A AI Agents Guide
← All guides
Nous Research · PRACTICAL GUIDE

Hermes Agent

An autonomous agent from Nous Research with coding tools, multiple model providers, skills, memory, gateways, and desktop support.

Before you start
Use a trusted project, back up your work, and review changes and commands before accepting them.
Where Freebuff fits
Freebuff is a separate free AI coding platform. It does not provide Hermes as a free mode. Use Hermes through its own supported providers and setup.

What it is and what it does

Hermes is an autonomous agent that can work with coding tools, models from different providers, skills, memory, browser tools, and messaging gateways. It can run locally or on remote infrastructure. Treat tools and credentials as explicit capabilities and enable only what you need.

Install

Use the official desktop package on macOS or Windows, or use the CLI installer when you want a terminal only setup.

Windows

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

Native CLI install. Windows 10 and 11 are supported; the MSIX desktop package requires Windows 11 22H2 or later.

macOS

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

CLI install. The desktop package supports Apple Silicon Macs.

Linux / WSL2

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

Official CLI path. Android through Termux has a separate installation path.

Official instructions: Open Hermes documentation ↗

First time setup

  1. Run hermes setup for the setup wizard.
  2. Use hermes model to choose or configure a provider.
  3. Use hermes tools to configure available tools.
  4. For the Nous Portal path, hermes setup --portal provides guided OAuth and provider setup.
Access: Hermes is not presented as a free service. You can connect supported providers, including your own API credentials, or use the Nous Portal subscription path. Hermes requires a model with at least 64K context.

Run in a project folder

  1. Open a terminal in the project directory.
  2. Run hermes to start chatting.
  3. Ask for a read only overview before allowing edits.
Good first task: Get one clean conversation working before adding gateways, scheduled jobs, skills, or other advanced features.

Copy ready prompts

Replace bracketed details with your goal, constraints, or error message.

01 · Explore

Inspect this project and explain its checks. Do not edit.

02 · Debug

Find where [behavior] lives and report the relevant files first.

03 · Build

Fix [bug] minimally and run a focused check.

04 · Review

Implement [feature] and ask before dependency changes.

05 · Test

Review my Git diff for risks. Do not edit.

06 · Refine

Add tests for [cases] and report the results.

07 · Diagnose

Trace this error [paste] and suggest a reproducible fix.

08 · Document

Document verified setup commands only.

Common errors and fixes

hermes not found

Reload your shell and check the official install path.

Provider missing

Run hermes model or hermes setup and configure a supported provider.

Tools unavailable

Run hermes tools and check the provider or tool configuration.

Unexpected changes

Stop the task and review the enabled tools, project scope, and terminal configuration.

Tips for best results

  • Treat tools as explicit capabilities.
  • Start with one working conversation.
  • Use small tasks.
  • Verify checks.
  • Protect credentials.
Review loop: Describe task → inspect plan → review diff → run checks → focused follow up.
Last verified: October 8, 2026. Features, providers, and installation methods change over time. Refer to the official source for current support.