Nous Hermes Commands & Prompt Reference
42 commands & parameters · 2 categories · Source: Hermes 4 model card & Hermes Agent docs
Nous Research's Hermes spans two typed surfaces: the prompt format of the open Hermes 4 models, and the slash commands of Hermes Agent, the terminal-native agent built on them. The model side is small but precise - Hermes 4 405B speaks the Llama 3.1 header-token format, reasoning mode is switched with the thinking=True chat-template flag or the official deep-thinking system prompt, internal reasoning arrives inside <think> tags, and tool calling uses the <tools>, <tool_call>, and <tool_response> tag protocol documented on the model card.
Hermes Agent's command set reads like a superset of most coding agents: session branching with /branch, git worktrees with /worktree, background runs with /background, plus operational commands for gateways, billing, and approvals. Everything here is taken from the official slash-command reference; commands marked CLI-only do not work from messaging channels.
One practical note on the model side: the reasoning system prompt is not all-or-nothing. The model card states you can add instructions before or after it to adjust thinking effort, style, and output format, and interleave it with the tool-definition system message.
All Commands
Hermes 4 Prompt Format & Tool Calling (8)
| Command / Syntax | What it does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| <|start_header_id|>role<|end_header_id|> | Llama 3.1 chat header tokens used by Hermes 4 405B | Roles: system, user, assistant. Each turn ends with <|eot_id|>. Smaller Hermes 4 models use ChatML instead. |
| <|eot_id|> | End-of-turn token in the 405B prompt format | Closes each header-delimited message. |
| thinking=True | Chat template flag that activates reasoning mode | Pass to the tokenizer chat template; alternatively use the deep-thinking system prompt from the model card. |
| <think> </think> | Tags enclosing the model's internal reasoning | Emitted when reasoning mode is active; strip them to get the final answer only. |
| You are a deep thinking AI... | Official reasoning-mode system prompt | Full text on the model card. Additional system instructions before or after it adjust thinking effort, style, and format. |
| <tools> </tools> | System-prompt tags wrapping the JSON tool signatures | Function definitions go inside these tags in the system message. |
| <tool_call> </tool_call> | Tags the model emits around a JSON function call | Parse the JSON inside to execute the call. |
| <tool_response> </tool_response> | Tags wrapping the tool result you feed back | Return the function output inside these tags in a tool role message. |
Hermes Agent Slash Commands (34)
| Command / Syntax | What it does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| /new [name] | Start a new session (fresh session ID + history) | Alias: /reset. Optional [name] sets the initial session title — e.g. |
| /clear | Clear screen and start a new session | Type in the Hermes CLI/TUI or a connected messaging channel. |
| /history | Show conversation history (respects | Type in the Hermes CLI/TUI or a connected messaging channel. |
| /save | Save the current conversation | Type in the Hermes CLI/TUI or a connected messaging channel. |
| /prompt | Compose your next prompt in $EDITOR (markdown) instead of the inline input — useful for long, multi-line, or... | Alias: /compose. |
| /retry | Retry the last message (resend to agent) | Type in the Hermes CLI/TUI or a connected messaging channel. |
| /undo | Remove the last user/assistant exchange | Type in the Hermes CLI/TUI or a connected messaging channel. |
| /title | Set a title for the current session (usage: /title My Session Name) | Type in the Hermes CLI/TUI or a connected messaging channel. |
| /rollback | List or restore filesystem checkpoints (usage: /rollback [number]) | Type in the Hermes CLI/TUI or a connected messaging channel. |
| /diff [staged|all|session] [--stat] [path...] | Show git changes in the working directory | Default: unstaged changes plus untracked files. staged shows what's staged for commit, |
| /snapshot [create|restore <id>|prune] | Create or restore state snapshots of Hermes config/state | Alias: /snap. create [label] saves a snapshot, |
| /stop | Kill all running background processes | Type in the Hermes CLI/TUI or a connected messaging channel. |
| /steer <prompt> | Inject a mid-run note that arrives at the agent after the next tool call — no interrupt, no new user turn | The text is appended to the last tool result's content once the current tool completes, giving the agent new context without breaking the current tool-calling loop. Use this to nudge... |
| /goal <text> | Set a standing goal Hermes works toward across turns — our take on the Ralph loop | After each turn an auxiliary judge model decides whether the goal is done; if not, Hermes auto-continues. Subcommands: |
| /subgoal <text> | Append a user-supplied criterion to the active goal mid-loop | The continuation prompt surfaces all subgoals to the agent verbatim, and the judge factors them into its DONE/CONTINUE verdict — so the goal isn't marked done until the original goal and... |
| /heartbeat every <interval> <prompt> | Set a recurring prompt that re-enters this session as a normal user turn whenever it's idle and the interval has... | Alias: /hb. Subcommands: |
| /refine [focus] | Run the background memory/skill self-improvement review now instead of waiting for the automatic post-turn trigger | Optional focus text steers the review (e.g. |
| /moa <prompt> | Run a single prompt through the default Mixture of Agents preset, then restore your current model | One-shot — does not change your session model. |
| /switch | Classic CLI: browse and resume previous sessions in an interactive picker | TUI: open the live session switcher for currently open TUI sessions. Use |
| /egress [status] | Show Docker egress proxy status — enabled/configured/running state, credential source, token mappings, uncovered... | Works in CLI, TUI, Desktop chat, and messaging gateway. |
| /redraw | Force a full UI repaint (recovers from terminal drift after tmux resize, mouse selection artifacts, etc.) | Type in the Hermes CLI/TUI or a connected messaging channel. |
| /status | Show session info — model, provider, profile, session ID, working directory, title, created/updated timestamps,... | Type in the Hermes CLI/TUI or a connected messaging channel. |
| /context [all] | Visual context-window breakdown | Alias: /ctx. On the CLI/TUI: a 5×20 glyph block grid (each cell ≈ 1% of the model window) plus an estimated per-category table — system prompt, tool definitions, rules, skills index, MCP, subagen |
| /agents | Show active agents and running tasks across the current session | Alias: /tasks. |
| /btw | Run a prompt in a separate background session | The agent processes your prompt independently — your current session stays free for other work. Results appear as a panel when the task finishes. See CLI Background Sessions . |
| /branch [name] | Branch the current session (explore a different path) | Alias: /fork. |
| /worktree [new [name]|list] | CLI only | Inspect or create isolated git worktrees mid-session (inspired by Copilot CLI's |
| /handoff <platform> | CLI only | Hand the current session off to a messaging platform (Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, Matrix). The gateway picks it up immediately, creates a fresh thread on platforms that... |
| /memory-graph | Open the learning journey timeline of learned skills + memories | Works in the classic CLI, as a TUI overlay, and in the desktop app (Star Map panel). Not available on messaging platforms. See Learning Journey . |
| /config | Show current configuration | Type in the Hermes CLI/TUI or a connected messaging channel. |
| /model [model-name] | Show or change the current model | Supports: |
| /codex-runtime [auto|codex_app_server|on|off] | Toggle the optional Codex app-server runtime for OpenAI/Codex models | Type in the Hermes CLI/TUI or a connected messaging channel. |
| /personality | Set a predefined personality | Type in the Hermes CLI/TUI or a connected messaging channel. |
| /verbose | Cycle tool progress display: off → new → all → verbose | Can be enabled for messaging via config. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I turn on reasoning mode in Hermes 4?
Pass thinking=True to the tokenizer chat template, or use the official deep-thinking system prompt from the model card. Reasoning arrives inside <think> </think> tags; strip them for the final answer.
How does Hermes 4 do function calling?
Tool signatures go inside <tools> </tools> tags in the system message. The model emits calls inside <tool_call> </tool_call> as JSON, and you return results inside <tool_response> </tool_response> in a tool role message.
Which prompt format does Hermes 4 405B use?
The Llama 3.1 header-token format: <|start_header_id|>role<|end_header_id|> with <|eot_id|> closing each turn. Smaller Hermes 4 models use ChatML.
Every entry on this page is a literal, typeable token taken from the official documentation linked above. Command sets in AI tools change quickly - the in-product command menu is always authoritative for your installed version.