Hermes Labs is the name Nous Research gives to experimental Hermes Agent plugins that it built itself but does not support, and this page shows you how to install and run every one of them.
Nous Research says it plainly in the Hermes Labs repo, which describes the plugins as ones "Nous Research built but does not support."
They started life as Hermes features that Nous decided not to put into the core agent.
Right now there are three of them, called Inbox, Workflow Record and Telegram Business Mode.
The Hermes Agent v0.22.4 release notes, dated 21 October 2026, added Inbox and Workflow Record to the plugin catalog and moved Telegram Business into the Hermes Labs community tier.
I'm going to walk you through what each one does, the exact install commands from Nous's own pages, and the limits you need to know before you rely on any of them.
One honest note before we start is that I haven't tested the Labs plugins on video yet, so everything here comes from Nous Research's release notes, repo and plugin READMEs.
Hermes Labs At A Glance: The Three Plugins And Their Commands
This table is the whole of Hermes Labs on one screen, so you can see what you're installing before you touch a terminal.
| Plugin | Install command | What it adds | What it does for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inbox | hermes plugins install inbox |
The hermes inbox command |
It shows everything in flight for your active profile in one read-only view. |
| Workflow Record | hermes plugins install workflow-record |
The hermes record command and a replay skill |
It records a browser workflow you do once so /learn can turn it into a skill. |
| Telegram Business Mode | hermes plugins install hermes-telegram-business |
A Telegram Business handler and the /biz commands |
It drafts replies to your customers and sends nothing until you tap Send. |
All three come from the Hermes Labs plugins repo under the NousResearch account on GitHub.
The repo is MIT licensed, and each plugin sits in its own folder with its own README and tests.
What Hermes Labs Actually Is
Hermes Labs is a separate shelf for plugins that Nous Research wrote but won't maintain.
Nous explains that these plugins "started as Hermes features we decided not to put in the core."
Instead of deleting that work, Nous put it in one repo so anyone who wants it can install it.
The official docs site doesn't have a dedicated Hermes Labs page yet, so the clearest definition lives in that repo's README.
Here's what Nous says "labs" means, in plain English.
- Nous makes no promise of fixes, so a bug report on a Labs plugin may sit for a while.
- A change to the Hermes core may break a Labs plugin before anyone notices.
- CI runs every Labs plugin against the current Hermes nightly build, so at least breakage shows up.
- The catalog lists Labs plugins in the community tier rather than the official tier, so nobody installs one thinking Nous maintains it.
- Every Labs plugin is up for adoption, and Nous says it will help you move one to your own repo if you open an issue.
Supported first-party plugins live somewhere else, in the hermes-official-plugins repo.
Where Hermes Labs Came From
The Hermes Agent v0.22.4 patch, released on 21 October 2026, is where Hermes Labs first showed up in the release notes.
The notes say the plugin catalog gained "inbox and workflow-record from Hermes Labs," and that "Telegram Business moves to the Hermes Labs community tier."
The READMEs say Inbox and Workflow Record both began as pull requests to the Hermes core, and Telegram Business Mode was previously in the official plugins repo.
🔥 Want my exact Hermes Labs Setup setup, step by step? Inside the AI Profit Boardroom you get step-by-step video trainings, my installable Agent OS and four coaching calls a week with 3,400+ members building real automations. → Join the AI Profit Boardroom
Watch Out For The Other "Hermes Labs"
There's a naming trap here that will catch people searching for Hermes Labs.
A separate GitHub organisation called hermes-labs-ai publishes a plugin called little-canary, which also appears in the Hermes plugin catalog.
The catalog entry lists its maintainer as "roli-lpci (Hermes Labs; independent of Nous Research)."
That means there are two different things called Hermes Labs, and only one of them is Nous Research.
When I say Hermes Labs on this page, I mean the NousResearch/hermes-labs-plugins repo and its three plugins.
Before You Install: Update Hermes First
The Labs plugins arrived through the plugin catalog in the v0.22.4 window, so start by updating Hermes.
On a command-line install, the release notes say you run hermes update or re-run the installer one-liner.
The Microsoft Store app updates through the Store, and Docker users pull nousresearch/hermes-agent:stable.
The notes also say the desktop app installed from the .exe or .dmg installer gets no change in this release and updates with the next bundled release.
If you're brand new to Hermes, my walkthrough on how to set up Hermes Agent in one click gets you running first.
You can find plugins from the terminal with hermes plugins search <term>, which searches the curated catalog.
You can also see every catalog entry with hermes plugins browse.
Step 1: Install And Run Hermes Inbox
Inbox is the safest Labs plugin to start with, because it only reads and never writes.
Install it with this command.
hermes plugins install inbox
It adds one CLI command, hermes inbox, and it adds no model tools, no hooks and nothing that runs during your chats.
It also needs no dependencies beyond Hermes itself, and v0.22.4 made plugins that install nothing skip the empty dependency consent step.
Run it like this.
hermes inbox # the view above
hermes inbox --json # the same snapshot as JSON, for scripts and dashboards
hermes -p work inbox # another profile's inbox (install the plugin in that profile too)
The text view groups everything into sections, and the README lists exactly what lands in each one.
| Section | What appears there |
|---|---|
| Needs attention | Stalled delegations, dropped delegation results, failed or paused cron jobs, orphaned background processes and blocked kanban tasks show up here. |
| In progress | Live background processes, running async delegations and running kanban tasks show up here. |
| Finished, result not yet delivered | Delegations that completed but haven't reached their conversation yet show up here. |
| Scheduled | Enabled cron jobs and the next five runs show up here. |
| Open surfaces | Open CLI, TUI, Desktop and gateway chat sessions whose process is still alive show up here. |
Empty sections are left out, except "Needs attention" and "In progress," which always print so an empty inbox reads as all clear.
There's one thing Inbox won't show you, and that's pending approvals and clarify prompts.
Those live in the memory of the process that asked, so you still answer them in the chat that raised them.
Your agent can use Inbox too, because the README says you can ask it to run hermes inbox --json in the terminal.
Step 2: Install Workflow Record And Teach Hermes A Browser Task
Workflow Record lets you show Hermes a browser workflow instead of describing it in words.
The flow Nous describes is record, then /learn, then replay.
Install it with this command.
hermes plugins install workflow-record
It adds one CLI command, hermes record, and one skill called workflow-record:replay-recording.
Its only dependency is websockets, which Hermes already ships.
Start a browser that Hermes can reach
The recorder attaches to a Chromium-family browser such as Chrome, Chromium, Brave or Edge over the DevTools protocol.
The README gives you three ways to start one.
- You can type
/browser connectinside a Hermes chat, which launches Chrome with remote debugging on port 9222. - You can start the browser yourself with
google-chrome --remote-debugging-port=9222 --user-data-dir=<dir>. - You can point Hermes at an existing endpoint with
browser.cdp_urlinconfig.yaml.
Record the workflow
Open the page where the workflow starts and keep that tab in front.
Then run the recorder with a short name for the recording.
hermes record --slug shop-login
Do the task in the browser, then press Ctrl-C in the terminal, and Hermes saves the recording and prints the next step.
The recorder captures clicks, the final value of each input field, Enter key presses and top-frame navigations.
There are three other modes worth knowing.
hermes record --list # list saved recordings
hermes record --manual # no CDP: type what you did, one step per line
hermes record --cdp http://127.0.0.1:9333 --slug checkout
Recordings are saved as JSON files in <HERMES_HOME>/recordings/, and the README says they are never uploaded anywhere.
Turn the recording into a skill
When hermes record finishes, it prints the exact /learn line to paste into a Hermes chat.
The bundled replay skill tells /learn how to rebuild the workflow in human terms and replay it with Hermes's browser tools.
After that, you use the new skill like any other skill, for example by asking Hermes to log into the shop and check your order status.
This is the step that calls a model, because /learn hands the recording to your active model.
How Workflow Record handles passwords
Nous built two layers of secret masking into the recorder.
In the page, the recorder never reads the value of a password field or a field marked for one-time codes or card numbers, and it sends a {SECRET:<field name>} placeholder instead.
In Hermes, a second pass masks again before anything is saved, so a page can't sneak a raw password into the file.
At replay time, logins and codes are filled through Hermes's browser vault or an environment variable you set yourself.
Step 3: Set Up Telegram Business Mode
Telegram Business Mode turns your Hermes Telegram bot into an observe-with-approval secretary for your Telegram Business account.
Every incoming customer message gets a drafted reply sent to your own DM with Send, Edit and Discard buttons.
Nothing reaches the customer until you tap Send.
What you need first
The README lists four requirements.
- You need Hermes Agent with plugin Telegram-handler support, which the README dates to v0.18 or later.
- You need a Telegram Business subscription on your personal Telegram account.
- You need your Hermes Telegram bot with Business Mode switched on in @BotFather.
- You need python-telegram-bot 21.1 or newer, which is already installed with the Hermes Telegram platform.
Install and connect it
Install the plugin and restart the gateway.
hermes plugins install hermes-telegram-business
The README then tells you to run hermes gateway restart.
After that, you open @BotFather, pick your bot, and enable Business Mode.
Next, you go to Telegram's Settings, then Business, then Chatbots, and you add your bot and choose which chats it can see.
You also choose whether it can reply on your behalf, which you need for the Send button to appear.
Finally, you message your bot /biz to confirm the connection is live.
The owner controls
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/biz |
It shows a status dashboard. |
/biz pause / /biz resume |
It acts as a global kill switch for drafting. |
/biz off <chat_id> / /biz on <chat_id> |
It mutes or unmutes drafting for one customer chat. |
Drafts expire after 24 hours by default, typing bursts within an eight-second window are merged into one draft, and only the account owner can press the buttons.
Drafting uses your active Hermes model through the plugin LLM surface, so you don't need a separate API key.
If Telegram bots are new to you, my Hermes Agent plugins marketplace guide explains how catalog plugins slot into a profile.
🔥 Want my Hermes plugin setup done with you, step by step? Inside the AI Profit Boardroom, I've got a full Hermes Agent course plus the Agent OS, with video walkthroughs on profiles, plugins and skills. You'll be learning alongside 3,400+ members with four coaching calls every week. → Get access here
Hermes Labs Limits You Should Know Before You Rely On It
Every Labs plugin works, but each one has edges that Nous documents openly.
| Plugin | Limit Nous documents | What I'd do about it |
|---|---|---|
| All Labs plugins | Nous offers no promise of fixes, and a core update can break a plugin. | I'd re-run each plugin after every hermes update before trusting it again. |
| Inbox | It doesn't show pending approvals or clarify prompts. | I'd keep answering those in the chat that raised them. |
| Workflow Record | It only records the one tab that was in front when recording started. | I'd keep the whole workflow in one tab and avoid pop-ups. |
| Workflow Record | A field you never left may be missing from the recording. | I'd press Tab before pressing Ctrl-C. |
| Workflow Record | Only password-like fields are masked, so an API key in a plain text field is recorded as typed. | I'd review the JSON before sharing it or use --manual for sensitive flows. |
| Workflow Record | Scrolling, hovering, drag and drop, file uploads and iframe navigations are not captured. | I'd pick simple click-and-type workflows to start with. |
| Workflow Record | It only works with Chromium browsers over CDP. | I'd use --manual for Firefox or Safari. |
| Telegram Business | Version 1 handles text only and drafts each message without conversation history. | I'd use the Edit button whenever context matters. |
How To Remove A Hermes Labs Plugin
The plugins docs give you two commands for that.
hermes plugins disable my-plugin
hermes plugins remove my-plugin
Disable keeps the plugin installed but switches it off, while remove uninstalls it and drops it from your enabled and disabled lists.
Telegram Business keeps its own SQLite file at ~/.hermes/telegram-business/state.db, and the README says deleting that file resets it.
If you want a safety net before you experiment, my Hermes Agent backup guide shows you how to snapshot your setup first.
Who Hermes Labs Is For
Hermes Labs is for operators who are comfortable running unsupported code and checking it after updates.
Inbox is the one I'd hand to almost anyone, because it only reads and it answers the question "what is my agent doing right now?"
Workflow Record is for people who repeat the same browser task every week and want Hermes to learn it by watching.
Telegram Business Mode is for anyone who sells through Telegram and wants drafted replies without ever letting a bot send on its own.
If you run an agency and want help working out which of these fits your client workflow, you can book a free SEO strategy session with my team.
🔥 Want help picking the right Hermes plugins for your business? The AI Profit Boardroom has Hermes Agent training, the Agent OS and four weekly coaching calls where you can ask me which plugins to switch on first. → Join the AI Profit Boardroom
Related Reading
- Hermes Agent v0.22, the release that launched the plugin catalog
- The best Hermes Agent plugins, ranked
- Hermes Import Agent, the command that moves Claude Code and Codex setups into Hermes
- Hermes Agent sandboxes and terminal backends
Also On Our Network
- 🌐 How a business would actually use the Hermes Labs plugins
- 🌐 Every Hermes Labs plugin, scored with a verdict
- 🌐 The Hermes Labs quick start for your Agent OS
- 🌐 The models that power Hermes Labs skills, measured on GoldieBench
FAQ: Hermes Labs
What is Hermes Labs?
Hermes Labs is Nous Research's label for experimental Hermes Agent plugins that Nous built but does not support.
Which plugins are in Hermes Labs?
The Hermes Labs repo lists three plugins, which are Telegram Business Mode, Inbox and Workflow Record.
How do I install a Hermes Labs plugin?
You run hermes plugins install inbox, hermes plugins install workflow-record or hermes plugins install hermes-telegram-business.
Are Hermes Labs plugins supported by Nous Research?
No, they aren't, and Nous says a bug report may sit and a core change may break a plugin before anyone notices.
Is Hermes Labs free?
Yes, the repo is MIT licensed and the plugins install free from the catalog.
Is Hermes Labs the same as hermes-labs-ai?
No, it isn't, because the catalog lists the hermes-labs-ai maintainer as independent of Nous Research.
If you're unsure which plugins you need for an SEO or agency workflow, book a free SEO strategy session and my team will talk it through with you.
📺 Video notes + links to the tools 👉
🎥 Learn how I make these videos 👉
🆓 Get a FREE AI Course + Community + 1,000 AI Agents 👉
About Julian
I'm Julian Goldie, an SEO entrepreneur, author and founder of the AI Profit Boardroom, which has 3,400+ members.
I help business owners scale with AI agents, automation and SEO.
- I've built a 7-figure SEO and link-building agency, Goldie Agency, with 70+ people in Bangkok.
- I've grown a YouTube channel to 400,000+ subscribers.
- I wrote the book "Link Building Mastery", which covers nine link building strategies.
- I run GoldieBench, where I score AI models on real one-shot builds.
→ Get my best AI training inside the AI Profit Boardroom
Update Hermes, start with Inbox, then add Workflow Record and Telegram Business only where they save you real time, and you'll get the most out of Hermes Labs.
