> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ftr10.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Hermes Agent Settings — VS Code Extension Reference

> Full reference for all Hermes Agent extension settings — executable path, working directory, model defaults, display options, and session behavior.

You can open the Hermes Agent settings at any time by pressing `Ctrl+,` (or `Cmd+,` on macOS) and searching for **Hermes**, or by clicking the gear icon in the chat title bar. Changes to connection-related settings take effect immediately via an automatic reconnect — no manual restart required.

## Settings reference

<ParamField path="hermes.path" type="string" default="&#x22;&#x22;">
  Path to the Hermes executable. Leave this empty to let the extension
  auto-detect `hermes` from your system `PATH`. Set an absolute path here if
  you have multiple Hermes installations or if the binary is not on `PATH`.

  ```json theme={null}
  "hermes.path": "/usr/local/bin/hermes"
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="hermes.cwd" type="string" default="&#x22;&#x22;">
  Working directory used for all Hermes sessions. Leave empty to default to the
  workspace root folder. Set an absolute path to pin sessions to a specific
  directory regardless of which workspace you open.

  ```json theme={null}
  "hermes.cwd": "/projects/my-app"
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="hermes.profile" type="string" default="&#x22;&#x22;">
  Hermes profile name passed to the CLI as `hermes --profile <name>`. Leave
  empty to use the Hermes default profile. Profiles let you store separate
  model, tool, and API-key configurations in your Hermes config file.

  ```json theme={null}
  "hermes.profile": "work"
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="hermes.permissionMode" type="string" default="&#x22;manual&#x22;">
  Controls how the extension responds when Hermes requests permission to
  perform an action such as writing a file or running a terminal command.
  Accepted values:

  | Value         | Behavior                                                                                                       |
  | ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
  | `manual`      | A permission card appears in chat for every request. You choose to approve or deny before the action proceeds. |
  | `autoApprove` | All permission requests are approved automatically. The card is shown briefly and then dismissed.              |
  | `denyAll`     | All permission requests are denied automatically.                                                              |

  ```json theme={null}
  "hermes.permissionMode": "manual"
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="hermes.showThoughts" type="boolean" default="true">
  When `true`, the agent's internal reasoning steps ("thinking" tokens) are
  displayed in the chat as a collapsible block above the final response. Set to
  `false` to hide them and keep the chat output concise.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="hermes.showToolCalls" type="boolean" default="true">
  When `true`, a notification bubble appears in the chat whenever Hermes
  invokes a tool (for example, reading a file or calling an MCP server). Set to
  `false` to suppress these notifications.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="hermes.contextAttachVisibility" type="string" default="&#x22;onNewSession&#x22;">
  Controls when the session memory picker is shown in the chat input bar.
  The picker lets you carry prior session messages into a new conversation.
  Accepted values:

  | Value          | Behavior                                                                 |
  | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
  | `onNewSession` | Show the picker after a session reset, until the first successful reply. |
  | `always`       | Always show the picker when prior session memory is available.           |
  | `never`        | Never show the memory picker.                                            |
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="hermes.models" type="array" default="[]">
  A fallback list of models displayed in the Model dropdown when Hermes does
  not return ACP `configOptions` with a model selector. Each item requires an
  `id` (sent to the API) and a `name` (shown in the UI).

  ```json theme={null}
  "hermes.models": [
    { "id": "claude-sonnet", "name": "Claude Sonnet" },
    { "id": "gpt-4o", "name": "GPT-4o" }
  ]
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="hermes.defaultModel" type="string" default="&#x22;&#x22;">
  The model `id` from `hermes.models` that is pre-selected when the extension
  starts. This setting only applies to the fallback model list — if Hermes
  exposes its own model selector, the default is controlled by your Hermes
  profile configuration instead.

  ```json theme={null}
  "hermes.defaultModel": "claude-sonnet"
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="hermes.agents" type="array" default="[]">
  A list of named agent configurations available for quick switching from the
  chat toolbar. Each entry can override the executable path, Hermes profile,
  and working directory independently. Only `name` is required.

  ```json theme={null}
  "hermes.agents": [
    { "name": "Default", "profile": "" },
    { "name": "Fast", "path": "/usr/local/bin/hermes", "profile": "fast" },
    { "name": "Research", "profile": "research", "cwd": "/projects/research" }
  ]
  ```

  See [Multiple Agents](/configuration/agents) for a full walkthrough.
</ParamField>

## Common configuration examples

### Specify a custom executable and working directory

```json theme={null}
{
  "hermes.path": "/opt/homebrew/bin/hermes",
  "hermes.cwd": "/projects/my-app"
}
```

### Use a named profile with auto-approve permissions

```json theme={null}
{
  "hermes.profile": "dev",
  "hermes.permissionMode": "autoApprove"
}
```

### Define fallback models when Hermes exposes no model list

```json theme={null}
{
  "hermes.models": [
    { "id": "claude-opus-4-5", "name": "Claude Opus 4.5" },
    { "id": "claude-sonnet-4-5", "name": "Claude Sonnet 4.5" },
    { "id": "gpt-4o", "name": "GPT-4o" }
  ],
  "hermes.defaultModel": "claude-sonnet-4-5"
}
```

### Hide agent internals for a cleaner chat

```json theme={null}
{
  "hermes.showThoughts": false,
  "hermes.showToolCalls": false
}
```

### Always show the session memory picker

```json theme={null}
{
  "hermes.contextAttachVisibility": "always"
}
```

<Note>
  Changes to `hermes.path`, `hermes.cwd`, and `hermes.profile` are
  connection-related settings. The extension automatically reconnects when you
  save any of these values — you do not need to reload the window or restart
  VS Code.
</Note>