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Programmatic Integration

Programmatic Integration

Developer11 minutes3 questions2026-08-09
The idea in one minute

Start with meaning, then move to detail.

This lesson explains Programmatic Integration as part of Hermes internals and extension points. You will learn what it does, when it matters, and the smallest safe test that proves it works.

If you are new

If you are new, do not memorize names. Focus on three questions: what problem does this solve, what access does it need, and how can you verify the result?

For hands-on use

For practice, inspect the first example, identify its effects, run it on test data, and compare the result with the source claim.

For specialists

For advanced readers, inspect ACP (Agent Client Protocol), TUI Gateway JSON-RPC, Method catalog (selected), then verify failure modes and version compatibility.

What do you need first?

Know Python, Git, and basic project structure before changing code.

What will you know?

A clear outcome before you read.

  • Understand Programmatic Integration without assumed prior knowledge.
  • Separate the source description from what still needs testing in your environment.
  • Read the first command and identify its inputs and outputs before copying it.
Lesson terms

Short definitions before the details.

ACP
A protocol used to connect agent sessions and events to compatible clients and editors.
Provider
The service that runs or provides access and authentication to a model.
Gateway
The process that connects Hermes to channels such as Telegram or Discord and routes messages.
Official page description

Three protocols for driving hermes-agent from external programs: ACP, the TUI gateway JSON-RPC, and the OpenAI-compatible HTTP API

Topic map

What does the source say, and in what order?

  1. 01
    ACP (Agent Client Protocol)

    Start here to understand the core idea or structure.

  2. 02
    TUI Gateway JSON-RPC

    Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.

  3. 03
    Method catalog (selected)

    Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.

  4. 04
    Rewinding history on prompt.submit

    Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.

  5. 05
    Events streamed back

    Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.

  6. 06
    Pi-style RPC mapping

    Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.

  7. 07
    OpenAI-Compatible API Server

    Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.

  8. 08
    Model catalog surfaces

    Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.

  9. 09
    Which one should I use?

    Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.

  10. 10
    Model hot-swapping

    Finish here to verify the result and special cases.

Examples from the official page

Copy only after you understand the effect.

hermes acp # serve ACP on stdio hermes acp --check # verify ACP dependencies and adapter imports hermes acp --setup # interactive provider/model setup for ACP terminal auth
prompt.submit prompt.background session.steer session.create session.list session.active_list session.activate session.close session.interrupt session.history session.compress session.branch session.title session.usage session.status clarify.respond sudo.respond secret.respond approval.respond config.set / config.get commands.catalog command.resolve command.dispatch cli.exec reload.mcp reload.env process.stop delegation.status subagent
POST /v1/chat/completions OpenAI Chat Completions (streaming via SSE) POST /v1/responses OpenAI Responses API (stateful) POST /v1/runs Start a run, returns run_id (202) GET /v1/runs/{id} Run status GET /v1/runs/{id}/events SSE stream of lifecycle events POST /v1/runs/{id}/approval Resolve a pending approval POST /v1/runs/{id}/stop Interrupt the run GET /v1/capabilities Machine-readable feature flags GET /v1/models Lists hermes-agent GET /api/model/options Provider-aware picker i
Try it now

Read the first command and identify its inputs and outputs before copying it.

Match every command to your installed Hermes version, review the files and accounts it can reach, and use non-sensitive data for the first test. If this explanation differs from the source, the official source wins.

Knowledge check

Three decisions before completion.

1. What is the source of truth when “Programmatic Integration” changes?
2. What is the best way to apply this lesson?
3. What should happen before a step can modify files or an external account?