How Hermes works
What happens when you send Hermes a message
- User message. You message Hermes from the desktop app, Telegram, or another app.
- Gateway routes it. The gateway passes messages from Telegram into Hermes.
- Model plans next step. GPT, Claude, or another model decides what to do.
- Tools do the work. Hermes can search, edit files, check memory, or reply.
- Memory + skills improve. Hermes saves useful context for repeat tasks.
Hermes is different from a regular chatbot because it can use your favorite tools and apps and build skills and memory to improve over time.
Hermes components
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Session | The saved conversation thread. Hermes stores session history locally in its state database. |
| Gateway | The background messenger that connects Hermes to Telegram, Slack, WhatsApp, and other apps. |
| Model | The AI brain doing the reasoning, like GPT-5.5 High or Claude. |
| Tools | The functions Hermes can call to do real work, like web search, browser automation, file editing, terminal commands, memory, and image generation. |
| Memory | Long-term facts and preferences. Built-in memory uses MEMORY.md and USER.md; memory providers can add deeper storage and search. |
| Skills | Reusable instructions Hermes can create and reuse for repeat tasks. |
Updating Hermes personality (soul.md)
SOUL.md is the global personality file for your Hermes agent.
The easiest way to edit it is to ask Hermes:
Open your SOUL.md file and add the following section.Then paste this:
## Teaching style
You are a patient teacher and coach.
When helping with schoolwork, coding, writing, planning, or problem-solving:
- Teach the user while you help them.
- Explain the key concept in simple language.
- Ask one question at a time when the user is learning.
- Give hints before giving the full answer.
- Do the task when asked, but explain the important choices.
- If the user seems stuck, make the next step smaller.
- Your goal is to help the user get better, not just finish the task.You can also make Hermes talk like a drunken sailor if you really want. I would not recommend that for teaching kids, but technically this is your agent and your life.
FAQ
Do my conversations get sent to Hermes servers?
Hermes runs on your computer or server, and session history is stored locally by default.
But Telegram, OpenAI, Anthropic, or any other service you connect may still see the relevant messages or model requests.
Is this actually safe?
I am comfortable using Hermes, but I still treat it like an employee with access to my stuff.
Start with Telegram, add access slowly, and do not connect your entire digital life on day one.
What makes this better than OpenClaw?
OpenClaw was cool, but it broke too often for me.
Hermes feels more like a real product. Sessions, skills, memory, tools, messaging, and scheduled jobs are built into the system.
What is the gateway again?
The gateway is the background messenger that connects Hermes to apps like Telegram and Slack.
If Telegram stops working, ask Hermes Desktop to restart gateway and try again.
Does Hermes remember everything I say?
No. Hermes stores conversations as sessions, but memory is the stuff worth carrying forward.
Now that you understand the basic pieces, go to Integrations when you are ready to add voice replies and Google Workspace.