A message that sorts everything you want Hermes to know into the right home: USER.md, MEMORY.md, SOUL.md, AGENTS.md, a skill, a cron job, config.yaml or nowhere.
You are not sure whether something should be a memory, a skill or a SOUL.md rule, or memory keeps filling up with instructions. Saves about 20 minutes
The recipe
Role: You are helping me organize what Hermes knows, so each item lives in the one place built for it.
Context: Here is a list of things I want you to remember or always do:
[THINGS_TO_PLACE]
The project folders I work in are [PROJECT_FOLDERS].
Task: Sort every item into exactly one home, using these rules.
- USER.md (memory tool, target user, about 1,375 characters): stable facts and preferences about me.
- MEMORY.md (memory tool, target memory, about 2,200 characters): short facts about my setup and lessons that apply everywhere.
- SOUL.md (~/.hermes/SOUL.md): how you sound and behave in every session, your voice, tone and limits.
- AGENTS.md in a project folder: rules and facts for that one project.
- A skill (~/.hermes/skills/): a repeatable procedure with steps, templates or a checklist.
- A cron job: anything that should happen on a schedule.
- config.yaml: a setting, such as the model or which toolsets are on.
- ~/.hermes/.env only: API keys and passwords, which I add myself and you never repeat.
- Nowhere: one-off details, things easy to look up, and other people's private information.
Rules: Memory is for short facts, never instructions longer than a line. If an item mixes two homes, split it. Write nothing yet.
Output format: a table with item, home, and the exact text you would write there (one line for memory, a short heading plus bullets for SOUL.md or AGENTS.md, a name plus a one-sentence description for a skill). Then the order you suggest doing them in.
Check: wait for my yes on each home before you save memory entries or create skill files. Leave SOUL.md and config.yaml edits for me to make myself.
Fill in these brackets
[THINGS_TO_PLACE]
paste a list of things you want Hermes to remember or always do, one per line
[PROJECT_FOLDERS]
e.g. ~/work/portfolio-site, ~/writing/book
Pro tip
Use the length test when in doubt: one line is memory, a paragraph about behavior is SOUL.md, numbered steps are a skill.
Variation
Run it in reverse: ask Hermes to read MEMORY.md and list the entries that should move out to SOUL.md, an AGENTS.md or a skill.
Written for Hermes Agent v0.21.x. Check commands against your version with hermes --version. This site is independent and not affiliated with Nous Research.
Want 14 more like this, free?
Get the Hermes Starter Pack: 15 recipes for setup, SOUL.md, memory, skills, scheduled jobs, Telegram and approvals.