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Put Hermes Agent credentials in ~/.hermes/.env, not directly in your project files. The supported shortcut is hermes config set KEY VALUE: Hermes writes API-key values to .env and ordinary behavior settings to config.yaml. For a provider you have never configured, run hermes model outside a chat session; use /model inside a chat only to switch among providers and models that are already configured.
This guide explains the exact file locations, provider variable names, first-time setup paths, custom OpenAI-compatible endpoints, OAuth alternatives, verification steps, security precautions, and the fixes for the errors people most often encounter.
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Where Hermes Agent stores API keys
Hermes separates secrets from normal configuration:
~/.hermes/.env: API keys, bot tokens, OAuth secrets, and other credentials.~/.hermes/config.yaml: non-secret behavior settings, model choices, endpoints, and other configuration values.
This separation keeps credentials out of ordinary configuration and makes it easier to protect the file containing secrets. Do not paste a real key into an article, shell history that will be shared, a public issue, or source control. Do not commit ~/.hermes/.env to a repository.
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The supported configuration command
Use the Hermes configuration command rather than editing files by hand when possible:
hermes config set OPENROUTER_API_KEY sk-or-your-keyHermes detects that the setting is an API key and routes it to ~/.hermes/.env. Values that are not secrets are written to ~/.hermes/config.yaml. Replace both the variable name and value with the credentials for your selected provider.
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Have the provider account, a valid credential or OAuth login, and the model or endpoint you intend to use ready. Run commands as the same operating-system user that will launch Hermes, because each user has a separate home directory and therefore a separate ~/.hermes directory. If you are using a hosted provider, confirm that the account can access the model you plan to select. For a self-hosted or compatible service, obtain its exact base URL, required path, and authentication format before opening the wizard.
Set up your first provider
You need at least one way to connect Hermes to an LLM. The shortest setup for an API-key provider is:
- Obtain a key from the provider’s account or developer console. Keep the complete value private.
- Open a terminal as the same user who will run Hermes.
- Write the key with the provider-specific variable name. For example:
hermes config set OPENROUTER_API_KEY sk-or-your-key- Start the provider and model setup wizard:
hermes model- Choose the provider and model in the wizard, or accept the configured option when Hermes presents it.
- Start a chat and send a small test prompt. If the request succeeds, the provider is configured for normal use.
The example uses OpenRouter, but the same sequence applies to other providers after replacing OPENROUTER_API_KEY with the exact variable they document.
Why the variable name matters
Provider names are not interchangeable. OPENROUTER_API_KEY will not satisfy a configuration that looks for OPENAI_API_KEY, and a key that is valid for one service cannot be authenticated by another merely by changing the variable name. Names are effectively case-sensitive in practice, so copy the documented spelling exactly.
Environment versus Hermes files
An already-exported process variable can also be read by Hermes. The file in ~/.hermes is convenient for persistent user configuration; an exported variable is useful for a temporary test, a container, or an automated job. Whichever route you choose, verify it in the same shell and under the same user that starts Hermes. Setting a variable in one terminal, virtual environment, or service account does not make it available to another.
hermes model versus /model
These two commands have different jobs.
| Command | Where to run it | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
hermes model |
Terminal, outside an active chat | Runs the full provider setup wizard. It can add a provider, perform OAuth, accept an API key, and configure an endpoint. | First-time setup or when adding a provider that Hermes has never configured. |
/model |
Inside an existing Hermes chat | Switches among providers and models that are already configured. | Changing models during a session after setup is complete. |
If the provider you want does not appear in /model, leave the chat, run hermes model, complete authentication and endpoint setup, then return to the chat. Repeatedly trying /model cannot create a missing provider configuration.
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Provider API-key variables
The following names are the practical starting points for the providers documented for Hermes. Use the matching provider option in hermes model after storing the credential.
| Provider | Credential or configuration | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| OpenRouter | OPENROUTER_API_KEY |
Use this key for the OpenRouter provider. |
| OpenAI or another OpenAI-compatible service | OPENAI_API_KEY and, when needed, OPENAI_BASE_URL |
When OPENAI_BASE_URL is set, Hermes sends the key to that exact endpoint origin. |
| Anthropic | ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, Claude Code credentials, or the ANTHROPIC_TOKEN fallback |
The interactive hermes model route is preferred for Claude credentials. |
| GitHub Copilot | COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN, then GH_TOKEN, then GITHUB_TOKEN, or gh auth token |
Classic ghp_* tokens are not supported by the Copilot API. Use OAuth or a supported fine-grained token. |
| Google Gemini | GOOGLE_API_KEY or GEMINI_API_KEY |
Gemini may also be selected for auxiliary tasks. |
| z.ai / GLM | GLM_API_KEY |
Select the zai provider. |
| Kimi / Moonshot | KIMI_API_KEY for international service or KIMI_CN_API_KEY for China |
Select the provider variant that matches the key’s service region. |
Hermes supports additional provider variables, including entries for MiniMax, Kilo Code, Xiaomi MiMo, DeepSeek, Hugging Face, Alibaba Cloud, and others. Consult the environment-variable reference included with the Hermes version you installed for the current catalog and exact spelling.
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Use an API-key route when you have a provider key and want a simple, repeatable environment configuration. Use OAuth when the provider offers it and you prefer browser or device authentication without manually copying an API key. A hosted route such as OpenRouter is useful when you want a flexible provider selection, while a direct provider route uses that service’s own credentials and model catalog. A custom endpoint is appropriate when the service is OpenAI-compatible but is not the default OpenAI origin. In every case, the wizard is the place to register a provider for the first time.
OpenRouter
Store the key, then invoke the setup wizard:
hermes config set OPENROUTER_API_KEY sk-or-your-key
hermes modelChoose OpenRouter in the wizard and select the model you want Hermes to use. If the wizard succeeds but a chat fails, check that the key belongs to the same account and that the selected model is available to that account.
OpenAI and OpenAI-compatible services
For the standard OpenAI route, set the API key:
hermes config set OPENAI_API_KEY your-openai-keyA compatible service generally needs both the key and its base URL:
hermes config set OPENAI_API_KEY your-service-key
hermes config set OPENAI_BASE_URL https://api.example.invalid/v1Replace the example URL with the exact origin and path required by your service. With OPENAI_BASE_URL set, Hermes sends the key to that endpoint rather than assuming the default OpenAI origin. A wrong path, missing version segment, or trailing route required by the service can produce authentication or “not found” errors even when the key itself is valid.
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You can use ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, but the documented interactive path is hermes model, which can use Claude Code credentials or the ANTHROPIC_TOKEN fallback. Start the wizard outside a chat and follow its authentication prompts instead of manually copying a credential when the wizard offers a reuse option.
GitHub Copilot
Hermes checks COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN, then GH_TOKEN, then GITHUB_TOKEN, or can use the token returned by gh auth token. A classic ghp_* token is not accepted by the Copilot API. Use the documented OAuth device flow or a supported fine-grained token, then run hermes model to complete provider setup.
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Google Gemini
Set either GOOGLE_API_KEY or GEMINI_API_KEY, depending on the credential naming used by your setup:
hermes config set GOOGLE_API_KEY your-google-keyRun hermes model and choose Gemini. Hermes can use Gemini for the main model and, where configured, for auxiliary tasks.
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z.ai / GLM
Use the GLM variable and select the zai provider:
hermes config set GLM_API_KEY your-glm-key
hermes modelKimi / Moonshot
Use the variable that matches the service region:
hermes config set KIMI_API_KEY your-international-keyFor the China service, use KIMI_CN_API_KEY instead. Do not set one variant while selecting the other provider entry.
Configure a custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint
Hermes can call a service that implements the OpenAI API shape. The essential values are an API key and a base URL. You can put both in the environment file through the command line:
hermes config set OPENAI_API_KEY your-compatible-service-key
hermes config set OPENAI_BASE_URL https://api.example.invalid/v1Or configure a custom model in ~/.hermes/config.yaml. Hermes expands environment references written with braces:
model:
provider: custom
base_url: ${OPENAI_BASE_URL}
api_key: ${OPENAI_API_KEY}Use ${VAR_NAME}, not bare $VAR. Bare dollar-variable syntax is not expanded in Hermes YAML configuration. Keep the secret itself in .env; the YAML should contain the reference, not the literal key.
Auxiliary-task endpoints
An auxiliary model can have its own base_url. When one is configured, Hermes calls that endpoint directly and authenticates with the configured api_key or OPENAI_API_KEY. This lets a main model and an auxiliary task use different compatible services, but every endpoint still needs a matching URL, credential, and model configuration.
Custom endpoint checklist
- Confirm that the service really exposes an OpenAI-compatible API rather than a different protocol.
- Copy the required base URL exactly, including any version path such as
/v1. - Set the key under the variable the custom provider reads.
- Use
${OPENAI_BASE_URL}and${OPENAI_API_KEY}in YAML if you reference environment values. - Run the setup wizard and test a model request before assigning the endpoint to auxiliary tasks.
OAuth: when an API key is not required
Manual key entry is not the only authentication route. The Hermes provider wizard documents OAuth or credential reuse for several services:
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- Nous Portal: authenticate through the provider flow in
hermes model. - OpenAI Codex: use the OAuth flow offered by the wizard instead of pasting a key.
- GitHub Copilot: use OAuth device login when available.
- Anthropic: reuse Claude Code credentials through the interactive setup.
OAuth produces stored credentials or tokens that Hermes manages as secrets. Treat those files with the same care as an API key. If a browser or device-login step expires, rerun hermes model and complete the flow again rather than placing an unrelated token in the provider’s API-key variable.
Inspect and validate the configuration
After setting a value, use Hermes’ own inspection commands before debugging the provider:
hermes config
hermes config checkhermes config lets you inspect the effective configuration, while hermes config check validates edits. Use these commands from the same account and environment in which you launch Hermes; a key written for one operating-system user is not automatically available to another.
Safe verification sequence
- Run
hermes config checkand resolve syntax or validation errors. - Confirm that the expected secret variable is present in
~/.hermes/.envor exported in the process environment. Do not publish its value. - Confirm that the provider selected in
hermes modelmatches the variable you set. - Check the base URL when using a custom endpoint.
- Start a new chat and send a minimal prompt.
- If the test works, use
/modelto switch among the configured choices during that chat.
Do not use a successful configuration check as proof that the provider accepted the credential: validation can confirm syntax and known settings, while only a real model request confirms authentication, endpoint reachability, model availability, and account permissions together.
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“No API key” or unauthenticated requests
- Check the variable spelling.
OPENROUTER_API_KEYandOPENAI_API_KEYare different settings. - Check that the value is in
~/.hermes/.envor exported for the current process. - Run
hermes config checkafter editing. - Make sure you are running Hermes as the user who owns
~/.hermes. - Run
hermes modeland select the provider again if it was never completed.
The provider is missing from /model
/model does not install or authenticate providers. Exit the session and run hermes model. Complete the key, OAuth, or endpoint prompts, then start a new chat. Only after that will the provider be available for in-chat switching.
The key works, but the request goes to the wrong service
This usually indicates an incorrect or stale OPENAI_BASE_URL. Verify the complete URL, including its path and region-specific origin. If you intended to use the default OpenAI route, remove an accidental custom base URL and rerun the provider setup.
YAML variables appear empty
Change bare references such as $OPENAI_API_KEY to brace-delimited references such as ${OPENAI_API_KEY}. Hermes supports the latter form in config.yaml; it does not expand the bare form.
GitHub Copilot rejects the token
Do not use a classic ghp_* token with the Copilot API. Use the OAuth device flow or a supported fine-grained token, then let hermes model complete the setup.
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An OAuth login has expired
Run hermes model again and repeat the provider’s OAuth or credential-reuse flow. Avoid replacing an OAuth credential with an API key from a different service unless the provider specifically documents that fallback.
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Recheck the selected model name and the endpoint path. A compatible server may require /v1 or a region-specific hostname, and a model visible in one provider’s catalog may not exist at another endpoint. Correct the URL or model in the wizard, run hermes config check, and test again.
Protecting Hermes credentials
- Keep
~/.hermes/.envprivate and restrict access to the account that runs Hermes. - Never commit the file to source control or paste its contents into support requests.
- Prefer
hermes config setso secrets are routed to the intended file. - Use environment variables or secret-management facilities in automated environments rather than hard-coding keys in scripts.
- Rotate a key immediately if it appears in a log, terminal transcript, issue, or repository.
- Keep non-secret preferences in
config.yamlso the file remains inspectable without exposing credentials. - When sharing diagnostics, redact complete keys, OAuth tokens, authorization headers, and private endpoint details. Share the variable name and error text instead.
- After changing accounts or providers, remove obsolete credentials so Hermes cannot accidentally select an old route.
A repeatable setup recipe
For most API-key providers, this is the complete sequence:
- Identify the provider-specific variable name.
- Run
hermes config set VARIABLE_NAME YOUR_KEY. - Set
OPENAI_BASE_URLtoo if the provider is a custom OpenAI-compatible service. - Run
hermes config check. - Run
hermes modeloutside a chat and complete provider selection. - Start a chat and test a minimal request.
- Use
/modelonly for switching among the configurations that now exist.
The key distinction is simple: credentials belong in ~/.hermes/.env, ordinary settings belong in config.yaml, hermes model performs first-time provider setup, and /model changes an already configured choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly do I put a Hermes API key?
Put it in ~/.hermes/.env, using the variable name required by the provider. The safest shortcut is hermes config set PROVIDER_API_KEY YOUR_KEY, which routes API-key values to that file automatically.
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Should I use hermes model or /model?
Use hermes model in a terminal for first-time provider setup, API-key entry, OAuth, or endpoint configuration. Use /model inside a chat only after the providers and models have already been configured.
Can I use a custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint?
Yes. Set OPENAI_API_KEY and OPENAI_BASE_URL, or add a custom provider through hermes model. In YAML, reference environment values as ${OPENAI_API_KEY} and ${OPENAI_BASE_URL}; bare $VAR syntax is not expanded.
Why does Hermes say my API key is missing when it exists?
Check the exact, case-sensitive variable name, confirm the value is in ~/.hermes/.env or exported in the current process, and run Hermes as the same user who owns that directory. Then run hermes model if the provider was never completed.
Can I authenticate without an API key?
For supported providers, yes. Hermes documents Nous Portal and OpenAI Codex OAuth, GitHub Copilot device login, and Anthropic Claude Code credential reuse. Start the relevant flow with hermes model and protect the resulting stored credentials like keys.
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Hermes checks COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN, then GH_TOKEN, then GITHUB_TOKEN, or the result of gh auth token. Classic ghp_* tokens are not supported by the Copilot API; use OAuth or a supported fine-grained token.
The Bottom Line
Store secrets in ~/.hermes/.env and ordinary settings in ~/.hermes/config.yaml. Use hermes config set to write values safely, hermes model to add or authenticate a provider, and /model only to switch among configurations that already exist. Match the provider variable exactly, verify custom URLs with ${VAR_NAME} substitution, and never expose or commit your credentials.
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