01What is OpenWebUI Hermes AI agent?

OpenWebUI Hermes AI agent is a setup where you use OpenWebUI as a chat interface for your Hermes agent. Instead of using the terminal, you get a nice web-based UI. This makes it easier to talk to your agent and manage your conversations.

Hermes is an AI agent you can run locally. OpenWebUI is the most popular self-hosted chat interface. Together, they let you chat with Hermes like you would with ChatGPT.

You can also do more, like upload files and switch between models.

02Key features of OpenWebUI with Hermes

OpenWebUI gives you many useful features. You get a modern chat interface. You can manage multiple accounts and conversations easily.

It also works on mobile, so you can manage your agents on the go.

  • Voice and video call support
  • Web search and browsing options
  • Image generation and editing integration
  • Easy model switching (local and external)
  • File uploads, notes, and knowledge search

You can also use code interpreters and attach files directly in the chat. This is a big upgrade from the terminal UI, where you had to type file paths manually.

03How to set up OpenWebUI with Hermes

Setting up is simple. You need Hermes running on your terminal. Then you give it the GitHub info and the docs for OpenWebUI.

Hermes will do most of the work.

  1. Open Hermes on your terminal.
  2. Paste the GitHub information for OpenWebUI into Hermes.
  3. Tell Hermes to set it up with OpenWebUI.
  4. Copy the documentation for Hermes and OpenWebUI as well.
  5. Allow permissions when Hermes asks (click yes).
  6. Make sure the API server and environment file are set up.
  7. Let Hermes install and configure OpenWebUI in Docker.
  8. Open the local hosted OpenWebUI and create your account.

Hermes reads the documentation and checks that everything works. It sets it up in Docker, so it stays isolated and safe.

04How to use OpenWebUI with Hermes

Once it's running, you can start chatting with Hermes. Just like ChatGPT, you type your message and Hermes responds. You can ask it to build things, like a ping pong game, and it will work on it.

You can also preview code and see the output. If something goes wrong, you can tell Hermes to fix it. It will debug and solve the problem.

  • Upload files, nodes, or knowledge references in the chat.
  • Switch between models like DeepSeek, Flash, or your local Ollama models.
  • Use the workspace to create new model profiles with custom system prompts.
  • Add tools and skills to your agent.
  • Use multiple tabs for different chats at the same time.

05Results and comparisons from the episode

In the episode, Julian tested the setup and it worked well. The chat was smooth. The interface looked way better than the terminal.

He also compared it to the official Hermes dashboard.

The official dashboard is a web UI, but it doesn't have a chat option. You can manage schedule tasks, skills, and sessions, but you can't talk to the agent directly. OpenWebUI fills that gap.

It gives you a full chat experience.

He also showed that Hermes fixed a code problem when asked. The agent self-correlated and got the game running. The whole process was quick and easy.

06Tips, limits, and mistakes to avoid

Here are some useful tips from the episode. First, make sure you have the API server set up. Without it, OpenWebUI won't connect to Hermes.

Also, use Docker for isolation. It keeps things clean and easy to manage.

  • Always read the documentation before tweaking settings.
  • Let Hermes handle the installation to avoid manual errors.
  • Be careful with permissions – only allow what you trust.
  • If the chat stops responding, ask Hermes to fix it.

One limit is that OpenWebUI is more of an agent interface, not a full mission control. For mission control, you might use other tools like Paperclip or Multica. But for chatting and managing agents, OpenWebUI is solid.

07Who should use this setup and why it matters

This setup is great for anyone who uses Hermes and wants a better experience. If you don't like the terminal, you'll love the chat UI. It's also useful if you want to manage multiple agents or models in one place.

It matters because it makes AI agents more accessible. You don't need to be a terminal expert. You can chat with your agent like you chat with a friend.

Plus, it's free and open source, so anyone can try it.

If you're building automations or just experimenting, this gives you a powerful tool. You can even integrate with other apps like Obsidian for knowledge management. The possibilities are big.

08Community and extra resources

If you want more help, Julian mentioned the AI Profit Board. It's a community for people using AI agents. You can join weekly coaching calls, ask questions, and share your screen for help.

There are also full courses on Hermes and OpenClaw. You can learn how to build anything with DeepSeek. There's a tutorial on Hermes v0.11 as well.

These are great for going deeper.

You can connect with Julian personally inside the community. It's a good place to meet others who use AI agents to save time and automate their work.