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Hermes Agent can search the current web through its model-callable web_search tool, then retrieve page text separately with web_extract. To enable those tools, choose a provider in hermes tools or configure a backend in ~/.hermes/config.yaml. Search and extraction can use different providers, which is useful when your search service cannot fetch page content.
How Hermes web search works
Hermes documents two distinct web tools: web_search searches and returns ranked results; web_extract fetches readable content from page URLs. As Hermes Agent documentation puts it, “Hermes Agent includes two model-callable web tools backed by multiple providers:” The tools depend on providers configured for the requested capability, so having search available does not automatically mean page extraction is available.
For a fresh installation, the guide describes a rotating keyless provider ring. You can instead select a particular backend interactively or configure one directly.
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Select a shared backend
- Run
hermes toolsand choose a web provider, or edit~/.hermes/config.yaml. - Set
web.backendto the backend you want to use. Hermes lists options including Firecrawl, SearXNG, Brave Search, DDGS, Exa, Parallel, Tavily, Perplexity, Keenable, xAI, and OpenAI Native (Codex).
Provider requirements and capabilities differ. Check the guide for credentials and whether a backend supports the tool you plan to call.
Use different providers for search and extraction
If your search provider cannot retrieve page content, pair it with an extraction-capable backend. For example, Hermes’ developer guide shows Brave Search for search and Firecrawl for extraction:
web:
search_backend: "brave-free"
extract_backend: "firecrawl"Capability-specific settings take precedence over the shared web.backend. If a capability-specific setting is absent, Hermes uses the shared backend; if no provider is selected, auto-detection applies.
Check capabilities and practical limits
Hermes checks whether a provider is available and supports the requested capability before dispatching a tool call. If no eligible provider is registered, the call returns an error. Select a provider that supports the operation you need and has any required credentials configured.
web_searchreturns up to five results by default; itslimitparameter can change the number requested.web_extractreturns readable text without LLM summarization, supports PDFs, uses a default 15,000-character budget, and accepts up to five URLs per call.
Compare provider routes before relying on them
Choose based on whether you need search alone or search plus extraction, the provider’s credentials and rate limits, and how its results are generated. The following quota figures are listed in Hermes’ undated guide; they are time-sensitive guide statements, not guarantees of current commercial terms.
| Provider | Documented capability | Quota stated in Hermes guide | Important consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brave Search | Search only | Free tier: 2,000 queries per month | Use a separate extraction backend if you need Hermes to fetch page text. |
| Exa | Search and extraction | Free tier: 1,000 searches per month | Confirm current availability and terms before depending on the quota. |
Both quota amounts are listed by Hermes Agent documentation, which does not state a publication year for them. Check the current provider terms as well as the documentation for your installed Hermes version.
Some options support keyless access, including the fresh-install rotation ring and optional keyless selection for certain named backends. Configured backends or present API keys take precedence. Keyless access may be rate-limited, so it should not be treated as guaranteed unthrottled service.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Provider-specific details to know
OpenAI Native (Codex)
Hermes documents this route for the Codex Responses endpoint. It requires an OpenAI Codex OAuth login and supports search, not extraction. For other transports, the guide directs users to an ordinary provider backend.
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The xAI backend invokes Grok’s server-side search tool. Hermes warns that the results are LLM-generated rather than index-backed, so verify generated titles, descriptions, and URLs before relying on them.
OpenRouter server search
OpenRouter separately documents openrouter:web_search, a server tool that can provide real-time web access to routed models. This is a separate integration path from Hermes’ provider configuration. OpenRouter labels it beta and says its API and behavior may change.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Hermes Agent user guide: Web tools
- Hermes Agent developer guide: Web tools
- Hermes Agent reference: Web tools
- OpenRouter documentation: Web search
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