#Hermes Agent Message Channels

One of Hermes's most distinctive abilities is connecting to a dozen-plus messaging platforms through a unified gateway — so you can command it right from the chat apps you already use.

#The Gateway Concept

The gateway is the adapter layer that connects external messaging platforms. It translates each platform's messages into Agent-loop input and sends replies back:

[Telegram msg] ──┐
[Discord msg]  ──┼─→ gateway adapters → Agent loop → reply → gateway → platforms
[Slack msg]    ──┘

A single gateway can serve many platforms, making your agent "everywhere."

#Supported Platforms

Core support (defer to your current version):

The team and community keep adding platforms (Matrix, Mattermost, SMS, DingTalk, Feishu, WeCom, and more).

#Configuring the Gateway

Interactive wizard:

hermes gateway setup

It prompts you for each platform's credentials (Bot Token, webhooks, etc.). Then start the gateway daemon:

hermes gateway        # Start the message gateway
# or
hermes gateway start  # Run as a daemon

Once running, message your bot and Hermes will chat, run tasks, and return results on that platform.

#Platform Credentials Example

Each platform needs its own secret — keep them in .env:

TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=123456:ABC-...
DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=...
SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-...

Obtaining credentials differs per platform (e.g., create a Telegram bot via @BotFather). Follow each platform's docs and the Hermes guides.

#Access Control: Don't Let Strangers Command Your Agent

The gateway exposes powerful tool capabilities to public chat platforms, so access control is essential:

• DM pairing: first DMs must complete a pairing handshake to confirm identity
• User allowlist: per-platform list of who may interact
• Command approval: risky actions still require your confirmation (see Security)

Principle:
deny by default → allow only allowlisted users → add approval for risky actions

#Proactive Cross-Platform Push

Combined with Cron scheduling, Hermes can proactively push results to any connected platform:

Daily 8:00 → fetch and summarize news → push to my Telegram
Every Monday → audit server status → post to the Slack ops channel

This upgrades Hermes from "reactive replies" to a digital assistant that reports proactively.

#Practical Tips

• For personal use, start with Telegram: easiest to set up, great push experience
• For teams use Slack / Discord with allowlists scoped to members
• Always enable DM pairing + allowlist so the agent can't be abused by strangers
• Keep the gateway process alive with systemd / tmux / a container for 24×7 availability

#Next Steps

• Slash Commands — control Hermes from chat with commands
• Permissions & Security — lock down the gateway
• Hands-on Practice — build a Telegram personal assistant