# Hermes Agent

Define a useful agent task, check model compatibility and keep tool execution under your control.

## Choose a custom endpoint

Hermes Agent's [official quickstart](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/getting-started/quickstart) provides a custom-endpoint option through `hermes model`. It expects the endpoint, API key and model name to agree, and documents a minimum context requirement for its agent workflow.

## Connect model access

1. Create a [SeedRouter API key](https://seedrouter.ai/apikeys) and choose a text model from the [model directory](https://seedrouter.ai/models).
2. Run `hermes model` and select the custom endpoint option appropriate to your installed version.
3. Set the OpenAI-compatible base URL to `https://api.seedrouter.ai/v1`, enter the key through Hermes' credential configuration and use the exact model identifier.
4. Check the model's documented API format and context limit. A model appearing in a catalog does not establish compatibility with every agent feature.

Hermes keeps secrets and ordinary configuration separately. Use its documented credential flow and keep keys out of shared project files.

## Give the agent a useful job

Start with a bounded task such as drafting a product description from approved facts or answering a question from a supplied passage. Verify the output before enabling actions in external systems. The [ecommerce workflow](https://seedrouter.ai/solutions/ecommerce-automation) and [knowledge assistant workflow](https://seedrouter.ai/solutions/knowledge-assistant) define suitable review criteria.

Test tool argument handling, the ability to stop and behavior when information is missing. If a fixed script already performs the task reliably, compare the agent against that baseline rather than assuming more autonomous steps improve the result.

## Record compatibility and cost

Record the installed Hermes version, selected model, successful test task and any unsupported feature. Use actual session usage and [current rates](https://seedrouter.ai/pricing) to evaluate ongoing cost.

SeedRouter supplies model calls. Hermes and your application own tools, memory, document access and execution permissions. The configuration reference was checked on October 12, 2026; a fresh end-to-end Hermes session has not been measured for this guide.