> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.tao.media/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Nous Research Launches Plugin Catalog for Hermes Agent - URL: https://www.tao.media/nous-research-launches-plugin-catalog-for-hermes-agent/ - Published: 2026-09-16T22:33:27.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-16T22:33:27.000Z - Description: The catalog gives Hermes Agent users a reviewed directory of official and community plugins, with one-command installs and commit-pinned provenance. - Author: Bart Hillerich - Tags: Nous Research, AI, News [Nous Research](https://nousresearch.com/?ref=tao.media) has launched a [Plugin Catalog](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/plugins?ref=tao.media) for Hermes Agent, giving users a reviewed directory of plugins that can be installed by name instead of manually cloning repositories or pasting Git URLs. The catalog went live with 100 entries: four official plugins and 96 community plugins across desktop, memory, messaging, web, tooling, voice, automation, models, and general-purpose categories. Nous said in its [launch post](https://x.com/NousResearch/status/2100266421020152114?ref=tao.media) that its team reviews every community plugin and plans to add new ones regularly. For users, the main workflow is simple: ```bash hermes plugins install ``` The distribution model behind that command is the bigger change. Each catalog entry is human-reviewed, pinned to an exact Git commit, and paired with a capability summary before installation. That sits between closed official integrations and unreviewed open-source plugin installs. 0:00 /0:13 1× Hermes plugin catalog ## What Is the Hermes Agent Plugin Catalog? The Hermes Agent plugin catalog is a curated directory for extending [Hermes Agent](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent?ref=tao.media), Nous Research’s open-source autonomous agent. It is available as a browsable interface inside the Hermes documentation, with search, category shelves, official and community filters, capability chips, copyable install commands, and "Install in Hermes" buttons. At launch, the catalog was organized into nine categories: | Category | Plugins | | ------------- | ------- | | Tools | 25 | | Desktop | 20 | | Platforms | 15 | | Web & Browser | 10 | | General | 10 | | Memory | 9 | | Voice | 5 | | Automation | 5 | | Models | 1 | | **Total** | **100** | The official launch set includes `hermes-memory-wiki`, `hermes-telegram-business`, `snyk`, and `touchdesigner`. Community entries include plugins such as `web-search-plus` for multi-provider search, `icarus` and `yantrikdb` for memory, `weather` for meteorological tools, and `omnivoice` for voice. The catalog does not replace Hermes Agent’s existing plugin system. Catalog plugins are normal Hermes plugins with discovery and review layered on top. Users can still install plugins from other sources, but the catalog creates a default place to find reviewed options and install them by name. ## How Hermes Plugin Installs Work The basic installation flow starts with the catalog name. A user can install a listed plugin with: ```bash hermes plugins install web-search-plus hermes plugins enable web-search-plus ``` Installing a catalog plugin puts it on disk but does not automatically enable it. Many plugins add tools, hooks, middleware, platform integrations, or access to external services. The install prompt shows a capability summary before anything is cloned, so users can see what a plugin adds and which environment variables or credentials it may require. Hermes also supports catalog search, catalog information commands, and updates: ```bash hermes plugins update web-search-plus hermes plugins catalog hermes plugins search weather ``` For catalog installs, `hermes plugins update` does not behave like a standard `git pull`. Instead, it compares the installed pin against the current catalog pin and reinstalls only if the catalog has moved to a newly reviewed commit. Hermes lists catalog installs with provenance such as `catalog:community@<sha>` or `catalog:official@<sha>`, making the source and reviewed commit visible. The catalog also supports cases where a catalog name differs from the plugin’s internal manifest name. Nous gives the example of `touchdesigner`, which installs as `td` so its generated tool names remain short enough for provider function-name limits. ## Official and Community Plugins Share the Same Catalog Surface The launch blends first-party and community-developed plugins in one searchable directory while marking their tier clearly. Official plugins are maintained by NousResearch. The `snyk` entry, for example, packages Snyk’s first-party MCP server and a workflow skill for code, dependency, container, infrastructure-as-code, and SBOM scanning. The `touchdesigner` entry connects Hermes to a local TouchDesigner session through an MCP server and bundled workflow skill. Community plugins make up the large majority of the day-one catalog. A plugin ecosystem becomes more useful as developers publish specialized capabilities faster than the core team could build every integration itself. The catalog gives those developers a distribution channel while giving users a more legible way to evaluate what they are installing. That structure also fits the timing of Nous’s broader Hermes push. The plugin catalog arrives the same week as Hermes Business, which gives teams shared agents, shared skills, and team-level controls. In that context, the catalog acts as a capability layer for individuals and teams that want Hermes agents to pick up new functions without relying only on built-in tools. [Nous Research Launches Hermes Business for Team-Based AI Agent WorkflowsThe new Nous Portal tier gives organizations shared balances, member-level spending controls, and team-wide Hermes skills, while Enterprise adds private deployment options.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/78/0b/780ba906-b1a7-4bf0-873c-bdd5c32e5331/content/images/icon/Group-1321319358-4e5f226c-2d47-4e4e-9ed7-7a28aa5f4856.png)IntelligenceBart Hillerich![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/78/0b/780ba906-b1a7-4bf0-873c-bdd5c32e5331/content/images/thumbnail/ChatGPT-Image-Sep-14--2026--09_31_07-PM-2d9c790e-4cef-4f45-99b7-69fe37ae0bd1.png)](https://www.tao.media/nous-research-launches-hermes-business-for-team-based-ai-agent-workflows/) ## How Nous Reviews Catalog Plugins Each entry is defined by a YAML file in the Hermes Agent repository’s `plugin-catalog/` directory. The entry includes the plugin name, public repository, exact commit SHA, tier, category, maintainer, declared capabilities, optional Hermes version requirements, platform restrictions, and documentation links. That commit pin is what separates the catalog from a loose list of GitHub repositories. According to Nous’s [plugin catalog documentation](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/plugin-catalog?ref=tao.media), entries must use an exact 40-character commit SHA. Installs check out that commit, not a branch or tag. If a plugin author pushes new code to the repository, catalog users do not automatically receive it. A maintainer has to merge a new pull request with an updated SHA before the catalog moves. The review process is point-in-time. Nous says a catalog entry means the pinned commit was reviewed by a human, the capability declarations were checked, and the repository met the submission bar. It is not a full security audit, and it does not say anything about unrevised commits elsewhere in the repository. The catalog also includes two additional safeguards. First, plugins are not allowed to self-update through the catalog path; updates go through the reviewed SHA-bump process. Second, removed plugins are tracked in `removed.yaml`, and the installer refuses entries on that list. Custom Git URL installs still work, but they bypass catalog review and show a warning because they install unvetted code from the target source. Plugins can expose tools, connect to services, modify agent behavior, or request credentials. A visible capability card and reproducible commit pin give users a clearer basis for deciding whether to install a community extension. ## How Developers Submit a Hermes Plugin Developers can submit a plugin by opening a pull request that adds a `plugin-catalog/<name>.yaml` file to the Hermes Agent repository. The plugin must come from a public repository, and the submitter must own or maintain it. Nous’s [submission guide](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/plugin-catalog?ref=tao.media) says entries need real releases or tags, required metadata, a valid 40-character SHA, and a passing catalog validation GitHub Action. That validation checks the schema, SHA format, and repository reachability before maintainer review. If a developer later wants to ship a fix, the same model applies: open another pull request that bumps the SHA to a newer reviewed commit. The installed user then updates through Hermes rather than pulling whatever happens to be on the repository’s default branch. ## Why the Catalog Matters for Hermes Agent Agent platforms face a distribution problem. Official integrations are easier to trust but limited by the pace of the core team. Open plugin systems can move faster, but asking users to paste arbitrary Git URLs creates a weak default for security, provenance, and discoverability. Nous is trying to use the plugin catalog as the browser-extension-style middle ground: public community supply, searchable discovery, human review, declared capabilities, and reproducible installs. That does not make every plugin risk-free. Users still need to inspect sensitive plugins, especially those that request credentials or act on external systems. But it gives Hermes Agent a clearer plugin supply chain than a folder of community links and helps developers reach users through a shared catalog rather than one-off distribution. Hermes already has a large open-source footprint, with its GitHub repository showing roughly 246,000 stars and 51,000 forks at the time of writing. The catalog turns that developer activity into a more organized extension marketplace, giving users a direct way to add capabilities and giving plugin builders a reviewed path into the Hermes ecosystem. The launch moves Hermes Agent closer to a platform model. Hermes Agent now has a cataloged distribution layer for the tools, memory systems, platforms, and workflows that users want to attach to it.