sales-skills/sales-altern
skills/sales-altern/SKILL.md
Altern platform help — curated AI tools and agents directory (10,000+ tools, 100+ categories, ~5-28K monthly visits). Covers tool submissions (free + featured tiers: Gold/Silver/Bronze), listing optimization, category selection, newsletter inclusion (weekly AI tools + agents digest), alternatives pages, and dofollow backlinks. Use when your AI tool isn't listed on Altern, listing isn't getting visibility, not sure if a featured tier is worth it, or wondering how Altern compares to other AI directories. Do NOT use for multi-directory launch coordination (use /sales-launch-directory). Do NOT use for non-AI product directories (use the platform-specific skill).
$ install --global
skillsauthnpx skillsauth add sales-skills/sales sales-alternInstall this skill globally with one command. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.
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SKILL.md
- name:
- sales-altern
- description:
- Altern platform help — curated AI tools and agents directory (10,000+ tools, 100+ categories, ~5-28K monthly visits). Covers tool submissions (free + featured tiers: Gold/Silver/Bronze), listing optimization, category selection, newsletter inclusion (weekly AI tools + agents digest), alternatives pages, and dofollow backlinks. Use when your AI tool isn't listed on Altern, listing isn't getting visibility, not sure if a featured tier is worth it, or wondering how Altern compares to other AI directories. Do NOT use for multi-directory launch coordination (use /sales-launch-directory). Do NOT use for non-AI product directories (use the platform-specific skill).
- argument-hint:
- [describe what you need help with on Altern]
- license:
- MIT
- version:
- 1.0.0
- tags:
- [sales, product-launch, startup, directory, platform]
- github:
- https://github.com/alternbits
Altern Platform Help
Helps with everything related to using Altern — a curated directory of 10,000+ AI tools and agents across 100+ categories, with dofollow backlinks, editorial content, and a weekly newsletter. Founded by Dariush Abbasi.
Step 1 — Gather context
If references/learnings.md exists, read it first for accumulated knowledge.
Ask the user:
-
What are you trying to do on Altern?
- A) Submit my AI tool / get listed
- B) Get featured (Gold/Silver/Bronze placement)
- C) Understand the backlink and SEO value
- D) Compare Altern with other AI directories
- E) Get included in the newsletter
- F) Something else — describe it
-
What's your product?
- A) AI coding tool / IDE assistant
- B) AI agent / automation
- C) AI API / developer tool
- D) AI SaaS / web app
- E) AI content tool (writing, image, video)
- F) Other AI tool — describe it
-
What stage are you at?
- A) Pre-launch — building, no users yet
- B) Just launched — looking for first users
- C) Growing — have some traction, want more
- D) Established — looking for directory presence and backlinks
If the user's request already provides most of this context, skip directly to the relevant step. Lead with your best-effort answer using reasonable assumptions (stated explicitly), then ask only the most critical 1-2 clarifying questions at the end.
Step 2 — Route or answer directly
If the request maps to another skill, route:
- Multi-directory launch planning →
/sales-launch-directory - Product Hunt launch →
/sales-producthunt - Futurepedia-specific questions →
/sales-futurepedia - TAAFT-specific questions →
/sales-theresanaiforthat - Other AI directories (Toolify) →
/sales-launch-directoryfor comparison - SEO strategy →
/sales-semrush - Landing page optimization →
/sales-checkout
Otherwise, answer directly from the Altern knowledge below.
Step 3 — Altern platform reference
Platform overview
Altern is a curated AI tools and agents directory focused on developer-oriented products. Unlike general startup directories (Product Hunt, Uneed), Altern is AI-only — every listing is an AI tool, agent, SDK, or developer product. The directory emphasizes curation over volume, with editorial content, reviews, and a weekly newsletter.
Core modules
Tool listings — Each tool gets a dedicated page with:
- Description and feature overview
- Pricing model (free/freemium/paid/student pricing/open-source tags)
- Screenshots and company background
- User reviews and star ratings
- Direct link to tool website (dofollow, with UTM tracking)
- Category tags and "alternatives" cross-links
- Schema.org SoftwareApplication structured data (good for search)
Categories — 100+ categories organized by function:
- IDE assistants, coding agents, app builders
- Testing/QA automation, code review, documentation generators
- Security tools, DevOps, infrastructure
- Content generation (writing, image, video)
- Data analysis, research, productivity
Alternatives pages — Tool-vs-tool comparison pages (e.g., "Cursor Alternatives") that aggregate related tools. High SEO value — these pages rank for "[Tool] alternatives" queries.
Newsletter — Weekly digest covering AI tools and agents, published via newsletter.altern.ai. Curated by Dariush Abbasi. Two sections: AI Tools and AI Agents.
Featured tiers — Promoted visibility with tiered placement:
- Gold — highest visibility, homepage placement
- Silver — mid-tier promotion
- Bronze — entry-level featured
- Standard — free listing (no promotion)
Featured listings include homepage display (at least 1 week) and a dedicated page with a follow link.
Submission process
- Authentication: Sign in with GitHub or Google
- Submit tool: Provide tool name, URL, description, category, pricing model
- Review: Editorial review (timeline not publicly documented)
- Listing goes live: Tool page created with dofollow backlink
- Optional: Upgrade to featured tier (Gold/Silver/Bronze) for homepage placement
Backlink and SEO value
- Backlink type: Dofollow — external links have no nofollow attribute (confirmed via HTML inspection)
- DR: Not publicly confirmed — estimated in the low-to-mid range given traffic (~5-28K/mo)
- Structured data: JSON-LD SoftwareApplication schema on every tool page — helps search engines understand your tool's category and pricing
- Alternatives pages: Your tool appears on "[Competitor] Alternatives" pages, capturing comparison search traffic
- UTM tracking: Links include
utm_source=altern.ai&utm_medium=directory&utm_campaign=altern
Altern vs other AI directories
| Factor | Altern | TAAFT | Futurepedia | Toolify | |---|---|---|---|---| | Focus | AI tools & agents (dev-focused) | All AI tools (task-based search) | AI tools (business-focused) | AI tools (trending) | | Size | 10,000+ tools | 42,000+ tools | 5,700+ tools | 20,000+ tools | | Traffic | ~5-28K/mo | ~2M/mo | ~2M/mo | High | | Backlink | Dofollow | Dofollow | Dofollow | Varies | | Curation | Editorial | Community + editorial | Editorial + reviews | Algorithm + community | | Newsletter | Weekly (AI tools + agents) | Yes | Yes (+ YouTube) | Yes | | Submission | Free + featured tiers | $347 (free monthly thread) | Paid only ($497+ Verified) | Free | | Best for | Developer/AI agent tools | Broad AI discovery | Business use cases | Trending tools |
Pricing
| Tier | Cost | What you get | |---|---|---| | Standard | Free | Tool listing page, dofollow backlink, category placement, alternatives pages | | Bronze | Not public | Entry-level featured placement | | Silver | Not public | Mid-tier promotion | | Gold | Not public | Homepage placement (1+ week), maximum visibility |
Step 4 — Actionable guidance
Based on the user's situation:
For submitting a tool to Altern:
- Sign in with GitHub (preferred for dev tools — shows credibility)
- Write a clear, specific description — lead with what the tool does, not marketing fluff
- Choose the most specific category (e.g., "Coding Agents" over "AI Tools")
- Include accurate pricing info — Altern shows free/freemium/paid/student/open-source tags
- Add screenshots showing the tool in action
- After listing goes live, verify the dofollow backlink in your SEO tools
For getting featured:
- Start with the free listing to establish presence
- Contact the team about featured tiers — pricing isn't public, so you'll need to inquire
- Featured listings get homepage display and higher visibility in category pages
- Time your featured placement with other launches for maximum impact
For maximizing SEO value:
- Your tool page includes SoftwareApplication structured data — search engines pick this up automatically
- The alternatives pages ("Cursor Alternatives", etc.) capture high-intent comparison traffic — ensure your tool is properly categorized to appear on relevant alternatives pages
- The dofollow backlink passes link equity — combine with other directory submissions via
/sales-launch-directory
For newsletter inclusion:
- Submit your tool first — newsletter features come from the editorial pipeline
- Tools that are genuinely novel or solve a clear problem get newsletter coverage
- The newsletter covers two sections: AI Tools and AI Agents — make sure your tool clearly fits one
Gotchas
Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about plan-gated features and pricing that may be outdated.
-
Featured tier pricing is not public. Gold/Silver/Bronze costs aren't listed on the site. Contact the team to inquire. Budget accordingly — you may need to ask before committing.
-
DR is unconfirmed. Altern's domain rating hasn't been independently verified in public sources. The dofollow backlink is confirmed, but treat the SEO value as additive rather than primary.
-
Submission requires login. You need GitHub or Google auth to submit — no anonymous submissions.
-
Review timeline is unclear. No published SLA for how long editorial review takes. Submit early if you're coordinating a multi-platform launch.
-
AI-only directory. Non-AI products won't be accepted. If your tool has AI features but isn't primarily AI, emphasize the AI angle in your submission.
-
Traffic is modest. ~5-28K monthly visits depending on the source. Don't expect a traffic spike — Altern's value is the dofollow backlink, alternatives pages, and newsletter exposure.
-
Alternatives pages are algorithmic. You can't choose which alternatives pages you appear on — it's based on your category and the editorial team's curation.
-
Self-improving: If you discover something not covered here, append it to
references/learnings.mdwith today's date.
Related skills
/sales-launch-directory— Coordinate launches across 20+ directories including Altern. Install:npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-launch-directory/sales-theresanaiforthat— TAAFT platform help (#1 AI directory, 42,000+ tools, 3-4M visits/mo, DR76 dofollow)/sales-producthunt— Product Hunt platform help (largest launch platform, DR91 dofollow)/sales-peerlist— Peerlist platform help (weekly Launchpad, 203K+ users)/sales-indiehackers— Indie Hackers platform help (founder community, 165K+ entrepreneurs)/sales-semrush— SEO and online visibility platform (keyword research, backlink analysis)/sales-do— Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install:npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do
Examples
Example 1: Submit an AI coding tool to Altern
User says: "I built an AI code review tool and want to get it listed on Altern" Skill does:
- Recommends signing in with GitHub for developer credibility
- Guides category selection — "Code Review" is most specific
- Advises writing a description that leads with the problem solved, not features
- Suggests including screenshots of the code review UI in action
- Notes the free listing includes a dofollow backlink and alternatives page placement Result: Complete submission guide with listing optimization tips
Example 2: Compare Altern with other AI directories
User says: "Is it worth submitting to Altern or should I focus on There's An AI For That?" Skill does:
- Compares the two: TAAFT has ~2M monthly visits vs Altern's ~5-28K
- Notes both offer dofollow backlinks
- Points out Altern's strength is dev-focused curation and alternatives pages
- Recommends submitting to both — Altern is lower effort and adds a dofollow backlink
- Suggests using
/sales-launch-directoryto plan submissions across all AI directories Result: Clear comparison with recommendation to submit to both as part of a broader strategy
Example 3: Maximize SEO value from an Altern listing
User says: "How do I get the most SEO value out of my Altern listing?" Skill does:
- Confirms Altern provides dofollow backlinks with no nofollow attribute
- Notes the SoftwareApplication structured data helps search engines
- Explains alternatives pages capture "[Tool] alternatives" search traffic
- Recommends accurate categorization to appear on the right alternatives pages
- Advises combining with other directory backlinks via
/sales-launch-directoryResult: SEO optimization strategy for the Altern listing
Troubleshooting
Listing not appearing after submission
Symptom: Submitted tool but it doesn't show up on Altern Cause: Editorial review queue — Altern reviews submissions before publishing. No public SLA on review time. Solution: Wait for editorial review. If it's been more than 2 weeks, reach out via their GitHub (github.com/alternbits) or newsletter contact. Ensure your tool is genuinely AI-powered — non-AI tools may be rejected.
Not appearing on alternatives pages
Symptom: Listed on Altern but not showing up on relevant "[Tool] Alternatives" pages Cause: Alternatives pages are editorially curated. Your tool may not be categorized in the same group as the tool you expect to appear alongside. Solution: Verify your category is correct and specific. If you're a Cursor alternative, ensure you're in "IDE Assistants" or "Coding Agents" categories. The editorial team curates these pages — there's no self-serve way to add yourself.
Unsure about featured tier pricing
Symptom: Want to get featured but can't find pricing Cause: Gold/Silver/Bronze pricing isn't publicly listed on the website. Solution: Contact the team at [email protected] or via their GitHub org (github.com/alternbits). Ask about current featured tier pricing and what's included (homepage duration, newsletter mention, etc.).
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