FAQ
Setup
How long until we see something real?
Connecting sources takes an afternoon. Memory forming is a background process measured in days. Building a workflow once the map exists is usually a single sitting.
Do I have to import our whole directory?
Not required, but recommended. People records are free and don’t consume seats, and approvals, ROI, and accountability all work better when Alma knows who people are. Include email addresses — that’s what links a directory row to an account once someone signs in.
Can I try things without breaking anything?
Yes. Workflows are inert until you enable them — draft, edit, and chat with Alma about the canvas freely. See the one gate.
People and access
What’s the difference between People and Members?
A Person is a directory record. A Member holds a seat and can sign in. Most People aren’t Members.
Why does it say “Implementer” in some places and “Owners” in others?
Same access level. Members shows it as Implementer; a few pickers elsewhere (a workflow’s visibility baseline, tool-access rule subjects) label it Owners instead.
Should I make someone an Admin or an Implementer?
It barely matters today. Both have full Console access, and the distinction described in the UI isn’t enforced yet. Treat Admin as full administrative access. See Members.
Can I invite someone directly as an Implementer?
Yes. The invite’s access level offers all three tiers, and the seat lands at the tier you sent once they accept. The one exception is the setup wizard, whose invites still go out as Admin.
Connections
Why can’t I connect someone’s Gmail for them?
Personal connections can only be connected by their owner. Use requirements to ask them, or delegation for company accounts you don’t personally own.
Someone isn’t connecting. How do I chase them?
Use Remind or Remind all on the coverage card at Connections — both send real email. The Remind button on a connection’s People tab doesn’t send email yet.
Is this the full list of integrations?
No — the two lists show what your org has required. Click Require a connection to see the full catalog, which is managed by Alma. Email us if something’s missing.
Workflows
Where are Agents? I see Workflows.
Same thing. The Console and the public API both say Workflows. MCP tool
names are the exception — they say agent (alma_create_agent,
alma_execute_agent, and so on).
How do I stop a workflow that’s misbehaving?
Click Pause. It reverts to a draft and stops immediately.
Why is my workflow stuck on “Paused”?
A run is waiting on a person at an approval checkpoint. The Runs tab names who and since when. If it happens repeatedly, check that the checkpoint is routed to the right reviewer and that its instructions are clear.
Where do people approve things?
In their workspace inbox, not the Console — the Runs tab is a read-only mirror.
Can I set autonomy levels — suggest only, auto with limits, full auto?
Not as a single dial. The real controls are finer-grained: a per-step approval checkpoint, a per-tool Automatic/Needs-approval setting on the Access tab, and Enable/Pause for the workflow as a whole. Composed together, they cover the same range.
Can I shadow-run a workflow before trusting it?
Not directly. Set the consequential tools to Needs approval and enable the workflow — every action routes to a person, so you see what it would do before it does it. Loosen once you trust it.
Why is the Lessons tab always empty?
It’s not available yet. See Lessons.
Memory
Why isn’t my topic updating?
Automatic synthesis is off by default. Turn it on in the topic’s Definition.
Alma keeps getting a field wrong. What do I fix?
Sharpen the field’s instruction and narrow its sources in Schema, not the topic itself.
Where did that fact come from?
Every fact carries its source — open the topic and follow the attribution back to the thread, document, or interview.
Cost
Does inviting people cost more?
No. Alma bills on credits, not seats.
How do I know a workflow is worth it?
Set a baseline and check the feasibility gate. Under 1.5×, the tab says plainly: don’t build this yet.
Can I cap what a workflow spends?
Not yet — the budget cap on the ROI tab isn’t functional. Watch run volume and pause anything running away.
Security
Can an agent do something the person behind it couldn’t?
No. Agents inherit your access rules and never exceed them, and tool access rules apply everywhere Alma runs.
Is our data used to train models?
No. Nothing from any workspace trains Alma’s models or anyone else’s, on every plan.
Do you have SOC 2 / SSO / SCIM?
Yes, as Enterprise capabilities. See Security, or email help@alma.team to enable them.
Is Activity an audit log?
Not yet. It reliably says what changed and when, but every entry is attributed to Alma — it can’t tell you who. See Activity.
Still stuck?
Email help@alma.team, or use Share feedback at the bottom of the Console sidebar. See Help.