Flow is Alter’s built-in tool orchestrator. Instead of loading all your enabled tools into every request, Flow acts as a single tool that intelligently routes your requests to the right tools.
Why Use Flow?
Save Context Space
Flow loads as a single tool instead of all enabled tools, freeing up your context window for actual content
Faster Performance
Smaller payloads process faster and reduce latency on every request
Save Fair Use Budget
Fewer tokens per request means less usage against your fair use policy budget
Enable Flow
1
Open Settings
Press ⌘ , (Command + Comma) or click Settings in the menu
2
Open Tools Manager
Press ⌘⇧T or choose Tools Manager from the menu bar
3
Enable Flow
Under Local Tools > Alter, toggle Flow on
Remember: Flow can only orchestrate tools that are already enabled. Enable the specific tools you need (Calendar, Mail, Messages, etc.) in addition to Flow itself.
How Flow Works
When you send a request with Flow enabled, it follows this process:1
Analyze
Flow analyzes your request to understand what you’re trying to accomplish
2
Select
From your enabled tools, Flow selects the appropriate tool(s) for the task
3
Execute
Flow executes the tool calls in sequence, passing data between steps as needed
4
Summarize
Results are condensed into a concise response with key data points preserved
Examples
- Single Tool
- Multi-Tool Chain
- With Transformation
- Coding delegation
Request: “What meetings do I have today?”Flow automatically:
- Recognizes you need calendar information
- Selects the Calendar tool
- Retrieves your meetings
When to Use Flow vs Specific Tools
Use Flow
- You’re not sure which tool to use
- You want simple, natural language requests
- You have many tools enabled
- You’re doing complex multi-step tasks
Use Specific Tool Actions
- You know exactly which tool you need
- You want the fastest possible execution
- You’re building repeatable workflows
- You need predictable, consistent behavior
90% Rule: For 90% of tasks, Flow is the best choice. Create specific tool actions only when you need optimized, repeatable workflows.
Ask Anything defaults (beta100+)
The Ask Anything action runs when you type in the prompt box without selecting another action. As of 2.0.0-beta100, it ships with three tools enabled by default:
These defaults mean new sessions can route to Mac apps, screen automation, and Flow without extra setup. Enable the underlying integrations (Mail, Calendar, etc.) in Tools Manager (⌘⇧T) — Flow only orchestrates tools you have turned on.
Optional: reduce tools for speed
If you want smaller payloads and faster replies, you can narrow Ask Anything to Flow only:1
Open Action Editor
Press ⌘⇧E or choose Action Editor from the menu bar
2
Find Ask Anything
Select the Ask Anything action
3
Open Tools
In the Tools tab, disable Computer Use and Ask User if you do not need them
4
Save
Save your changes
Computer Use and Ask User are intentional defaults for most users. Remove them only when you want a lighter, Flow-only default.
Advanced: Tool Chaining with Instructions
Advanced: Tool Chaining with Instructions
Flow automatically chains tools together when a task requires multiple steps. The output of one tool can be referenced in subsequent calls using the
$N syntax.Reference Syntax
Example with Transformation
When scraping a website and formatting the results:- Flow uses a web tool to fetch content
- Applies transformation:
$1:Extract the key frameworks and format as bullet points - The LLM processes the raw content before passing to the next tool
- Extract only relevant information from large outputs
- Format data appropriately for the next tool
- Reduce noise in subsequent steps
Advanced: Smart Context Management
Advanced: Smart Context Management
Flow includes a built-in summarization step that optimizes how results are returned to your conversation.
What Summarization Does
After executing tools, Flow:- Condenses the output — Compresses verbose tool outputs
- Preserves important data — Keeps IDs, URLs, references, and data points
- Surfaces key insights — Highlights links, ideas, and findings for follow-up
- Provides source citations — Uses [Step N] notation for traceability
Why This Matters
Without summarization, complex workflows would bloat your context window. By turn 5 or 6, you’d hit token limits.Flow’s summarization ensures:- Efficient context — Only essential information is kept
- Actionable replies — Important data points are preserved
- Better performance — Less context = faster responses
- Traceability — [Step N] citations verify information sources
Example Output
Tips for Best Results
Be Specific
Good: “Send a Messages text to the engineering group”
Vague: “Message the team”
Specific requests help Flow select the right tool.
Chain Naturally
Flow handles multi-step tasks well. Don’t break complex requests into multiple prompts — let Flow orchestrate the chain.
Review Results
Flow shows which tools it’s using. If it selects the wrong one, rephrase your request with more detail.
Troubleshooting
Flow Selected the Wrong Tool
Flow Selected the Wrong Tool
Rephrase your request with more specific details:
- Instead of: “Check my messages”
- Try: “Check my unread Messages in the general chat”
Flow Can't Find a Tool
Flow Can't Find a Tool
Make sure the tool is:
- Enabled in Tool Manager (Flow can’t use disabled tools)
- Properly configured (e.g., Mail or Messages permissions granted)
- Not restricted by your action settings
Performance Still Slow
Performance Still Slow
Even with Flow, very large requests can be slow. Try:
- Breaking very complex tasks into 2-3 steps
- Using specific tool actions for frequently repeated tasks
- Enabling only essential tools in Tool Manager
Related Docs
Tool Manager Guide
Learn how to connect and manage your tools
Tools Not Working
Fix common integration issues
Alter Actions
Build custom tool workflows