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Extending Hermes Agent with Custom Tools and Skills

May 28, 2026 howto

Beyond the Built-Ins

Hermes Agent ships with a powerful set of tools — web search, file manipulation, terminal access, browser automation. But the real power is in extending it with your own custom skills.

What Are Skills?

Skills are markdown files that teach your agent how to handle specific tasks. They live in ~/.hermes/skills/ and are loaded by name when needed. A skill might define a workflow for "code review" or "deploying a static site" with exact commands and pitfalls.

Writing Your First Skill

Create a file at ~/.hermes/skills/my-skill/SKILL.md with YAML frontmatter (name, description, tags) and a markdown body. The body is the instruction your agent follows when the skill is loaded. Use numbered steps, include exact commands, and add a pitfalls section.

Adding API Tools

For external API access (your CRM, Slack, GitHub), write a Python script and register it in the agent's config. The agent can then call it like any other tool. This is how you connect your agent to your actual business systems.

Sharing Skills

Skills are portable — share them between agents or with the community. A well-written skill saves hours of repeated setup and makes every agent you deploy smarter from day one.

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