> ## 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.

# Get Started with Hermes Agent in VS Code in 5 Minutes

> Set your API key, open the Hermes chat panel, and send your first message to Hermes Agent — the whole process takes under five minutes.

This guide walks you through everything you need to go from a fresh extension install to a live conversation with Hermes Agent. The whole process takes under five minutes — most of that is the one-time initialization on first connect. By the end you will have sent your first message, seen a streamed response, and learned how to pull editor context directly into the chat.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Set your API key">
    Open the Command Palette with `Ctrl+Shift+P` (Windows/Linux) or `Cmd+Shift+P` (macOS), type **Hermes: Set API Key**, and press **Enter**. Paste your key into the prompt that appears — the input is masked so your key is never visible in plain text.

    <Note>
      Your API key is stored in VS Code **Secret Storage**, which encrypts keys at rest using the operating system's credential store. The key is never written to `settings.json`, never committed to source control, and never logged. You can update it at any time by running **Hermes: Set API Key** again.
    </Note>

    Don't have an API key yet? You can get one from any of these providers:

    | Provider                                        | Link                                                                 |
    | ----------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | **OpenRouter** (access many models via one key) | [openrouter.ai/keys](https://openrouter.ai/keys)                     |
    | **Anthropic** (Claude models)                   | [console.anthropic.com](https://console.anthropic.com)               |
    | **OpenAI** (GPT models)                         | [platform.openai.com/api-keys](https://platform.openai.com/api-keys) |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the chat panel">
    Click the **Hermes Agent** icon in the Activity Bar — the vertical strip of icons on the far left of the VS Code window. The Hermes sidebar opens and the extension begins connecting to the agent in the background.

    Alternatively, open the Command Palette and run **Hermes: Open Chat**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for Ready">
    Watch the status pill at the top of the chat panel. It starts at **Connecting…**, moves to **Initializing…**, and finally turns green and reads **Ready**.

    On first run, initialization can take **1–3 minutes** while Hermes loads its plugins and checks ACP dependencies. Subsequent starts are faster. If the status stays stuck on **Connecting…**, run **Hermes: Detect Environment** from the Command Palette (or click the search icon in the Hermes toolbar) to diagnose the issue.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Explore the Control Center">
    Open the embedded Hermes dashboard by clicking the dashboard icon in the Hermes toolbar, or run **Hermes: Open Control Center** from the Command Palette. The Control Center lets you select the active model, configure tool permissions, import or export profiles, and preview the system prompt — all without leaving VS Code.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send your first message">
    Click the message input at the bottom of the chat panel, type a question, and press **Enter** to send. Use **Shift+Enter** to add a newline without sending.

    Hermes streams its reply into the panel as it generates — you will see the response appear character by character. Press **Stop** in the toolbar at any time to cancel a response mid-stream.

    A few prompts to try on your first conversation:

    * *"Explain this file and what it does."*
    * *"How do I add error handling to this function?"*
    * *"What are the main risks in this code?"*
    * *"Refactor this to use async/await."*
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pull in editor context">
    Hermes already has access to your workspace through the Editor Tools Bridge, but you can also send a specific selection directly into the chat input.

    Select any code in the editor, right-click, and choose **Hermes: Insert Selection into Chat**. The selected text is pasted into the message input so you can add a question before sending.

    You can also type `@` inside the chat input to open the workspace file picker and attach a specific file to your message.

    When you are ready to start a fresh conversation, click the **+** button in the Hermes toolbar or run **Hermes: New Chat** from the Command Palette. Each new chat is saved as a separate session tab — you can rename, delete, or switch between sessions at any time.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What to try next

Now that your first conversation is working, explore the features that make Hermes most useful day-to-day.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Chat" icon="comments" href="/features/chat">
    Learn about session management, context attachment, `@file` references, and how to read file paths directly from replies.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Editor Tools" icon="code" href="/features/editor-tools">
    Understand what the agent can see in your workspace and how to use CodeLens to trigger prompts from inside a file.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Models & Profiles" icon="sliders" href="/features/models-profiles">
    Switch between models and providers, compare per-token costs, and set up named agent configurations for quick switching.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Settings" icon="gear" href="/configuration/settings">
    Configure the Hermes binary path, permission mode, working directory, fallback model list, and more.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>