01What Is the Hermes Loop Command?

The Hermes loop command is a new free feature in Hermes, an AI agent. It lets you type a simple command, and your agent checks on a task every few minutes by itself. When something changes, it messages you right on WhatsApp or Telegram.

Think of it like a cron job, but inside your chat session. The co-founder of Hermes said it's like cron jobs inside a session. So it runs on a timer and keeps watch, but it lives in your conversation.

That's different from a regular cron job, which runs on a schedule no matter what.

The loop command is built for short-term watching. You set how often it loops, and it wakes up every five minutes or whatever you choose. It stops when the job is done.

This way, you can walk away, and your agent watches your stuff 24/7 for free.

02Main Features of Hermes Loop

The Hermes loop command ships with several key features that make it useful. First, it's totally free. You just need to update Hermes to get it.

Second, it can message you on WhatsApp or Telegram when something happens, so you get alerts on your phone.

  • It loops around on a timer you set, like every 5 minutes or every 30 minutes.
  • It can watch for changes, like if a blog post gets indexed or a competitor changes a page.
  • It ends when the job is completed, or you can stop it anytime.
  • It has a safety net so it doesn't run forever and waste your tokens.
  • You can leave the time out for a self-paced loop.

This is different from schedules and goals. Schedules run every day. Goals run for long tasks like coding for hours.

Loops are for checking or watching something in one conversation, short-term. The loop command is like a scheduled task but inside your chat, so it works with your contacts.

03How to Set Up the Hermes Loop Command

Setting up the Hermes loop command is simple, but you need to update Hermes first. Here are the steps to get started.

  1. Open your terminal.
  2. Run 'Hermes update' to make sure you have the newest version of Hermes.
  3. Type '/loop' in the Hermes agent chat.
  4. Say how long you want the loop to go for, or how often it should loop around.
  5. Type what you want it to check, like 'check if my blog post is indexed yet.'
  6. Let it run. It will wake up every set interval and check.
  7. Wait for it to message you on WhatsApp or Telegram when something changes.

That's it. You can set the time interval, or you can leave it out for a self-paced loop. But for most tasks, you'll want to set a time like every 5 minutes.

Remember, you must update Hermes first; otherwise, the loop command won't be available.

04How to Use Hermes Loop With Examples

Using the Hermes loop command is about telling your agent what to watch and how often. In the episode, Julian and Casper showed several examples. Start with a simple one like '/loop check if my blog post is indexed.' The agent will check every few minutes until it finds it's indexed.

Another example is monitoring competitors. You can say, 'check if my competitors have changed the page every one hour inside this conversation, and then tell me.' The loop runs until that change happens, then it finishes.

You can also watch social media. For instance, 'check the Claude Twitter and tell me once they tweet.' The agent loops every 5 minutes or 30 minutes until a new tweet appears. It's like waiting for an announcement, and the agent does the waiting for you.

You can even set it to monitor trends or get certain tweets. The key is to use it for short bursts. If you need a 3-hour coding task, use goals instead.

Loops are for checking and watching, not for long builds.

05Results and Comparisons From the Episode

In the episode, Julian and Casper tested the Hermes loop command live. Casper saw the announcement and hoped it would achieve what Julian promised. They couldn't end the video until it worked.

The loop command delivered as expected.

The big comparison was with Claude's old feature. Julian noted that Claude's version would collapse on itself and forget the cron job. The Hermes loop command doesn't have that problem.

It stays inside the session and keeps working.

They also distinguished loops from schedules and goals. Schedules run every day. Goals run for long-term tasks like coding.

Loops are for short-term watching in one conversation. The co-founder confirmed it's like cron jobs but lives in a session.

There's also a safety net. The loop can end in five ways: the agent says it's done, there's proof it finished, you set a timing cap, you end it manually, or the safety net stops it to prevent token waste. This means it won't run forever.

06Tips, Limits, and Mistakes to Avoid

The Hermes loop command is powerful, but you need to use it right. The biggest tip is to set a reasonable interval. Julian warned about being careful with very short times.

Don't set it to loop every 30 seconds or 1 minute. That can waste resources and annoy you.

  • Don't use loops for long tasks like building a website; use goals instead.
  • Don't forget to update Hermes first, or the loop command won't work.
  • Don't set very short time intervals unless you really need them.
  • Use loops for short bursts like checking trends or waiting for a tweet.
  • Remember that a loop ends when the job is done, so don't expect it to message you every time if you do multiple tweets.

Also, think about the use case. If you need something to run for a day, a scheduled task or cron job might be better. Loops are inside a session, so if you go away and end the session, it might not continue.

Keep that in mind.

Finally, always specify the time or use the self-paced option. Just know what you're doing.

07Who Should Use Hermes Loop and Why

The Hermes loop command is for anyone who wants an AI agent to watch things while they do other stuff. If you're a business owner, you can have it check on your business every few minutes and message you the moment something changes. It's like having an employee who never forgets to report in.

It's great for content creators. You can monitor if your blog post is indexed. You can watch competitors' pages.

You can track social media accounts for announcements. The agent does the watching, so you don't have to refresh pages all day.

This matters because it saves you time. You set up the loop, walk away, and get a message on WhatsApp or Telegram when something happens. It's free, so anyone can use it.

It's a simple way to automate monitoring without building complex systems.

Whether you're a marketer, SEO, or just someone who wants to stay updated, the Hermes loop command lets you delegate the watching. You can go to the gym, sleep, or do anything else, and your agent is on the lookout.