> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.phala.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Hermes

> Run Hermes Agent on Phala through Private AI Proxy, or configure it by hand.

Hermes speaks Chat Completions. Private AI Proxy configures it automatically.

## With Private AI Proxy

1. Install [Private AI Proxy](https://docs.phala.com/phala-cloud/confidential-ai/agents/private-ai-proxy.md), choose a **Phala** profile, sign in, and turn on **Protected**.
2. On the **Agents** screen, connect **Hermes**.
3. Start a new Hermes session; existing sessions stay on their original provider.

The app writes the provider into `~/.hermes/config.yaml` with an agent-scoped token for its local
API, and restores the file when you disconnect or stop Protected.

From the CLI, the same connection is:

```bash theme={"system"}
pap agents connect hermes
```

## Without the Proxy

Create a key under **Private AI → API Keys** in the [Phala dashboard](https://cloud.phala.com/dashboard).

Define and select a named provider. Hermes reads the key from its process environment or
`~/.hermes/.env`; do not put it in `config.yaml`.

```bash theme={"system"}
export PHALA_AI_API_KEY="YOUR_PHALA_API_KEY"
```

```yaml ~/.hermes/config.yaml theme={"system"}
providers:
  phala:
    api: https://inference.phala.com/v1
    key_env: PHALA_AI_API_KEY
    transport: chat_completions
    default_model: z-ai/glm-5.3
    discover_models: true

model:
  provider: custom:phala
  default: z-ai/glm-5.3
```

This changes the main text and tool-calling loop only; image, speech, embedding, search, and browser
providers stay separate. This path does not verify attestation locally; use [Private AI Proxy](https://docs.phala.com/phala-cloud/confidential-ai/agents/private-ai-proxy.md) or the [TypeScript ACI Verifier](https://docs.phala.com/phala-cloud/confidential-ai/verify/typescript-sdk.md). Every model on this endpoint runs in a TEE.

## Check the Connection

Start `hermes`, run `/model`, and confirm the active provider, then run one harmless tool task.

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Check |
| - | - |
| Hermes ignores the Proxy | Confirm **Connected** in the app and that Protected is on, then start a new session. |
| Provider is not selected | Start a new session and choose `custom:phala` with `/model`. |
| Authentication fails | Export `PHALA_AI_API_KEY` in the Hermes process environment. |

## Related

* [Hermes model providers](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/integrations/providers)
* [Phala model catalog](https://docs.phala.com/phala-cloud/confidential-ai/confidential-model/api-reference/models.md)


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