Hermes Agent

Hermes Agent is an open-source, self-improving AI agent framework built by Nous Research. It is the only agent with a built-in learning loop: it creates skills from experience, improves them during use, nudges itself to persist knowledge, and builds a deepening model of who you are across sessions.

Unlike a coding copilot tethered to a single IDE or a chatbot wrapper around one API, Hermes is an autonomous agent that lives wherever you put it: a $5 VPS, a GPU cluster, Docker, SSH hosts, or serverless infrastructure on Daytona or Modal. It works with any LLM provider and switches between them with a single command.

• Self-Improving Skills - Creates skills from experience, improves them during use, and curates them autonomously. Skills evolve over time without user intervention.
• Persistent Cross-Session Memory - Remembers user preferences, environment details, project conventions, and lessons learned across conversations. Supports multiple backends: built-in SQLite, Honcho, and Mem0.
• 20+ LLM Providers - Works with OpenRouter, Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, Google Gemini, Nous Portal, xAI, Hugging Face, GitHub Copilot, local models, and more. Swap providers mid-workflow without restarting.
• Messaging Gateway - Connect to Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, Email, and 10+ platforms simultaneously. Talk to your agent from any messaging app.
• Multi-Platform - Runs on Linux, macOS, native Windows, WSL2, Android (Termux), Docker, SSH hosts, and serverless infrastructure.
• Built-in Cron Scheduler - Schedule recurring tasks with natural language or cron expressions. Jobs run autonomously with no user present.
• Subagent Delegation - Spawn isolated subagents for parallel work. Each gets its own conversation context, terminal, and tools.
• Native MCP Client - Built-in Model Context Protocol support for connecting to databases, file systems, cloud APIs, and version control.
• Profiles - Run multiple independent agent instances with isolated configurations, sessions, skills, memory, plugins, and cron jobs. Perfect for work vs personal separation.
• 40+ Built-in Tools - Organized into toolsets: terminal, file, web search, browser automation, image generation, text-to-speech, vision analysis, code execution, and more. Toolsets can be enabled or disabled per platform.

Hermes Agent emerged from the OpenClaw ecosystem, the pioneering open-source agent harness that grew to over 381,000 GitHub stars. While OpenClaw pioneered the concept of a personal AI agent that communicates through messaging platforms, it struggled with stability, breaking changes, and limited documentation.

Nous Research, known for their work on open-source AI models like the Hermes series, built Hermes Agent as a more stable, better-documented, and more capable alternative. The project has since grown to over 210,000 GitHub stars, with 14,500+ commits, 5,000+ issues resolved, and 38,000+ forks. It is under active development with daily commits and a dedicated team led by Teknium.

A key differentiator is the built-in migration path: OpenClaw users can run hermes claw migrate to import their persona, memory, skills, messaging settings, API keys, and workspace configs automatically.

Hermes Agent follows a modular architecture with several key components:

• Core Agent Loop - The main conversation loop (run_agent.py) handles turn-by-turn interaction with any LLM provider, tool discovery and dispatch, context compression, and session management.
• Terminal UI (Hermes CLI) - Built with prompt_toolkit, offering multiline editing, syntax highlighting, tab completion, streaming tool output, and conversation history. Accessible via the hermes command.
• Desktop Application - A native desktop GUI for macOS and Windows, providing a graphical interface alongside the CLI.
• Gateway Daemon - A separate process that connects to messaging platforms (Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, etc.) and routes messages to the agent. Can run as a background service.
• Cron Scheduler - Background job scheduler for recurring automated tasks. Jobs run in fresh sessions with no memory of past conversations.
• Skills Engine - Manages SKILL.md documents with YAML frontmatter. Skills are scanned before every turn; relevant ones are injected into the system prompt.
• Memory Store - SQLite-backed persistent memory system that survives across sessions and agent restarts.

Linux / macOS / WSL2 / Termux:

curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash

Windows (PowerShell):

iex (irm https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.ps1)

Desktop App:

Download the Hermes Desktop installer from hermes-agent.nousresearch.com for a native desktop experience.

The installer sets up Python 3.11 via uv, Node.js, ripgrep, and ffmpeg automatically. After installation, run source ~/.bashrc (or source ~/.zshrc), then start chatting with hermes.

Fastest Path to a Working Agent

hermes setup --portal

One OAuth covers a model plus all Tool Gateway tools: web search (Firecrawl), image generation (FAL), text-to-speech (OpenAI), and browser automation (Browser Use).

Hermes Agent's CLI is a full terminal user interface (TUI) built with prompt_toolkit. It features multiline editing, slash-command autocomplete, conversation history, interrupt-and-redirect, and streaming tool output. A modern TUI mode with modal overlays and mouse selection is available via hermes --tui.

CLI Commands Reference

Command	Description
hermes	Start interactive CLI session (default mode)
hermes chat -q "query"	Single query mode (non-interactive)
hermes --tui	Launch modern TUI with modal overlays and mouse support
hermes --continue	Resume the most recent CLI session (-c)
hermes --resume SESSION_ID	Resume a specific session by ID (-r)
hermes --model "provider/model"	Start with a specific model
hermes --provider PROVIDER	Force a specific provider (nous, openrouter, etc.)
hermes -s SKILL_NAME	Start with one or more skills preloaded
hermes --yolo	Skip all approval prompts (auto-approve mode)
hermes config set KEY VALUE	Set individual config values
hermes setup	Run the full setup wizard
hermes doctor	Diagnose dependencies and config issues
hermes update	Update Hermes Agent to the latest version

In-Session Slash Commands

During an interactive session, Hermes provides a rich set of slash commands organized by category. Commands marked [CLI] are CLI-only; [CHAT] are messaging-only; others work everywhere.

Session and Flow

Command	Description	Aliases
/start	Platform start ping	[CHAT]
/new	Fresh session	/reset
/topic	Telegram DM topics	[CHAT]
/clear	Clear screen + new session	[CLI]
/redraw	Force UI repaint	[CLI]
/history	Show transcript	[CLI]
/save	Save conversation	[CLI]
/retry	Resend last message
/prompt	Compose in $EDITOR	/compose [CLI]
/undo	Back up / remove turn
/title	Set session title
/handoff	Move session to chat app	[CLI]
/branch	Fork session	/fork
/compress	Summarize context	/compact
/rollback	List / restore checkpoints
/snapshot	State snapshots	/snap [CLI]
/stop	Kill / interrupt runs
/approve	Allow pending command	[CHAT]
/deny	Reject pending command	[CHAT]
/background	Separate background run	/bg / /btw
/agents	Active agents / tasks	/tasks
/journey	Learning timeline	/learning [CLI]
/queue	Queue next prompt	/q
/steer	Mid-run nudge
/goal	Persistent goal loop
/moa	One-shot Mixture of Agents
/subgoal	Add goal criteria
/status	Session / model / context
/sethome	Set delivery home	/set-home [CHAT]
/resume	Restore named session
/sessions	Browse sessions	TUI / /switch

Configuration

Command	Description	Aliases
/config	Show config	[CLI]
/model	Switch model / provider
/codex-runtime	Codex app-server	/codex_runtime
/personality	Set personality
/statusbar	Toggle status bar	/sb [CLI]
/timestamps	Message times	/ts [CLI]
/verbose	Tool progress mode	[CFG]
/footer	Metadata footer
/yolo	Skip approvals
/reasoning	Effort / display controls
/fast	Priority / fast mode
/skin	Display theme	[CLI]
/indicator	Busy indicator style	[CLI]
/voice	Voice / TTS mode
/busy	Enter behavior mid-run	[CLI]

Tools, Skills, and Automation

Command	Description	Aliases
/tools	Enable / disable tools	[CLI]
/toolsets	List toolsets	[CLI]
/skills	Manage / approve skills	[CFG]
/memory	Approve memory writes
/bundles	Skill bundle aliases
/pet	Petdex mascot	[CLI]
/hatch	Generate pet	/generate-pet [CLI]
/learn	Create reusable skill
/cron	Scheduled tasks	[CLI]
/suggestions	Automation ideas	/suggest
/blueprint	Automation template	/bp
/curator	Skill maintenance
/kanban	Collaboration board
/reload	Reload .env	[CLI]
/reload-mcp	Reload MCP	/reload_mcp
/reload-skills	Rescan skills	/reload_skills
/browser	Attach CDP browser	[CLI]
/plugins	Plugin status	[CLI]

Info and Exit

Command	Description	Aliases
/whoami	Slash access level
/profile	Active profile / home
/commands	Paged command list	[CHAT]
/help	Command help
/restart	Restart gateway	[CHAT]
/usage	Tokens / cost / limits
/credits	Nous credits
/billing	Terminal billing	[CLI]
/insights	Usage analytics
/platforms	Gateway status	/gateway [CLI]
/platform	Pause / resume adapter	[CHAT]
/copy	Copy assistant reply	[CLI]
/paste	Clipboard image	[CLI]
/image	Attach image path	[CLI]
/update	Update Hermes
/version	Version info	/v
/debug	Debug report upload
/quit	Exit CLI	/exit [CLI]

Status Bar Elements

A persistent status bar above the input area shows real-time session info:

Element	Description
Model name	Current model (truncated at 26 chars)
Token count	Context tokens used / max context window
Context bar	Visual fill indicator (green <50%, yellow 50-80%, orange 80-95%, red >=95%)
Cost	Estimated session cost
N	Context compression count
N	Active background tasks
Duration	Elapsed session time

The Messaging Gateway is a separate daemon that connects Hermes Agent to your messaging platforms. Once configured, you can talk to your agent from any connected platform and receive responses on the same channel. The gateway runs as a background service and can handle multiple platforms simultaneously.

Supported Platforms

Platform	Features	Auth Method
Telegram	Full support, topic threads, voice messages, commands, inline buttons	Bot Token
Discord	Thread support, slash commands, role-based access, approval buttons	Bot Token
Slack	Channels, DMs, thread replies, app mentions	Bot Token + Signing Secret
WhatsApp	Individual chats, voice message transcription	Cloud API / WhatsApp Business
Signal	Private messaging, group chats	Signal CLI
iMessage	Apple ecosystem messaging	macOS bridge
Email (SMTP/IMAP)	Send and receive via any email provider, threading	SMTP/IMAP credentials
Matrix	Decentralized chat, end-to-end encryption	Homeserver + Access Token
Twitter/X	DMs, post replies, mentions	API v2 Keys
SMS (Twilio)	Text messaging via phone number	Twilio Account SID + Token
IRC	Classic IRC protocol, channels, private messages	Server + Nickname
Facebook Messenger	Page DMs, conversations	Page Access Token

Gateway Features

• Command Approval - Dangerous commands (rm -rf, git reset --hard, etc.) require confirmation via the messaging platform before execution. Three modes: manual, smart, and off.
• Home Channels - Set a default delivery channel for automated messages and cron output.
• Topic/Thread Support - Telegram topics and Discord threads create separate session scopes for organized conversations.
• Voice Memo Transcription - Automatic speech-to-text for voice messages on supported platforms (Telegram, WhatsApp).
• DM Pairing - Users must be authorized before sending commands to the agent, preventing unauthorized access.
• Multi-Profile Gateway - Run multiple gateway instances, each connected to different platforms or using different credentials.

Gateway Commands

hermes gateway start          # Start gateway as background service
hermes gateway status         # Check gateway health and platform connections
hermes gateway platforms      # List all connected platforms and their status
hermes gateway restart        # Restart the gateway
hermes gateway stop           # Stop the gateway

During an interactive session, type /platforms to see the live status of all configured messaging platforms.

The skills system is what makes Hermes self-improving. Skills are reusable procedural knowledge documents (SKILL.md files with YAML frontmatter) that the agent creates, loads, and improves autonomously. After solving a complex task, Hermes can save the approach as a skill. Relevant skills are injected into every future turn automatically.

Each skill includes YAML frontmatter (name, description, version, metadata, related skills) and a markdown body with procedures, exact commands, pitfalls, and verification steps. A built-in curator tracks skill usage, marks idle skills as stale, and archives unused ones. Pinned skills are exempt from all transitions.

hermes skills list              # Show installed skills
hermes skills search QUERY      # Search the skills hub
hermes skills install ID        # Install from hub
hermes skills browse            # Browse all available skills
hermes skills publish PATH      # Publish to registry

Hermes is provider-agnostic and supports 20+ LLM providers through a unified API interface. Swap models and providers mid-workflow without changing config files or restarting. Providers include Nous Portal, OpenRouter, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, DeepSeek, xAI, Hugging Face, GitHub Copilot, MiniMax, and local models via Ollama or llama.cpp.

Hermes supports credential pooling (multiple API keys for the same provider, auto-rotated on rate limits), automatic failover to fallback providers, and individual rate-limit tracking per credential.

Community Provider Recommendations (July 2026)

Category	Community Pick	Runner-Up
Best overall (paid API)	DeepSeek V4 Pro (direct)	DeepSeek V4 Flash
Best value subscription	OpenCode Go ($10/mo)	MiniMax $10 token plan
Best premium subscription	Nous Portal ($20)	OpenAI Codex ($20 ChatGPT)
Best free model (no catch)	owL-alpha (OpenRouter)	Nemotron 3 Super 120B (free)
Best coding model	GPT-5.5 (via Codex)	DeepSeek V4 Pro
Best orchestrator model	GPT-5.4-mini	DeepSeek V4 Flash
Best predictable billing	OpenCode Go + MiniMax stack	Nous Portal

Feature	Hermes Agent	OpenClaw	Coding Agents
Self-improving skills	Built-in, autonomous	Manual only	No
Persistent memory	SQLite + plugins	File-based	Session only
Messaging platforms	12+ (unified gateway)	20+ (separate setups)	None
Cron scheduler	Built-in	Built-in	No
MCP support	Native built-in	Plugin	Some
Provider failover	Automatic	Manual	Varies
Desktop app	Native (macOS/Windows)	No	IDE-integrated
OpenClaw migration	Built-in CLI command	N/A	N/A

• Personal AI Assistant - Manage your calendar, emails, to-do lists, and smart home via messaging apps.
• DevOps Automation - Monitor servers, deploy code, check logs, and run maintenance tasks on a schedule.
• Content Generation - Research topics, draft articles, generate images, and publish to your blog automatically.
• Research Assistant - Search the web, extract information, summarize findings, and maintain a knowledge base.
• Coding Companion - Review code, generate tests, refactor projects, and debug issues with subagent delegation.
• Home Automation Hub - Connect to smart home devices and control them through voice or text commands.