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Skills System

Skills are on demand knowledge documents the agent can load when needed. They follow a progressive disclosure pattern to minimize token usage and are compatible

Core Features
Section
Core Features
Source
hermesbible.com/docs/user-guide/features/skills

Skills are on demand knowledge documents the agent can load when needed. They follow a progressive disclosure pattern to minimize token usage and are compatible

Excerpt from the official Hermes Agent documentation, quoted for reference. View source

What this page covers

Section outline mirrored from the official Hermes Agent documentation. Follow any heading to read the complete text on the source site.

Upstream outline

  1. Starting with a blank slate
  2. Using Skills
  3. Progressive Disclosure
  4. SKILL.md Format
  5. When to Use
  6. Procedure
  7. Pitfalls
  8. Verification
  9. Platform-Specific Skills
  10. Skill output and media delivery
  11. Forcing document-style delivery: [[as_document]]
  12. Conditional Activation (Fallback Skills)
  13. Secure Setup on Load
  14. Skill Config Settings

Section map

Starting with a blank slate

Maps starting with a blank slate to the Core Features documentation path, with the source page reserved for exact commands and updates.

Using Skills

Maps using skills to the Core Features documentation path, with the source page reserved for exact commands and updates.

Progressive Disclosure

Maps progressive disclosure to the Core Features documentation path, with the source page reserved for exact commands and updates.

SKILL.md Format

Maps skill.md format to the Core Features documentation path, with the source page reserved for exact commands and updates.

When to Use

Maps when to use to the Core Features documentation path, with the source page reserved for exact commands and updates.

Procedure

Maps procedure to the Core Features documentation path, with the source page reserved for exact commands and updates.

Pitfalls

Maps pitfalls to the Core Features documentation path, with the source page reserved for exact commands and updates.

Verification

Maps verification to the Core Features documentation path, with the source page reserved for exact commands and updates.

Implementation notes

  • Use this Core Features doc as a navigation page first: the local clone mirrors the source structure and links each heading back to the authoritative upstream section.
  • Primary decision areas: Starting with a blank slate, Using Skills, Progressive Disclosure, SKILL.md Format, When to Use. Read those source anchors before changing installs, credentials, automation, or runtime configuration.
  • Useful search signals for this doc: skills, system, demand, knowledge, documents. These are derived from the public title and summary so the clone remains lightweight.

Decision table

Best fitCore Features documentation

Use when you need orientation for skills system before applying exact upstream commands.

Verify firstStarting with a blank slate

Open the source anchor for Starting with a blank slate and confirm platform-specific requirements before changing configuration.

Escalate to sourceCommands, credentials, runtime behavior

Use the upstream page as the authority for current syntax, release changes, and security-sensitive steps.

Verification checklist

  1. Use this page to orient yourself within Core Features, then open the linked source page for exact current syntax.
  2. Start with the source section for Starting with a blank slate; do not rely on the local summary for commands or secrets.
  3. Check platform, install method, provider, and credential assumptions before changing a real environment.
  4. Review the source section for Using Skills if the page involves setup, automation, messaging, or runtime behavior.
  5. After applying anything from the source, run the smallest relevant smoke test before widening scope.

Risk notes

Credentials

Treat every token, OAuth grant, secret manager entry, and API key as production-sensitive. Verify least privilege and revocation before reuse.

Model spend

Set provider, token, and retry limits before scaling the workflow beyond a single test run.

Runtime access

Check filesystem, shell, browser, repository, and server permissions before granting the agent write access.

What this page covers

  • Core concept and where it fits in the Hermes Agent system.
  • Setup or operating context implied by the upstream page summary.
  • The source page link for full current details and updates.

Source mirror note

This page is generated from the public Hermes Bible index so the clone has the same route coverage and search surface. It stores the public title, category, summary, and source link locally; use the source page for full upstream text and updates.

Open source page