Setup Walkthrough — Hermes for Creators

Install Hermes

Run the official install script, then verify everything is healthy.

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

hermes setup
hermes doctor
hermes status

hermes setup — configures the basics
hermes doctor — checks dependencies and config
hermes status — confirms what is running

Choose a Model / Provider

Don't get lost in model wars. Pick a lane and start building workflows.

Path	Best For	Notes
Anthropic API	Best quality	Pay API costs; best reasoning for creative work
OpenAI Codex OAuth	Practical default	GPT-5.5 where available
Nous Portal	Budget / exploration	Free tier available; good on-ramp
DeepSeek V4 (free)	Try before you pay	Via Nous Portal free tier — verify availability live; it can change

hermes model

Select Nous Portal and follow the browser login flow. Frame this as the budget path, not the only path.

Connect Telegram

Telegram is the easiest mobile interface — fast, agent-friendly, and good for "I had an idea while walking the dog" moments.

hermes gateway setup
hermes gateway install
hermes gateway start
hermes gateway status

Telegram Setup Summary

Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
Send /newbot and follow the prompts to create your bot
Copy the bot token BotFather gives you
Paste it into Hermes when hermes gateway setup prompts you
Start the gateway and send your bot a test message

Enable Core Tools

Start with tools that make the agent useful and safe. Add flashy tools after you have a workflow.

hermes tools list

Recommended starting toolsets: file, terminal, web/search, browser, skills, memory, cron, session search.

Add later: image generation, video generation, TTS, computer use — after keys and billing are sorted.

First Onboarding Prompt

You wouldn't hire an assistant and refuse to tell them what business they work for. Same thing here.

The first job is orientation. Hermes cannot help your creative life if it does not know what that life is.

I want you to learn how to help me as a creative operator.

Who I am:
[Your name, what you make, who you serve]

My creative work:
[Books, podcast, YouTube channel, music, courses, client work, etc.]

My current active projects:
[Project 1, Project 2, Project 3]

My goals for the next 90 days:
[Audience, revenue, publishing, consistency, product, health, etc.]

My constraints:
[Time, budget, ADHD, family schedule, tools, technical comfort]

My taste and preferences:
[Voice, tone, aesthetics, creators you admire, things you hate]

How I want you to help:
- remember project context
- keep me from losing ideas
- turn vague ideas into next steps
- help me produce content consistently
- create reusable workflows and skills
- ask for clarification only when needed

Please save durable facts that will help you support me in future sessions.

More prompts in the Prompt Library →

Create a Creative Home Base

For an agent, a folder is a room. It needs a place to work.

Creative OS/
├── MEMORY.md
├── AGENDA.md
├── Projects/
├── Content Ideas/
├── Scripts/
├── Research/
├── Assets/
├── Published/
└── Inbox/

Create a local Creative OS folder for my work. Include folders for Projects, Content Ideas, Scripts, Research, Assets, Published, and Inbox. Create a MEMORY.md that explains what this workspace is for, but do not invent details. Ask me for anything you need.

First Daily Creative Brief

The moment you schedule a useful recurring task, the agent stops being purely reactive. Start with one useful ritual before you create ten noisy automations.

Create a scheduled daily creative brief for me every morning at 8 AM.

Each brief should include:
1. One active project I should touch today
2. The smallest next action for that project
3. One idea from my notes or prior conversations worth revisiting
4. One creative encouragement line that is specific, not generic
5. Any deadline or follow-up I should not miss

Use what you know about my goals and projects. Keep it short enough that I will actually read it.

hermes cron list
hermes cron status

Give Hermes One Real Project

Your project is not a prompt. It is a process.

I want to use you as the operating assistant for this project:

Project name:
[Name]

What it is:
[Book, podcast, video series, album, course, product, etc.]

Current status:
[Where it stands]

What I need next:
[Decision, draft, research, outline, packaging, admin, etc.]

Create a project brief, a next-action list, and a reusable project memory file. Keep it simple.

Teach One Reusable Skill

Turn a recurring task into infrastructure Hermes can run again.

I do this task repeatedly: [describe recurring task].

Help me turn it into a reusable workflow or skill. First ask me what good output looks like, then write the steps, common mistakes, and verification checklist. Save it so you can use it next time.

Examples: YouTube packaging, podcast prep sheets, chapter revision maps, sponsorship research, launch checklists, brand voice drafting.

Verification Checklist

Before you call setup done, confirm these:

hermes status shows a healthy agent
hermes doctor passes without critical errors
Telegram bot responds to a test message
Core tools are enabled (hermes tools list)
Creative OS folder exists with expected structure
Onboarding context saved — ask Hermes to recall your projects
Daily brief cron is scheduled (hermes cron list)
At least one project has a brief and memory file
At least one reusable skill or workflow saved
Safety defaults set — see Safety Guide