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Merge pull request #950 from NousResearch/hermes/hermes-20ea56c0

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docs: conditional skill activation — duckduckgo-search fallback + documentation
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Teknium
2026-03-11 08:48:40 -07:00
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44
CONTRIBUTING.md
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@@ -333,6 +333,8 @@ metadata:
hermes:
tags: [Category, Subcategory, Keywords]
related_skills: [other-skill-name]
fallback_for_toolsets: [web] # Optional — show only when toolset is unavailable
requires_toolsets: [terminal] # Optional — show only when toolset is available
---
# Skill Title
@@ -367,6 +369,48 @@ platforms: [windows] # Windows only
If the field is omitted or empty, the skill loads on all platforms (backward compatible). See `skills/apple/` for examples of macOS-only skills.
### Conditional skill activation
Skills can declare conditions that control when they appear in the system prompt, based on which tools and toolsets are available in the current session. This is primarily used for **fallback skills** — alternatives that should only be shown when a primary tool is unavailable.
Four fields are supported under `metadata.hermes`:
```yaml
metadata:
hermes:
fallback_for_toolsets: [web] # Show ONLY when these toolsets are unavailable
requires_toolsets: [terminal] # Show ONLY when these toolsets are available
fallback_for_tools: [web_search] # Show ONLY when these specific tools are unavailable
requires_tools: [terminal] # Show ONLY when these specific tools are available
```
**Semantics:**
- `fallback_for_*`: The skill is a backup. It is **hidden** when the listed tools/toolsets are available, and **shown** when they are unavailable. Use this for free alternatives to premium tools.
- `requires_*`: The skill needs certain tools to function. It is **hidden** when the listed tools/toolsets are unavailable. Use this for skills that depend on specific capabilities (e.g., a skill that only makes sense with terminal access).
- If both are specified, both conditions must be satisfied for the skill to appear.
- If neither is specified, the skill is always shown (backward compatible).
**Examples:**
```yaml
# DuckDuckGo search — shown when Firecrawl (web toolset) is unavailable
metadata:
hermes:
fallback_for_toolsets: [web]
# Smart home skill — only useful when terminal is available
metadata:
hermes:
requires_toolsets: [terminal]
# Local browser fallback — shown when Browserbase is unavailable
metadata:
hermes:
fallback_for_toolsets: [browser]
```
The filtering happens at prompt build time in `agent/prompt_builder.py`. The `build_skills_system_prompt()` function receives the set of available tools and toolsets from the agent and uses `_skill_should_show()` to evaluate each skill's conditions.
### Skill guidelines
- **No external dependencies unless absolutely necessary.** Prefer stdlib Python, curl, and existing Hermes tools (`web_extract`, `terminal`, `read_file`).

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skills/research/duckduckgo-search/SKILL.md
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@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ metadata:
hermes:
tags: [search, duckduckgo, web-search, free, fallback]
related_skills: [arxiv]
fallback_for_toolsets: [web]
---
# DuckDuckGo Search

26
website/docs/user-guide/features/skills.md
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@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ metadata:
hermes:
tags: [python, automation]
category: devops
fallback_for_toolsets: [web] # Optional — conditional activation (see below)
requires_toolsets: [terminal] # Optional — conditional activation (see below)
---
# Skill Title
@@ -90,6 +92,30 @@ platforms: [macos, linux] # macOS and Linux
When set, the skill is automatically hidden from the system prompt, `skills_list()`, and slash commands on incompatible platforms. If omitted, the skill loads on all platforms.
### Conditional Activation (Fallback Skills)
Skills can automatically show or hide themselves based on which tools are available in the current session. This is most useful for **fallback skills** — free or local alternatives that should only appear when a premium tool is unavailable.
```yaml
metadata:
hermes:
fallback_for_toolsets: [web] # Show ONLY when these toolsets are unavailable
requires_toolsets: [terminal] # Show ONLY when these toolsets are available
fallback_for_tools: [web_search] # Show ONLY when these specific tools are unavailable
requires_tools: [terminal] # Show ONLY when these specific tools are available
```
| Field | Behavior |
|-------|----------|
| `fallback_for_toolsets` | Skill is **hidden** when the listed toolsets are available. Shown when they're missing. |
| `fallback_for_tools` | Same, but checks individual tools instead of toolsets. |
| `requires_toolsets` | Skill is **hidden** when the listed toolsets are unavailable. Shown when they're present. |
| `requires_tools` | Same, but checks individual tools. |
**Example:** The built-in `duckduckgo-search` skill uses `fallback_for_toolsets: [web]`. When you have `FIRECRAWL_API_KEY` set, the web toolset is available and the agent uses `web_search` — the DuckDuckGo skill stays hidden. If the API key is missing, the web toolset is unavailable and the DuckDuckGo skill automatically appears as a fallback.
Skills without any conditional fields behave exactly as before — they're always shown.
## Skill Directory Structure
```