Files
hermes-agent/website/docs/reference/slash-commands.md
Teknium 4da598b48a docs: clarify hermes model vs /model — two commands, two purposes (#10276)
Users are confused about the difference between `hermes model` (terminal
command for full provider setup) and `/model` (session command for switching
between already-configured providers). This distinction was not documented
anywhere.

Changes across 4 doc pages:
- cli-commands.md: Added warning callout explaining the difference, added
  --global flag docs, added 'only see OpenRouter models?' info box
- slash-commands.md: Added notes on both TUI and messaging /model entries
  that /model only switches between configured providers
- providers.md: Added 'Two Commands for Model Management' comparison table
  near top of page, added warning callout in switching section
- faq.md: Added new FAQ entry '/model only shows one provider' with quick
  reference table

Prompted by user feedback in Discord — new users consistently hit this
confusion when trying to add providers from inside a session.
2026-04-15 04:39:34 -07:00

12 KiB

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2 Slash Commands Reference Complete reference for interactive CLI and messaging slash commands

Slash Commands Reference

Hermes has two slash-command surfaces, both driven by a central COMMAND_REGISTRY in hermes_cli/commands.py:

  • Interactive CLI slash commands — dispatched by cli.py, with autocomplete from the registry
  • Messaging slash commands — dispatched by gateway/run.py, with help text and platform menus generated from the registry

Installed skills are also exposed as dynamic slash commands on both surfaces. That includes bundled skills like /plan, which opens plan mode and saves markdown plans under .hermes/plans/ relative to the active workspace/backend working directory.

Interactive CLI slash commands

Type / in the CLI to open the autocomplete menu. Built-in commands are case-insensitive.

Session

Command Description
/new (alias: /reset) Start a new session (fresh session ID + history)
/clear Clear screen and start a new session
/history Show conversation history
/save Save the current conversation
/retry Retry the last message (resend to agent)
/undo Remove the last user/assistant exchange
/title Set a title for the current session (usage: /title My Session Name)
/compress [focus topic] Manually compress conversation context (flush memories + summarize). Optional focus topic narrows what the summary preserves.
/rollback List or restore filesystem checkpoints (usage: /rollback [number])
/snapshot [create|restore <id>|prune] (alias: /snap) Create or restore state snapshots of Hermes config/state. create [label] saves a snapshot, restore <id> reverts to it, prune [N] removes old snapshots, or list all with no args.
/stop Kill all running background processes
/queue <prompt> (alias: /q) Queue a prompt for the next turn (doesn't interrupt the current agent response). Note: /q is claimed by both /queue and /quit; the last registration wins, so /q resolves to /quit in practice. Use /queue explicitly.
/resume [name] Resume a previously-named session
/status Show session info
/snapshot (alias: /snap) Create or restore state snapshots of Hermes config/state (usage: /snapshot [create|restore <id>|prune])
/background <prompt> (alias: /bg) Run a prompt in a separate background session. The agent processes your prompt independently — your current session stays free for other work. Results appear as a panel when the task finishes. See CLI Background Sessions.
/btw <question> Ephemeral side question using session context (no tools, not persisted). Useful for quick clarifications without affecting the conversation history.
/plan [request] Load the bundled plan skill to write a markdown plan instead of executing the work. Plans are saved under .hermes/plans/ relative to the active workspace/backend working directory.
/branch [name] (alias: /fork) Branch the current session (explore a different path)

Configuration

Command Description
/config Show current configuration
/model [model-name] Show or change the current model. Supports: /model claude-sonnet-4, /model provider:model (switch providers), /model custom:model (custom endpoint), /model custom:name:model (named custom provider), /model custom (auto-detect from endpoint). Use --global to persist the change to config.yaml. Note: /model can only switch between already-configured providers. To add a new provider, exit the session and run hermes model from your terminal.
/provider Show available providers and current provider
/personality Set a predefined personality
/verbose Cycle tool progress display: off → new → all → verbose. Can be enabled for messaging via config.
/fast Toggle fast mode — OpenAI Priority Processing / Anthropic Fast Mode (usage: /fast [normal|fast|status])
/reasoning Manage reasoning effort and display (usage: /reasoning [level|show|hide])
/fast [normal|fast|status] Toggle fast mode — OpenAI Priority Processing / Anthropic Fast Mode. Options: normal, fast, status, on, off.
/skin Show or change the display skin/theme
/statusbar (alias: /sb) Toggle the context/model status bar on or off
/voice [on|off|tts|status] Toggle CLI voice mode and spoken playback. Recording uses voice.record_key (default: Ctrl+B).
/yolo Toggle YOLO mode — skip all dangerous command approval prompts.

Tools & Skills

Command Description
/tools [list|disable|enable] [name...] Manage tools: list available tools, or disable/enable specific tools for the current session. Disabling a tool removes it from the agent's toolset and triggers a session reset.
/toolsets List available toolsets
/browser [connect|disconnect|status] Manage local Chrome CDP connection. connect attaches browser tools to a running Chrome instance (default: ws://localhost:9222). disconnect detaches. status shows current connection. Auto-launches Chrome if no debugger is detected.
/skills Search, install, inspect, or manage skills from online registries
/cron Manage scheduled tasks (list, add/create, edit, pause, resume, run, remove)
/reload-mcp (alias: /reload_mcp) Reload MCP servers from config.yaml
/reload Reload .env variables into the running session (picks up new API keys without restarting)
/plugins List installed plugins and their status

Info

Command Description
/help Show this help message
/usage Show token usage, cost breakdown, and session duration
/insights Show usage insights and analytics (last 30 days)
/platforms (alias: /gateway) Show gateway/messaging platform status
/paste Check clipboard for an image and attach it
/image <path> Attach a local image file for your next prompt.
/debug Upload debug report (system info + logs) and get shareable links. Also available in messaging.
/profile Show active profile name and home directory

Exit

Command Description
/quit Exit the CLI (also: /exit). See note on /q under /queue above.

Dynamic CLI slash commands

Command Description
/<skill-name> Load any installed skill as an on-demand command. Example: /gif-search, /github-pr-workflow, /excalidraw.
/skills ... Search, browse, inspect, install, audit, publish, and configure skills from registries and the official optional-skills catalog.

Quick Commands

User-defined quick commands map a short alias to a longer prompt. Configure them in ~/.hermes/config.yaml:

quick_commands:
  review: "Review my latest git diff and suggest improvements"
  deploy: "Run the deployment script at scripts/deploy.sh and verify the output"
  morning: "Check my calendar, unread emails, and summarize today's priorities"

Then type /review, /deploy, or /morning in the CLI. Quick commands are resolved at dispatch time and are not shown in the built-in autocomplete/help tables.

Alias Resolution

Commands support prefix matching: typing /h resolves to /help, /mod resolves to /model. When a prefix is ambiguous (matches multiple commands), the first match in registry order wins. Full command names and registered aliases always take priority over prefix matches.

Messaging slash commands

The messaging gateway supports the following built-in commands inside Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, Email, and Home Assistant chats:

Command Description
/new Start a new conversation.
/reset Reset conversation history.
/status Show session info.
/stop Kill all running background processes and interrupt the running agent.
/model [provider:model] Show or change the model. Supports provider switches (/model zai:glm-5), custom endpoints (/model custom:model), named custom providers (/model custom:local:qwen), and auto-detect (/model custom). Use --global to persist the change to config.yaml. Note: /model can only switch between already-configured providers. To add a new provider or set up API keys, use hermes model from your terminal (outside the chat session).
/provider Show provider availability and auth status.
/personality [name] Set a personality overlay for the session.
/fast [normal|fast|status] Toggle fast mode — OpenAI Priority Processing / Anthropic Fast Mode.
/retry Retry the last message.
/undo Remove the last exchange.
/sethome (alias: /set-home) Mark the current chat as the platform home channel for deliveries.
/compress [focus topic] Manually compress conversation context. Optional focus topic narrows what the summary preserves.
/title [name] Set or show the session title.
/resume [name] Resume a previously named session.
/usage Show token usage, estimated cost breakdown (input/output), context window state, and session duration.
/insights [days] Show usage analytics.
/reasoning [level|show|hide] Change reasoning effort or toggle reasoning display.
/voice [on|off|tts|join|channel|leave|status] Control spoken replies in chat. join/channel/leave manage Discord voice-channel mode.
/rollback [number] List or restore filesystem checkpoints.
/snapshot [create|restore <id>|prune] (alias: /snap) Create or restore state snapshots of Hermes config/state.
/background <prompt> Run a prompt in a separate background session. Results are delivered back to the same chat when the task finishes. See Messaging Background Sessions.
/plan [request] Load the bundled plan skill to write a markdown plan instead of executing the work. Plans are saved under .hermes/plans/ relative to the active workspace/backend working directory.
/reload-mcp (alias: /reload_mcp) Reload MCP servers from config.
/reload Reload .env variables into the running session.
/yolo Toggle YOLO mode — skip all dangerous command approval prompts.
/commands [page] Browse all commands and skills (paginated).
/approve [session|always] Approve and execute a pending dangerous command. session approves for this session only; always adds to permanent allowlist.
/deny Reject a pending dangerous command.
/update Update Hermes Agent to the latest version.
/restart Gracefully restart the gateway after draining active runs. When the gateway comes back online, it sends a confirmation to the requester's chat/thread.
/fast [normal|fast|status] Toggle fast mode — OpenAI Priority Processing / Anthropic Fast Mode.
/debug Upload debug report (system info + logs) and get shareable links.
/debug Upload debug report (system info + logs) and get shareable links.
/help Show messaging help.
/<skill-name> Invoke any installed skill by name.

Notes

  • /skin, /tools, /toolsets, /browser, /config, /cron, /skills, /platforms, /paste, /image, /statusbar, and /plugins are CLI-only commands.
  • /verbose is CLI-only by default, but can be enabled for messaging platforms by setting display.tool_progress_command: true in config.yaml. When enabled, it cycles the display.tool_progress mode and saves to config.
  • /sethome, /update, /restart, /approve, /deny, and /commands are messaging-only commands.
  • /status, /background, /voice, /reload-mcp, /rollback, /snapshot, /debug, /fast, and /yolo work in both the CLI and the messaging gateway.
  • /voice join, /voice channel, and /voice leave are only meaningful on Discord.