Hermes Agent MCP Server: Use Hermes Inside Claude Code and Cursor

Hermes Agent MCP server mode flips Hermes around. Normally you plug MCP servers into Hermes. With the mcp-serve plugin, Hermes itself becomes an MCP server, so Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor or Codex can talk to it. It landed as an official plugin in Hermes Agent v0.22.4 on 21 October 2026. In the video below I show how I use MCP to give all my agents one shared memory across devices. Here’s what the Hermes MCP server does, how to set it up and what to watch out for.

What the Hermes Agent MCP server does

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is the standard way AI apps share tools. Hermes has long been an MCP client — you connect MCP servers to it (see my Hermes Agent MCP guide). The new mcp-serve plugin makes Hermes an MCP server too.

Run hermes mcp-serve and any MCP client can, over stdio:

• List and read your messaging conversations (Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord and the rest).
• Poll live events as they arrive.
• Send messages through your connected accounts.
• Answer approvals that Hermes is waiting on.

So you can sit in Claude Code or Cursor and say “check my Hermes messages and reply to the client who asked about pricing” — without switching apps.

Sharing Hermes tools with –tools

By default only the messaging features are shared. Add --tools and Hermes also exposes its web, browser, vision, image generation, skills and text-to-speech tools. That means Claude Code could use Hermes’ browser or your Hermes skills without setting them up twice.

Nous deliberately never exposes the terminal, file or kanban tools this way, so an outside client can’t run commands or edit files through Hermes.

How to set up the Hermes Agent MCP server

• Update Hermes: hermes update.
• Install the plugin: hermes plugins install mcp-serve.
• Add Hermes to your MCP client with the command hermes and the argument mcp-serve (add --tools if you want the extra tools).
• Restart the client and ask it to list your Hermes conversations.

A typical client config looks like this:

{ "mcpServers": { "hermes": { "command": "hermes", "args": ["mcp-serve"] } } }

Upgrading from an older setup? This used to be built into the core as hermes mcp serve (two words). Nous says MCP clients should change their args to ["mcp-serve"].

Security: what you’re handing over

Why the Hermes MCP server matters

The biggest headache with running several agents is that each one lives in its own bubble. One has your messages, another has your code, another has your memory. MCP is how you break those walls down. That’s exactly why my Agent OS connects Claude, Hermes, OpenClaw and OpenCode to one shared memory and one set of skills.

With the Hermes MCP server, your coding agent can now reach the agent that talks to your customers and team. That’s the start of a real AI team, rather than a set of separate tools. For more on pairing them, see connect Hermes Agent to Claude Code.

Hermes MCP server vs Hermes as an MCP client

Hermes MCP server use cases

• Customer replies from your editor — ask Claude Code to read new Hermes messages and draft replies while you code.
• Approvals from anywhere — answer the approvals Hermes is waiting on without opening Hermes.
• Shared browser and vision tools — with –tools, Cursor or Codex can use Hermes’ browser and image tools.
• Reusing your skills — skills you’ve built in Hermes become available to other agents.
• Live event feeds — poll new messages so a coding agent can react to a team request.

Start with read-only jobs like summarising conversations, then move to sending messages once you trust the setup.

My verdict on the Hermes Agent MCP server

This is one of the most useful plugins in the catalog for anyone running more than one agent. Coding agents get access to your messages and approvals, and Hermes’ tools become reusable everywhere. Connect only clients you trust, and the Hermes Agent MCP server ties your whole AI stack together.

About Julian Goldie

I’m Julian Goldie — founder of Goldie Agency and the AI Profit Boardroom. I test new AI agents almost every day for 432K+ YouTube subscribers and run Hermes, OpenClaw, OpenCode, Claude and Codex side by side in my own Agent OS. Claim your free strategy session or join the AI Profit Boardroom.

FAQ: hermes agent mcp server

What is the Hermes Agent MCP server?

It’s the mcp-serve plugin: run hermes mcp-serve and MCP clients like Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and Codex can read and send your Hermes messages and answer approvals.

Which apps work with the Hermes MCP server?

Any MCP client, including Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and Codex.

Can MCP clients run terminal commands through Hermes?

No — terminal, file and kanban tools are never exposed. –tools shares only web, browser, vision, image generation, skills and TTS tools.

Is it the same as hermes mcp serve?

Yes — it moved from the core (hermes mcp serve) to a plugin (hermes mcp-serve), so update your client args.

Is the Hermes MCP server free?

The plugin is free; tools run with –tools may use paid provider credits.

Related reading

• Hermes Agent MCP
• Connect Hermes Agent to Claude Code
• Hermes Agent + Claude Code

Last updated October 2026. This page is a living guide to hermes agent mcp server — the facts here move fast and it is updated as they do.