## for Hermes
Long-term memory for Hermes
A persistent knowledge graph the agent reads and writes. Survives a vendor switch.
The gap is long-term memory
Hermes already runs and remembers the working session. What it doesn't have is a place its long-term knowledge can live, be queried, and be inspected.
- —Hermes is already running. What's missing is a place its long-term knowledge can live, be queried, and be inspected.
- —Memory locked to one agent loses everything when you switch tools next year.
- —A vector store you can't read is hard to trust and impossible to correct.
- —Custom memory kernels are 200-400 hours of plumbing before the agent captures one useful note.
Basic Memory changes that
Give Hermes a persistent, searchable knowledge base it can read and write to.
Search-before-answer recall
The bundled skill teaches the agent to call bm_search before answering questions about past work. Built-in memory keeps the working session; Basic Memory keeps the long-term record.
Per-turn capture, session summaries
Every exchange appends to a session-transcript note. End of session, a separate summary note is written and linked back via a summary_of relation. Nothing important slips away.
Ten bm_* tools, ready in the agent
bm_search, bm_read, bm_write, bm_edit, bm_context, bm_delete, bm_move, bm_recent, bm_projects, bm_workspaces. Eight matching slash commands. One config line to activate.
Plain Markdown you own
Notes are files. Open them in Obsidian, edit them by hand, version them in Git, take them anywhere. The same graph works for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and whichever agent you connect tomorrow.
One command to get started
Quick Setup
hermes plugins install basicmachines-co/basic-memory --path integrations/hermesThen add `memory: { provider: basic-memory }` to ~/.hermes/config.yaml and restart the gateway. The plugin self-installs the bm CLI on first init (one-time ~10 seconds). Local mode by default; one CLI flip switches to true cloud routing through Basic Memory Cloud. Verify with `hermes memory status`. Full setup guide →
Frequently asked questions
- How do I add Basic Memory to the Hermes agent?
- Install the plugin with one command:
hermes plugins install basicmachines-co/basic-memory --path integrations/hermes. Then addmemory: { provider: basic-memory }to~/.hermes/config.yamland restart the gateway. The plugin self-installs the bm CLI on first init (one-time ~10 seconds). Verify withhermes memory status. - How does this work alongside Hermes’s built-in memory?
- Hermes keeps the working session (your active thread, the workflow it has been adapting to). Basic Memory becomes the long-term layer underneath: a knowledge graph the agent reads and writes on the same turn. The bundled skill teaches the agent to call bm_search before answering, so built-in memory carries the working context and Basic Memory carries the long-term record. Both run together.
- What does the Hermes plugin actually add?
- Ten
bm_*tools (search, read, write, edit, context, delete, move, recent, projects, workspaces), eight matching slash commands (/bm-search, /bm-read, /bm-context, /bm-recent, /bm-status, /bm-remember, /bm-project, /bm-workspace), automatic per-turn capture, an end-of-session summary note linked back via a summary_of relation, plus a bundled skill that teaches the agent search-before-answer behavior. - Does it work in cloud mode?
- Yes. Default is local mode (in-process bm). One CLI flip switches to true cloud routing through Basic Memory Cloud:
bm cloud login,bm project add hermes-memory-cloud,bm project set-cloud hermes-memory-cloud, then set"mode": "cloud"in~/.hermes/basic-memory.json. Tool calls route over HTTPS using your OAuth token or API key; notes never touch local disk. - What does it cost with Hermes?
- Basic Memory is free and open source (AGPL-3.0) to run locally; the Hermes plugin is the same license. Basic Memory Cloud, for synced and hosted access plus team workspaces, starts at $15/seat/month with a 7-day trial.
