Hermes Agent
Hermes is the messenger — a terminal AI agent built around the idea that the hardest part of agentic coding isn't generating code, it's understanding what to generate and why. It takes a thoughtful, step-by-step approach to tasks: read the codebase, understand the architecture, plan the changes, then execute. Not the fastest tool in the drawer, but arguably the most reliable.
It's a project-scoped AI agent. You initialize it in your repo with hermes init, configure your model preference, and it creates a context file that helps it understand your project. From there, every task starts with codebase analysis — Hermes reads relevant files, understands relationships, and builds a mental model before writing a single line of code.
The dry-run habit is the most important thing to internalize early. Hermes is designed to show you what it plans to do before it does it. By default, changes are proposed, not applied. You review the plan, you approve it, then it executes. This deliberate approach means fewer "oh no what did it do" moments and more "yeah that's exactly what I wanted" outcomes.
Model flexibility is a first-class feature. Hermes works with Anthropic Claude, OpenAI, or any OpenAI-compatible API endpoint. Running local models? Point it at your Ollama instance. Want to use a specific fine-tuned model? Just configure the endpoint. The agent doesn't care what's generating the responses — it just needs something smart enough to follow its workflow.
The task decomposition is where Hermes differentiates. Complex tasks get broken into sub-tasks with clear dependencies. "Refactor the auth system" becomes: (1) map all auth-related files, (2) identify the current pattern, (3) propose the new pattern, (4) update core auth module, (5) update dependent modules, (6) add/update tests. Each step is visible and reviewable.
Project memory is persistent across sessions. Hermes maintains a memory file in your project that captures architectural decisions, coding patterns, and lessons learned from previous tasks. This means the second task in a project benefits from everything it learned doing the first task. The hundredth task has accumulated real understanding of your codebase.
The review mode is perfect for code review tasks. Feed it a PR diff, and Hermes analyzes the changes in context — checking for bugs, suggesting improvements, verifying test coverage, and flagging potential issues. It's like having a thorough senior engineer review every PR, except it doesn't get tired, doesn't miss things because it's reviewing its tenth PR of the day.
Error recovery is thoughtful. When something goes wrong — a test fails, a build breaks, a lint rule is violated — Hermes doesn't just retry blindly. It reads the error, understands what went wrong, adjusts its approach, and tries again. This iterative debugging loop is where you really see the value of the "understand first, act second" philosophy.
The documentation-first approach means Hermes is good at explaining what it's doing and why. Every change comes with context about the reasoning behind it. This isn't just nice for understanding — it's essential for trust. When an AI agent is making autonomous changes to your codebase, being able to understand its reasoning is the difference between trusting the process and babysitting the output.
Who's it for? Engineers who want a reliable, predictable AI agent they can trust with real tasks. Teams doing careful, methodical development where quality matters more than speed. Anyone who's been burned by aggressive AI tools that made messes they had to clean up. If you'd rather have an agent that takes an extra minute but gets it right the first time — Hermes is built for that.
vv2026.4.23 Hermes Agent v0.11.0 (2026.4.23) Apr 23, 2026
# Hermes Agent v0.11.0 (v2026.4.23)
**Release Date:** April 23, 2026
**Since v0.9.0:** 1,556 commits · 761 merged PRs · 1,314 files changed · 224,174 insertions · 29 community contributors (290 including co-authors)
> The Interface release — a full React/Ink rewrite of the interactive CLI, a pluggable transport architecture underneath every provider, native AWS Bedrock support, five new inference paths, a 17th messaging platform (QQBot), a dramatically expanded plugin surface, and GPT-5.5 via Codex OAuth.
This release also folds in all the highlights deferred from v0.10.0 (which shipped only the Nous Tool Gateway) — so it covers roughly two weeks of work across the whole stack.
---
## ✨ Highlights
- **New Ink-based TUI** — `hermes --tui` is now a full React/Ink rewrite of the interactive CLI, with a Python JSON-RPC backend (`tui_gateway`). Sticky composer, live streaming with OSC-52 clipboard support, stable picker keys, status bar with per-turn stopwatch and git branch, `/clear` confirm, light-theme preset, and a subagent spawn observability overlay. ~310 commits to `ui-tui/` + `tui_gateway/`. (@OutThisLife + Teknium)
- **Transport ABC + Native AWS Bedrock** — Format conversion and HTTP transport were extracted from `run_agent.py` into a pluggable `agent/transports/` layer. `AnthropicTransport`, `ChatCompletionsTransport`, `ResponsesApiTransport`, and `BedrockTransport` each own their own format conversion and API shape. Native AWS Bedrock support via the Converse API ships on top of the new abstraction. ([#10549](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10549), [#13347](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13347), [#13366](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13366), [#13430](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13430), [#13805](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13805), [#13814](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13814) — @kshitijk4poor + Teknium)
- **Five new inference paths** — Native NVIDIA NIM ([#11774](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11774)), Arcee AI ([#9276](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9276)), Step Plan ([#13893](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13893)), Google Gemini CLI OAuth ([#11270](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11270)), and Vercel ai-gateway with pricing + dynamic discovery ([#13223](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13223) — @jerilynzheng). Plus Gemini routed through the native AI Studio API for better performance ([#12674](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12674)).
- **GPT-5.5 over Codex OAuth** — OpenAI's new GPT-5.5 reasoning model is now available through your ChatGPT Codex OAuth, with live model discovery wired into the model picker so new OpenAI releases show up without catalog updates. ([#14720](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14720))
- **QQBot — 17th supported platform** — Native QQBot adapter via QQ Official API v2, with QR scan-to-configure setup wizard, streaming cursor, emoji reactions, and DM/group policy gating that matches WeCom/Weixin parity. ([#9364](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9364), [#11831](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11831))
- **Plugin surface expanded** — Plugins can now register slash commands (`register_command`), dispatch tools directly (`dispatch_tool`), block tool execution from hooks (`pre_tool_call` can veto), rewrite tool results (`transform_tool_result`), transform terminal output (`transform_terminal_output`), ship image_gen backends, and add custom dashboard tabs. The bundled disk-cleanup plugin is opt-in by default as a reference implementation. ([#9377](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9377), [#10626](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10626), [#10763](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10763), [#10951](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10951), [#12929](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12929), [#12944](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12944), [#12972](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12972), [#13799](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13799), [#14175](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14175))
- **`/steer` — mid-run agent nudges** — `/steer <prompt>` injects a note that the running agent sees after its next tool call, without interrupting the turn or breaking prompt cache. For when you want to course-correct an agent in-flight. ([#12116](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12116))
- **Shell hooks** — Wire any shell script as a Hermes lifecycle hook (pre_tool_call, post_tool_call, on_session_start, etc.) without writing a Python plugin. ([#13296](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13296))
- **Webhook direct-delivery mode** — Webhook subscriptions can now forward payloads straight to a platform chat without going through the agent — zero-LLM push notifications for alerting, uptime checks, and event streams. ([#12473](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12473))
- **Smarter delegation** — Subagents now have an explicit `orchestrator` role that can spawn their own workers, with configurable `max_spawn_depth` (default flat). Concurrent sibling subagents share filesystem state through a file-coordination layer so they don't clobber each other's edits. ([#13691](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13691), [#13718](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13718))
- **Auxiliary models — configurable UI + main-model-first** — `hermes model` has a dedicated "Configure auxiliary models" screen for per-task overrides (compression, vision, session_search, title_generation). `auto` routing now defaults to the main model for side tasks across all users (previously aggregator users were silently routed to a cheap provider-side default). ([#11891](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11891), [#11900](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11900))
- **Dashboard plugin system + live theme switching** — The web dashboard is now extensible. Third-party plugins can add custom tabs, widgets, and views without forking. Paired with a live-switching theme system — themes now control colors, fonts, layout, and density — so users can hot-swap the dashboard look without a reload. Same theming discipline the CLI has, now on the web. ([#10951](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10951), [#10687](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10687), [#14725](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14725))
- **Dashboard polish** — i18n (English + Chinese), react-router sidebar layout, mobile-responsive, Vercel deployment, real per-session API call tracking, and one-click update + gateway restart buttons. ([#9228](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9228), [#9370](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9370), [#9453](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9453), [#10686](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10686), [#13526](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13526), [#14004](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14004) — @austinpickett + @DeployFaith + Teknium)
---
## 🏗️ Core Agent & Architecture
### Transport Layer (NEW)
- **Transport ABC** abstracts format conversion and HTTP transport from `run_agent.py` into `agent/transports/` ([#13347](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13347))
- **AnthropicTransport** — Anthropic Messages API path ([#13366](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13366), @kshitijk4poor)
- **ChatCompletionsTransport** — default path for OpenAI-compatible providers ([#13805](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13805))
- **ResponsesApiTransport** — OpenAI Responses API + Codex build_kwargs wiring ([#13430](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13430), @kshitijk4poor)
- **BedrockTransport** — AWS Bedrock Converse API transport ([#13814](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13814))
### Provider & Model Support
- **Native AWS Bedrock provider** via Converse API ([#10549](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10549))
- **NVIDIA NIM native provider** (salvage of #11703) ([#11774](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11774))
- **Arcee AI direct provider** ([#9276](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9276))
- **Step Plan provider** (salvage #6005) ([#13893](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13893), @kshitijk4poor)
- **Google Gemini CLI OAuth** inference provider ([#11270](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11270))
- **Vercel ai-gateway** with pricing, attribution, and dynamic discovery ([#13223](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13223), @jerilynzheng)
- **GPT-5.5 over Codex OAuth** with live model discovery in the picker ([#14720](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14720))
- **Gemini routed through native AI Studio API** ([#12674](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12674))
- **xAI Grok upgraded to Responses API** ([#10783](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10783))
- **Ollama improvements** — Cloud provider support, GLM continuation, `think=false` control, surrogate sanitization, `/v1` hint ([#10782](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10782))
- **Kimi K2.6** across OpenRouter, Nous Portal, native Kimi, and HuggingFace ([#13148](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13148), [#13152](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13152), [#13169](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13169))
- **Kimi K2.5** promoted to first position in all model suggestion lists ([#11745](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11745), @kshitijk4poor)
- **Xiaomi MiMo v2.5-pro + v2.5** on OpenRouter, Nous Portal, and native ([#14184](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14184), [#14635](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14635), @kshitijk4poor)
- **GLM-5V-Turbo** for coding plan ([#9907](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9907))
- **Claude Opus 4.7** in Nous Portal catalog ([#11398](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11398))
- **OpenRouter elephant-alpha** in curated lists ([#9378](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9378))
- **OpenCode-Go** — Kimi K2.6 and Qwen3.5/3.6 Plus in curated catalog ([#13429](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13429))
- **minimax/minimax-m2.5:free** in OpenRouter catalog ([#13836](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13836))
- **`/model` merges models.dev entries** for lesser-loved providers ([#14221](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14221))
- **Per-provider + per-model `request_timeout_seconds`** config ([#12652](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12652))
- **Configurable API retry count** via `agent.api_max_retries` ([#14730](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14730))
- **ctx_size context length key** for Lemonade server (salvage #8536) ([#14215](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14215))
- **Custom provider display name prompt** ([#9420](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9420))
- **Recommendation badges** on tool provider selection ([#9929](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9929))
- Fix: correct GPT-5 family context lengths in fallback defaults ([#9309](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9309))
- Fix: clamp `minimal` reasoning effort to `low` on Responses API ([#9429](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9429))
- Fix: strip reasoning item IDs from Responses API input when `store=False` ([#10217](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10217))
- Fix: OpenViking correct account default + commit session on `/new` and compress ([#10463](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10463))
- Fix: Kimi `/coding` thinking block survival + empty reasoning_content + block ordering (multiple PRs)
- Fix: don't send Anthropic thinking to api.kimi.com/coding ([#13826](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13826))
- Fix: send `max_tokens`, `reasoning_effort`, and `thinking` for Kimi/Moonshot
- Fix: stream reasoning content through OpenAI-compatible providers that emit it
### Agent Loop & Conversation
- **`/steer <prompt>`** — mid-run agent nudges after next tool call ([#12116](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12116))
- **Orchestrator role + configurable spawn depth** for `delegate_task` (default flat) ([#13691](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13691))
- **Cross-agent file state coordination** for concurrent subagents ([#13718](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13718))
- **Compressor smart collapse, dedup, anti-thrashing**, template upgrade, hardening ([#10088](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10088))
- **Compression summaries respect the conversation's language** ([#12556](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12556))
- **Compression model falls back to main model** on permanent 503/404 ([#10093](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10093))
- **Auto-continue interrupted agent work** after gateway restart ([#9934](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9934))
- **Activity heartbeats** prevent false gateway inactivity timeouts ([#10501](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10501))
- **Auxiliary models UI** — dedicated screen for per-task overrides ([#11891](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11891))
- **Auxiliary auto routing defaults to main model** for all users ([#11900](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11900))
- **PLATFORM_HINTS for Matrix, Mattermost, Feishu** ([#14428](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14428), @alt-glitch)
- Fix: reset retry counters after compression; stop poisoning conversation history ([#10055](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10055))
- Fix: break compression-exhaustion infinite loop and auto-reset session ([#10063](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10063))
- Fix: stale agent timeout, uv venv detection, empty response after tools ([#10065](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10065))
- Fix: prevent premature loop exit when weak models return empty after substantive tool calls ([#10472](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10472))
- Fix: preserve pre-start terminal interrupts ([#10504](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10504))
- Fix: improve interrupt responsiveness during concurrent tool execution ([#10935](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10935))
- Fix: word-wrap spinner, interruptable agent join, and delegate_task interrupt ([#10940](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10940))
- Fix: `/stop` no longer resets the session ([#9224](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9224))
- Fix: honor interrupts during MCP tool waits ([#9382](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9382), @helix4u)
- Fix: break stuck session resume loops after repeated restarts ([#9941](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9941))
- Fix: empty response nudge crash + placeholder leak to cron targets ([#11021](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11021))
- Fix: streaming cursor sanitization to prevent message truncation (multiple PRs)
- Fix: resolve `context_length` for plugin context engines ([#9238](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9238))
### Session & Memory
- **Auto-prune old sessions + VACUUM state.db** at startup ([#13861](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13861))
- **Honcho overhaul** — context injection, 5-tool surface, cost safety, session isolation ([#10619](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10619))
- **Hindsight richer session-scoped retain metadata** (salvage of #6290) ([#13987](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13987))
- Fix: deduplicate memory provider tools to prevent 400 on strict providers ([#10511](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10511))
- Fix: discover user-installed memory providers from `$HERMES_HOME/plugins/` ([#10529](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10529))
- Fix: add `on_memory_write` bridge to sequential tool execution path ([#10507](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10507))
- Fix: preserve `session_id` across `previous_response_id` chains in `/v1/responses` ([#10059](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10059))
---
## 🖥️ New Ink-based TUI
A full React/Ink rewrite of the interactive CLI — invoked via `hermes --tui` or `HERMES_TUI=1`. Shipped across ~310 commits to `ui-tui/` and `tui_gateway/`.
### TUI Foundations
- New TUI based on Ink + Python JSON-RPC backend
- Prettier + ESLint + vitest tooling for `ui-tui/`
- Entry split between `src/entry.tsx` (TTY gate) and `src/app.tsx` (state machine)
- Persistent `_SlashWorker` subprocess for slash command dispatch
### UX & Features
- **Stable picker keys, /clear confirm, light-theme preset** ([#12312](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12312), @OutThisLife)
- **Git branch in status bar** cwd label ([#12305](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12305), @OutThisLife)
- **Per-turn elapsed stopwatch in FaceTicker + done-in sys line** ([#13105](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13105), @OutThisLife)
- **Subagent spawn observability overlay** ([#14045](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14045), @OutThisLife)
- **Per-prompt elapsed stopwatch in status bar** ([#12948](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12948))
- Sticky composer that freezes during scroll
- OSC-52 clipboard support for copy across SSH sessions
- Virtualized history rendering for performance
- Slash command autocomplete via `complete.slash` RPC
- Path autocomplete via `complete.path` RPC
- Dozens of resize/ghosting/sticky-prompt fixes landed through the week
### Structural Refactors
- Decomposed `app.tsx` into `app/event-handler`, `app/slash-handler`, `app/stores`, `app/hooks` ([#14640](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14640) and surrounding)
- Component split: `branding.tsx`, `markdown.tsx`, `prompts.tsx`, `sessionPicker.tsx`, `messageLine.tsx`, `thinking.tsx`, `maskedPrompt.tsx`
- Hook split: `useCompletion`, `useInputHistory`, `useQueue`, `useVirtualHistory`
---
## 📱 Messaging Platforms (Gateway)
### New Platforms
- **QQBot (17th platform)** — QQ Official API v2 adapter with QR setup, streaming, package split ([#9364](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9364), [#11831](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11831))
### Telegram
- **Dedicated `TELEGRAM_PROXY` env var + config.yaml proxy support** (closes #9414, #6530, #9074, #7786) ([#10681](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10681))
- **`ignored_threads` config** for Telegram groups ([#9530](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9530))
- **Config option to disable link previews** (closes #8728) ([#10610](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10610))
- **Auto-wrap markdown tables** in code blocks ([#11794](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11794))
- Fix: prevent duplicate replies when stream task is cancelled ([#9319](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9319))
- Fix: prevent streaming cursor (▉) from appearing as standalone messages ([#9538](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9538))
- Fix: retry transient tool sends + cold-boot budget ([#10947](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10947))
- Fix: Markdown special char escaping in `send_exec_approval`
- Fix: parentheses in URLs during MarkdownV2 link conversion
- Fix: Unicode dash normalization in model switch (closes iOS smart-punctuation issue)
- Many platform hint / streaming / session-key fixes
### Discord
- **Forum channel support** (salvage of #10145 + media + polish) ([#11920](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11920))
- **`DISCORD_ALLOWED_ROLES`** for role-based access control ([#11608](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11608))
- **Config option to disable slash commands** (salvage #13130) ([#14315](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14315))
- **Native `send_animation`** for inline GIF playback ([#10283](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10283))
- **`send_message` Discord media attachments** ([#10246](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10246))
- **`/skill` command group** with category subcommands ([#9909](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9909))
- **Extract reply text from message references** ([#9781](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9781))
### Feishu
- **Intelligent reply on document comments** with 3-tier access control ([#11898](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11898))
- **Show processing state via reactions** on user messages ([#12927](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12927))
- **Preserve @mention context for agent consumption** (salvage #13874) ([#14167](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14167))
### DingTalk
- **`require_mention` + `allowed_users` gating** (parity with Slack/Telegram/Discord) ([#11564](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11564))
- **QR-code device-flow authorization** for setup wizard ([#11574](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11574))
- **AI Cards streaming, emoji reactions, and media handling** (salvage of #10985) ([#11910](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11910))
### WhatsApp
- **`send_voice`** — native audio message delivery ([#13002](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13002))
- **`dm_policy` and `group_policy`** parity with WeCom/Weixin/QQ adapters ([#13151](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13151))
### WeCom / Weixin
- **WeCom QR-scan bot creation + interactive setup wizard** (salvage #13923) ([#13961](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13961))
### Signal
- **Media delivery support** via `send_message` ([#13178](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13178))
### Slack
- **Per-thread sessions for DMs by default** ([#10987](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10987))
### BlueBubbles (iMessage)
- Group chat session separation, webhook registration & auth fixes ([#9806](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9806))
### Gateway Core
- **Gateway proxy mode** — forward messages to a remote API server ([#9787](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9787))
- **Per-channel ephemeral prompts** (Discord, Telegram, Slack, Mattermost) ([#10564](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10564))
- **Surface plugin slash commands** natively on all platforms + decision-capable command hook ([#14175](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14175))
- **Support document/archive extensions in MEDIA: tag extraction** (salvage #8255) ([#14307](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14307))
- **Recognize `.pdf` in MEDIA: tag extraction** ([#13683](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13683))
- **`--all` flag for `gateway start` and `restart`** ([#10043](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10043))
- **Notify active sessions on gateway shutdown** + update health check ([#9850](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9850))
- **Block agent from self-destructing the gateway** via terminal (closes #6666) ([#9895](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9895))
- Fix: suppress duplicate replies on interrupt and streaming flood control ([#10235](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10235))
- Fix: close temporary agents after one-off tasks ([#11028](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11028), @kshitijk4poor)
- Fix: busy-session ack when user messages during active agent run ([#10068](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10068))
- Fix: route watch-pattern notifications to the originating session ([#10460](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10460))
- Fix: preserve notify context in executor threads ([#10921](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10921), @kshitijk4poor)
- Fix: avoid duplicate replies after interrupted long tasks ([#11018](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11018))
- Fix: unlink stale PID + lock files on cleanup
- Fix: force-unlink stale PID file after `--replace` takeover
---
## 🔧 Tool System
### Plugin Surface (major expansion)
- **`register_command()`** — plugins can now add slash commands ([#10626](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10626))
- **`dispatch_tool()`** — plugins can invoke tools from their code ([#10763](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10763))
- **`pre_tool_call` blocking** — plugins can veto tool execution ([#9377](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9377))
- **`transform_tool_result`** — plugins rewrite tool results generically ([#12972](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12972))
- **`transform_terminal_output`** — plugins rewrite terminal tool output ([#12929](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12929))
- **Namespaced skill registration** for plugin skill bundles ([#9786](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9786))
- **Opt-in-by-default + bundled disk-cleanup plugin** (salvage #12212) ([#12944](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12944))
- **Pluggable `image_gen` backends + OpenAI provider** ([#13799](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13799))
- **`openai-codex` image_gen plugin** (gpt-image-2 via Codex OAuth) ([#14317](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14317))
- **Shell hooks** — wire shell scripts as hook callbacks ([#13296](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13296))
### Browser
- **`browser_cdp` raw DevTools Protocol passthrough** ([#12369](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12369))
- Camofox hardening + connection stability across the window
### Execute Code
- **Project/strict execution modes** (default: project) ([#11971](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11971))
### Image Generation
- **Multi-model FAL support** with picker in `hermes tools` ([#11265](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11265))
- **Recraft V3 → V4 Pro, Nano Banana → Pro upgrades** ([#11406](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11406))
- **GPT Image 2** in FAL catalog ([#13677](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13677))
- **xAI image generation provider** (grok-imagine-image) ([#14765](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14765))
### TTS / STT / Voice
- **Google Gemini TTS provider** ([#11229](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11229))
- **xAI Grok STT provider** ([#14473](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14473))
- **xAI TTS** (shipped with Responses API upgrade) ([#10783](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10783))
- **KittenTTS local provider** (salvage of #2109) ([#13395](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13395))
- **CLI record beep toggle** ([#13247](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13247), @helix4u)
### Webhook / Cron
- **Webhook direct-delivery mode** — zero-LLM push notifications ([#12473](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12473))
- **Cron `wakeAgent` gate** — scripts can skip the agent entirely ([#12373](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12373))
- **Cron per-job `enabled_toolsets`** — cap token overhead + cost per job ([#14767](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14767))
### Delegate
- **Orchestrator role** + configurable spawn depth (default flat) ([#13691](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13691))
- **Cross-agent file state coordination** ([#13718](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13718))
### File / Patch
- **`patch` — "did you mean?" feedback** when patch fails to match ([#13435](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13435))
### API Server
- **Stream `/v1/responses` SSE tool events** (salvage #9779) ([#10049](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10049))
- **Inline image inputs** on `/v1/chat/completions` and `/v1/responses` ([#12969](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12969))
### Docker / Podman
- **Entry-level Podman support** — `find_docker()` + rootless entrypoint ([#10066](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10066))
- **Add docker-cli to Docker image** (salvage #10096) ([#14232](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14232))
- **File-sync back to host on teardown** (salvage of #8189 + hardening) ([#11291](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11291))
### MCP
- 12 MCP improvements across the window (status, timeout handling, tool-call forwarding, etc.)
---
## 🧩 Skills Ecosystem
### Skill System
- **Namespaced skill registration** for plugin bundles ([#9786](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9786))
- **`hermes skills reset`** to un-stick bundled skills ([#11468](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11468))
- **Skills guard opt-in** — `config.skills.guard_agent_created` (default off) ([#14557](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14557))
- **Bundled skill scripts runnable out of the box** ([#13384](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13384))
- **`xitter` replaced with `xurl`** — the official X API CLI ([#12303](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12303))
- **MiniMax-AI/cli as default skill tap** (salvage #7501) ([#14493](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14493))
- **Fuzzy `@` file completions + mtime sorting** ([#9467](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9467))
### New Skills
- **concept-diagrams** (salvage of #11045, @v1k22) ([#11363](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11363))
- **architecture-diagram** (Cocoon AI port) ([#9906](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9906))
- **pixel-art** with hardware palettes and video animation ([#12663](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12663), [#12725](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12725))
- **baoyu-comic** ([#13257](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13257), @JimLiu)
- **baoyu-infographic** — 21 layouts × 21 styles (salvage #9901) ([#12254](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12254))
- **page-agent** — embed Alibaba's in-page GUI agent in your webapp ([#13976](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13976))
- **fitness-nutrition** optional skill + optional env var support ([#9355](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9355))
- **drug-discovery** — ChEMBL, PubChem, OpenFDA, ADMET ([#9443](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9443))
- **touchdesigner-mcp** (salvage of #10081) ([#12298](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12298))
- **adversarial-ux-test** optional skill (salvage of #2494, @omnissiah-comelse) ([#13425](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13425))
- **maps** — added `guest_house`, `camp_site`, and dual-key bakery lookup ([#13398](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13398))
- **llm-wiki** — port provenance markers, source hashing, and quality signals ([#13700](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13700))
---
## 📊 Web Dashboard
- **i18n (English + Chinese) language switcher** ([#9453](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9453))
- **Live-switching theme system** ([#10687](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10687))
- **Dashboard plugin system** — extend the web UI with custom tabs ([#10951](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10951))
- **react-router, sidebar layout, sticky header, dropdown component** ([#9370](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9370), @austinpickett)
- **Responsive for mobile** ([#9228](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9228), @DeployFaith)
- **Vercel deployment** ([#10686](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10686), [#11061](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11061), @austinpickett)
- **Context window config support** ([#9357](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9357))
- **HTTP health probe for cross-container gateway detection** ([#9894](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9894))
- **Update + restart gateway buttons** ([#13526](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13526), @austinpickett)
- **Real API call count per session** (salvages #10140) ([#14004](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14004))
---
## 🖱️ CLI & User Experience
- **Dynamic shell completion for bash, zsh, and fish** ([#9785](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9785))
- **Light-mode skins + skin-aware completion menus** ([#9461](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9461))
- **Numbered keyboard shortcuts** on approval and clarify prompts ([#13416](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13416))
- **Markdown stripping, compact multiline previews, external editor** ([#12934](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/12934))
- **`--ignore-user-config` and `--ignore-rules` flags** (port codex#18646) ([#14277](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14277))
- **Account limits section in `/usage`** ([#13428](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/13428))
- **Doctor: Command Installation check** for `hermes` bin symlink ([#10112](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10112))
- **ESC cancels secret/sudo prompts**, clearer skip messaging ([#9902](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9902))
- Fix: agent-facing text uses `display_hermes_home()` instead of hardcoded `~/.hermes` ([#10285](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10285))
- Fix: enforce `config.yaml` as sole CWD source + deprecate `.env` CWD vars + add `hermes memory reset` ([#11029](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11029))
---
## 🔒 Security & Reliability
- **Global toggle to allow private/internal URL resolution** ([#14166](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/14166))
- **Block agent from self-destructing the gateway** via terminal (closes #6666) ([#9895](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9895))
- **Telegram callback authorization** on update prompts ([#10536](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10536))
- **SECURITY.md** added ([#10532](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10532), @I3eg1nner)
- **Warn about legacy hermes.service units** during `hermes update` ([#11918](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/11918))
- **Complete ASCII-locale UnicodeEncodeError recovery** for `api_messages`/`reasoning_content` (closes #6843) ([#10537](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10537))
- **Prevent stale `os.environ` leak** after `clear_session_vars` ([#10527](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10527))
- **Prevent agent hang when backgrounding processes** via terminal tool ([#10584](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10584))
- Many smaller session-resume, interrupt, streaming, and memory-race fixes throughout the window
---
## 🐛 Notable Bug Fixes
The `fix:` category in this window covers 482 PRs. Highlights:
- Streaming cursor artifacts filtered from Matrix, Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord (multiple PRs)
- `<think>` and `<thought>` blocks filtered from gateway stream consumers ([#9408](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9408))
- Gateway display.streaming root-config override regression ([#9799](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9799))
- Context `session_search` coerces limit to int (prevents TypeError) ([#10522](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10522))
- Memory tool stays available when `fcntl` is unavailable (Windows) ([#9783](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9783))
- Trajectory compressor credentials load from `HERMES_HOME/.env` ([#9632](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9632), @Dusk1e)
- `@_context_completions` no longer crashes on `@` mention ([#9683](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9683), @kshitijk4poor)
- Group session `user_id` no longer treated as `thread_id` in shutdown notifications ([#10546](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10546))
- Telegram `platform_hint` — markdown is supported (closes #8261) ([#10612](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10612))
- Doctor checks for Kimi China credentials fixed
- Streaming: don't suppress final response when commentary message is sent ([#10540](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/10540))
- Rapid Telegram follow-ups no longer get cut off
---
## 🧪 Testing & CI
- **Contributor attribution CI check** on PRs ([#9376](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/9376))
- Hermetic test parity (`scripts/run_tests.sh`) held across this window
- Test count stabilized post-Transport refactor; CI matrix held green through the transport rollout
---
## 📚 Documentation
- Atropos + wandb links in user guide
- ACP / VS Code / Zed / JetBrains integration docs refresh
- Webhook subscription docs updated for direct-delivery mode
- Plugin author guide expanded for new hooks (`register_command`, `dispatch_tool`, `transform_tool_result`)
- Transport layer developer guide added
- Website removed Discussions link from README
---
## 👥 Contributors
### Core
- **@teknium1** (Teknium)
### Top Community Contributors (by merged PR count)
- **@kshitijk4poor** — 49 PRs · Transport refactor (AnthropicTransport, ResponsesApiTransport), Step Plan provider, Xiaomi MiMo v2.5 support, numerous gateway fixes, promoted Kimi K2.5, @ mention crash fix
- **@OutThisLife** (Brooklyn) — 31 PRs · TUI polish, git branch in status bar, per-turn stopwatch, stable picker keys, `/clear` confirm, light-theme preset, subagent spawn observability overlay
- **@helix4u** — 11 PRs · Voice CLI record beep, MCP tool interrupt handling, assorted stability fixes
- **@austinpickett** — 8 PRs · Dashboard react-router + sidebar + sticky header + dropdown, Vercel deployment, update + restart buttons
- **@alt-glitch** — 8 PRs · PLATFORM_HINTS for Matrix/Mattermost/Feishu, Matrix fixes
- **@ethernet8023** — 3 PRs
- **@benbarclay** — 3 PRs
- **@Aslaaen** — 2 PRs
### Also contributing
@jerilynzheng (ai-gateway pricing), @JimLiu (baoyu-comic skill), @Dusk1e (trajectory compressor credentials), @DeployFaith (mobile-responsive dashboard), @LeonSGP43, @v1k22 (concept-diagrams), @omnissiah-comelse (adversarial-ux-test), @coekfung (Telegram MarkdownV2 expandable blockquotes), @liftaris (TUI provider resolution), @arihantsethia (skill analytics dashboard), @topcheer + @xing8star (QQBot foundation), @kovyrin, @I3eg1nner (SECURITY.md), @PeterBerthelsen, @lengxii, @priveperfumes, @sjz-ks, @cuyua9, @Disaster-Terminator, @leozeli, @LehaoLin, @trevthefoolish, @loongfay, @MrNiceRicee, @WideLee, @bluefishs, @malaiwah, @bobashopcashier, @dsocolobsky, @iamagenius00, @IAvecilla, @aniruddhaadak80, @Es1la, @asheriif, @walli, @jquesnelle (original Tool Gateway work).
### All Contributors (alphabetical)
@0xyg3n, @10ishq, @A-afflatus, @Abnertheforeman, @admin28980, @adybag14-cyber, @akhater, @alexzhu0,
@AllardQuek, @alt-glitch, @aniruddhaadak80, @anna-oake, @anniesurla, @anthhub, @areu01or00, @arihantsethia,
@arthurbr11, @asheriif, @Aslaaen, @Asunfly, @austinpickett, @AviArora02-commits, @AxDSan, @azhengbot, @Bartok9,
@benbarclay, @bennytimz, @bernylinville, @bingo906, @binhnt92, @bkadish, @bluefishs, @bobashopcashier,
@brantzh6, @BrennerSpear, @brianclemens, @briandevans, @brooklynnicholson, @bugkill3r, @buray, @burtenshaw,
@cdanis, @cgarwood82, @ChimingLiu, @chongweiliu, @christopherwoodall, @coekfung, @cola-runner, @corazzione,
@counterposition, @cresslank, @cuyua9, @cypres0099, @danieldoderlein, @davetist, @davidvv, @DeployFaith,
@Dev-Mriganka, @devorun, @dieutx, @Disaster-Terminator, @dodo-reach, @draix, @DrStrangerUJN, @dsocolobsky,
@Dusk1e, @dyxushuai, @elkimek, @elmatadorgh, @emozilla, @entropidelic, @Erosika, @erosika, @Es1la, @etcircle,
@etherman-os, @ethernet8023, @fancydirty, @farion1231, @fatinghenji, @Fatty911, @fengtianyu88, @Feranmi10,
@flobo3, @francip, @fuleinist, @g-guthrie, @GenKoKo, @gianfrancopiana, @gnanam1990, @GuyCui, @haileymarshall,
@haimu0x, @handsdiff, @hansnow, @hedgeho9X, @helix4u, @hengm3467, @HenkDz, @heykb, @hharry11, @HiddenPuppy,
@honghua, @houko, @houziershi, @hsy5571616, @huangke19, @hxp-plus, @Hypn0sis, @I3eg1nner, @iacker,
@iamagenius00, @IAvecilla, @iborazzi, @Ifkellx, @ifrederico, @imink, @isaachuangGMICLOUD, @ismell0992-afk,
@j0sephz, @Jaaneek, @jackjin1997, @JackTheGit, @jaffarkeikei, @jerilynzheng, @JiaDe-Wu, @Jiawen-lee, @JimLiu,
@jinzheng8115, @jneeee, @jplew, @jquesnelle, @Julientalbot, @Junass1, @jvcl, @kagura-agent, @keifergu,
@kevinskysunny, @keyuyuan, @konsisumer, @kovyrin, @kshitijk4poor, @leeyang1990, @LehaoLin, @lengxii,
@LeonSGP43, @leozeli, @li0near, @liftaris, @Lind3ey, @Linux2010, @liujinkun2025, @LLQWQ, @Llugaes, @lmoncany,
@longsizhuo, @lrawnsley, @Lubrsy706, @lumenradley, @luyao618, @lvnilesh, @LVT382009, @m0n5t3r, @Magaav,
@MagicRay1217, @malaiwah, @manuelschipper, @Marvae, @MassiveMassimo, @mavrickdeveloper, @maxchernin, @memosr,
@meng93, @mengjian-github, @MestreY0d4-Uninter, @Mibayy, @MikeFac, @mikewaters, @milkoor, @minorgod,
@MrNiceRicee, @ms-alan, @mvanhorn, @n-WN, @N0nb0at, @Nan93, @NIDNASSER-Abdelmajid, @nish3451, @niyoh120,
@nocoo, @nosleepcassette, @NousResearch, @ogzerber, @omnissiah-comelse, @Only-Code-A, @opriz, @OwenYWT, @pedh,
@pefontana, @PeterBerthelsen, @phpoh, @pinion05, @plgonzalezrx8, @pradeep7127, @priveperfumes,
@projectadmin-dev, @PStarH, @rnijhara, @Roy-oss1, @roytian1217, @RucchiZ, @Ruzzgar, @RyanLee-Dev, @Salt-555,
@Sanjays2402, @sgaofen, @sharziki, @shenuu, @shin4, @SHL0MS, @shushuzn, @sicnuyudidi, @simon-gtcl,
@simon-marcus, @sirEven, @Sisyphus, @sjz-ks, @snreynolds, @Societus, @Somme4096, @sontianye, @sprmn24,
@StefanIsMe, @stephenschoettler, @Swift42, @taeng0204, @taeuk178, @tannerfokkens-maker, @TaroballzChen,
@ten-ltw, @teyrebaz33, @Tianworld, @topcheer, @Tranquil-Flow, @trevthefoolish, @TroyMitchell911, @UNLINEARITY,
@v1k22, @vivganes, @vominh1919, @vrinek, @VTRiot, @WadydX, @walli, @wenhao7, @WhiteWorld, @WideLee, @wujhsu,
@WuTianyi123, @Wysie, @xandersbell, @xiaoqiang243, @xiayh0107, @xinpengdr, @Xowiek, @ycbai, @yeyitech, @ygd58,
@youngDoo, @yudaiyan, @Yukipukii1, @yule975, @yyq4193, @yzx9, @ZaynJarvis, @zhang9w0v5, @zhanggttry,
@zhangxicen, @zhongyueming1121, @zhouxiaoya12, @zons-zhaozhy
Also: @maelrx, @Marco Rutsch, @MaxsolcuCrypto, @Mind-Dragon, @Paul Bergeron, @say8hi, @whitehatjr1001.
---
**Full Changelog**: [v2026.4.13...v2026.4.23](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/compare/v2026.4.13...v2026.4.23)
View on GitHub ↗ 02 ⚡
Power Tips
Task descriptions, plans, checkpoints ⚡
Quick Wins
01
hermes init first, always
Without hermes.config.json, Hermes uses defaults that probably don't match your stack. The init wizard takes 2 minutes and makes every subsequent task dramatically more accurate.
02
--dry-run before you execute
Hermes is autonomous. See the full plan before any files are touched. This is especially important for refactors, migrations, and anything involving multiple files.
hermes "your task" --dry-run
03
Specific descriptions = better plans
Vague: "improve auth." Specific: "Add rate limiting to POST /api/auth/login — max 5 requests per minute per IP, return 429 with Retry-After header." Specificity is everything.
04
Read the execution log when things go wrong
Hermes logs every step of its execution. When a task doesn't go as expected, the log tells you exactly what happened and where it diverged from the plan.
hermes log
05
Checkpoint saves mid-task state
For long-running operations, checkpoint at meaningful milestones. If something goes wrong later, you can resume from the checkpoint instead of starting over.
hermes checkpoint
06
--model swaps the underlying model
Use a cheaper model for exploration and planning tasks, a smarter one for actual implementation. You're not locked into one model for the whole workflow.
hermes --model claude-opus-4-6 "your task"
🔍
Hidden Features
📋
YAML workflow plans for repeatable tasks
Write a .hermes/workflow.yaml that describes a multi-step process. Hermes executes it deterministically every time — great for deployment pipelines, onboarding scripts, and anything you'd otherwise document as a manual runbook.
🔌
Tool plugins extend what Hermes can do
Hermes has a plugin system for tools. Add plugins for your database CLI, cloud provider, test framework, or any other tool you use. Hermes can then invoke them directly as part of its execution plans.
🔁
Resume from checkpoint after interruption
Long tasks get interrupted — network drops, rate limits, system sleep. Checkpoints let Hermes resume exactly where it left off without re-running everything from the start.
hermes resume --checkpoint latest 💀
Common Mistakes
☠️
Skipping --dry-run on first tasks
Hermes is autonomous and will make real changes immediately. Running without --dry-run on a task you haven't validated means you're discovering the plan by watching it execute.
Always --dry-run on any task that modifies files. No exceptions until you know the tool well. ☠️
Vague task descriptions
Vague input = vague plan = vague output. Hermes is only as good as the task description you give it. Ambiguous tasks produce generic results.
Include: what to change, where (file/function), the expected behaviour, and any constraints. ☠️
No checkpoint on long tasks
A 15-minute task that gets interrupted at minute 12 has to start over. That's avoidable.
Run hermes checkpoint at logical milestones during long operations. 03 📋
Command Reference
Flags and commandsCLI Flags
--dry-run Show the execution plan without modifying any files.
--interactive Start an interactive session with back-and-forth conversation.
--scope Restrict file access to a specific path. Hermes cannot read or edit outside this path.
--task Read the task description from a file (markdown or plain text).
--max-steps Maximum number of agent iterations before stopping.
--model Override the model for this task.
--output-json Ask Hermes to return structured JSON output.
--parallel Run multiple task files concurrently.
Daily Workflows
One-shot task execution hermes 'fix all TypeScript errors in src/'
Interactive mode hermes --interactive
Dry run — see the plan without executing hermes --dry-run 'refactor auth module'
Run from a task file hermes --task tasks/migrate-db.md
Limit scope to specific paths hermes --scope src/lib/ 'refactor the utilities'
Check what Hermes did cat hermes.log or hermes log --last
⚡ Power Moves
Chain tasks with a pipeline file hermes --pipeline pipeline.yaml
Use hermes.context.md for persistent instructions Create hermes.context.md at project root
Capture structured output hermes --output-json 'list all API endpoints as JSON'
Parallel task execution hermes --parallel tasks/a.md tasks/b.md tasks/c.md