooting. You do not need to run it before every request. **5. Select Alter in a new chat** Start a new chat, type **@**, and select **Alter**. Try: > List my recent meetings in Alter. ChatGPT may ask you to approve a tool before it runs. If the list is empty, try a meeting you have saved in Alter or check the access settings below. ## Choose what ChatGPT can access Change these switches under **Allowed access** in MCP Gateway: ![Allowed access settings in Alter showing the five MCP Gateway capability switches](https://mintcdn.com/alter-95c0cbf0/Hy1s62bRsMvpVH6C/images/gateways/chatgpt/alter-mcp-access.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=Hy1s62bRsMvpVH6C\&q=85\&s=ed9df89e68ddf7d65d5debac27cbffec) Choose which meeting, action, and conversation capabilities ChatGPT can use. | Setting | What it allows | | - | - | | **Read meeting transcripts** | List and search saved meetings, then read their transcripts. | | **Notify when transcripts are ready** | Send meeting details when a transcript is ready, after ChatGPT creates an event subscription. Transcript access is separate. | | **Run saved actions** | Discover and run saved actions enabled for this gateway. | | **Chat with Alter** | Start and continue Alter conversations. | | **Read conversation history** | List, search, and read Alter conversations whose actions are permitted for this gateway. | Choose **Save and restart** after changing access, then refresh Alter's tools in ChatGPT. Restarting the gateway cancels tasks currently running through it. For saved actions, open **Action Editor → Gateways** and enable **MCP Gateway** or **All**. The gateway's **Available actions** list shows which actions are allowed. New chats use the **Default action** selected under **Behavior**. Alter can ask you a question or request file access during a task. ChatGPT should show you the choices and wait for your answer. Choose **Allow once**, **Always allow**, or decline when those options are offered; installing the plugin does not automatically approve these requests. ## Receive new-meeting notifications Installing the plugin does not automatically create a ChatGPT event subscription for meetings. **1. Allow notifications** In Alter's MCP Gateway, enable **Notify when transcripts are ready**. Also enable **Read meeting transcripts** if you want ChatGPT to read or summarize the transcript. Choose **Save and restart**. **2. Ask ChatGPT to subscribe** In a ChatGPT Work chat connected to Alter, ask: > Subscribe to Alter's transcript-ready event. When a meeting transcript is ready, summarize the decisions and my action items. Confirm that ChatGPT creates an active event subscription to `meeting.transcript_ready`. A connected plugin alone does not confirm an event subscription. **3. Record or import a meeting** Record a meeting in Alter or import a new audio recording. Once Alter finishes processing and saving its transcript, it sends the event to ChatGPT. The event contains meeting details. ChatGPT retrieves the transcript separately when transcript access is enabled. Regenerating an existing transcript does not send a new-meeting event. > [!NOTE] > > [Event subscriptions](https://developers.openai.com/plugins/build/mcp-events) require a supported ChatGPT mode: Work on the web, or desktop Work with **Cloud** selected. Keep Alter running and your Mac online when the transcript finishes. Installing the desktop plugin alone does not enable event subscriptions in every mode. ## Connect with a remote MCP URL For agent-neutral setup and supported capabilities, see [Connect an AI agent with Remote MCP](/apps-tools/gateways-mcp.md). For ChatGPT on the web, or if personal marketplaces are unavailable: 1. In Alter's MCP Gateway, choose **Copy connection URL**. 2. In ChatGPT's **Plugins** page, choose **Add custom MCP server**. 3. Name it **Alter**, paste the URL, and choose **No authentication**. 4. Create and install the connection, then select Alter in a new Work chat. Use one connection for your workflow to avoid duplicate Alter entries. Other AI agents can use this remote MCP URL if they support it; the ChatGPT plugin setup steps are specific to ChatGPT. **Download plugin…** saves a ZIP for manual installation in a compatible plugin host. Downloading or importing the ZIP does not by itself create a cloud MCP connection. If ChatGPT shows **Open in desktop app**, use the custom MCP connection above for web access. ## Privacy and disconnecting Your connection URL and exported plugin contain a private access key. Anyone with them can use the access you allow in Alter. Keep them private and do not publish or share the ZIP. Tools execute in Alter on your Mac. Requests and results pass through Alter's relay to connect to ChatGPT. Data you ask ChatGPT to read, including transcript text, is returned to ChatGPT. To stop access, disable MCP Gateway in Alter. Deleting and recreating the gateway creates a new URL; update or reinstall the ChatGPT connection afterward. ## Troubleshooting | Symptom | What to check | | - | - | | Alter does not appear in ChatGPT | Fully quit and reopen ChatGPT, then open **Plugins → Personal** and choose **Local**. If it is unavailable, use the remote MCP URL setup above. | | Alter is installed but tools cannot connect | Keep Alter running, confirm MCP Gateway is enabled and connected, then try **Reconnect** in its **Connection** section. Reconnecting cancels active gateway tasks. | | A meeting or action tool is missing | Enable the corresponding **Allowed access** switch, save, and refresh the tools in ChatGPT. Check action-level gateway permissions for saved actions. | | Notifications never arrive | Confirm an active event subscription, notification access, supported ChatGPT mode, and that Alter was online when the new transcript finished. | | A task is waiting for input | Answer the question ChatGPT shows. If it never shows the question, update the plugin and start the task again. | | The connection stopped after changing accounts or recreating the gateway | Choose **Install ChatGPT plugin…** again, restart ChatGPT, and refresh or reinstall Alter. For a custom MCP connection, replace its URL. | After updating Alter, choose **Install ChatGPT plugin…** again, restart ChatGPT, and refresh or reinstall the plugin to receive updated instructions. ## Related pages * [Gateways overview](/apps-tools/gateways.md) * [Meetings](/workflows/meetings.md) * [Alter Actions](/workflows/alter-actions.md#gateways) * [Local data and privacy](/references/local-data-and-privacy.md) This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.