sales-skills/sales-altern

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:

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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-directory for comparison
• SEO strategy → /sales-semrush
• Landing page optimization → /sales-checkout

Otherwise, answer directly from the Altern knowledge below.

Step 3 — Altern platform reference

Read references/platform-guide.md for the full reference — the AI-only curated-directory overview, core modules (tool listings, 100+ categories, alternatives pages, weekly newsletter, featured tiers), the submission process, backlink/SEO value (dofollow, JSON-LD schema, UTM tracking), the Altern vs TAAFT/Futurepedia/Toolify comparison, and pricing (free Standard + Bronze/Silver/Gold featured tiers). Pull only the section the question needs.

Step 4 — Actionable guidance

Based on the user's situation:

For submitting a tool to Altern:

1. Sign in with GitHub (preferred for dev tools — shows credibility)
2. Write a clear, specific description — lead with what the tool does, not marketing fluff
3. Choose the most specific category (e.g., "Coding Agents" over "AI Tools")
4. Include accurate pricing info — Altern shows free/freemium/paid/student/open-source tags
5. Add screenshots showing the tool in action
6. After listing goes live, verify the dofollow backlink in your SEO tools

For getting featured:

1. Start with the free listing to establish presence
2. Contact the team about featured tiers — pricing isn't public, so you'll need to inquire
3. Featured listings get homepage display and higher visibility in category pages
4. Time your featured placement with other launches for maximum impact

For maximizing SEO value:

1. Your tool page includes SoftwareApplication structured data — search engines pick this up automatically
2. The alternatives pages ("Cursor Alternatives", etc.) capture high-intent comparison traffic — ensure your tool is properly categorized to appear on relevant alternatives pages
3. The dofollow backlink passes link equity — combine with other directory submissions via /sales-launch-directory

For newsletter inclusion:

1. Submit your tool first — newsletter features come from the editorial pipeline
2. Tools that are genuinely novel or solve a clear problem get newsletter coverage
3. 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.md with 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:

1. Recommends signing in with GitHub for developer credibility
2. Guides category selection — "Code Review" is most specific
3. Advises writing a description that leads with the problem solved, not features
4. Suggests including screenshots of the code review UI in action
5. 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:

1. Compares the two: TAAFT has ~2M monthly visits vs Altern's ~5-28K
2. Notes both offer dofollow backlinks
3. Points out Altern's strength is dev-focused curation and alternatives pages
4. Recommends submitting to both — Altern is lower effort and adds a dofollow backlink
5. Suggests using /sales-launch-directory to 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:

1. Confirms Altern provides dofollow backlinks with no nofollow attribute
2. Notes the SoftwareApplication structured data helps search engines
3. Explains alternatives pages capture "[Tool] alternatives" search traffic
4. Recommends accurate categorization to appear on the right alternatives pages
5. Advises combining with other directory backlinks via /sales-launch-directory Result: 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.).