Hermes Import Agent is the hermes import-agent command in Hermes Agent, which brings an existing Claude Code or Codex CLI setup into Hermes in one command, and this page shows how a business would actually use it.
It copies your instructions, approved shell commands, MCP servers, skills and memories into Hermes, and it shows you a preview before it writes a thing.
It never copies API keys or credentials, so your secrets stay where they are.
Nous Research also ships it as an official plugin called agent-importers, which the v0.22.4 release notes say now handles Cursor too.
For a business, the real value isn't the first import, it's the sync mode that keeps Hermes up to date while your team keeps using the tools they already like.
When I covered Hermes v0.20 on agentos.guide, I listed hermes import-agent claude-code as the one-line way to move a Claude Code setup across, and my own Agent OS runs Claude and Hermes side by side every day.
The facts below come from the official Hermes docs and CLI help, and the business examples are how I'd apply them.
The Business Jobs Hermes Import Agent Handles
This table is the short answer, so you can see which job matches your situation before reading on.
| Business situation | Command | What it does for you |
|---|---|---|
| A team member wants to try Hermes without losing their Claude Code setup | hermes import-agent claude-code |
It brings their instructions, rules, MCP servers and skills across. |
| A developer lives in Codex CLI | hermes import-agent codex |
It brings their AGENTS.md, MCP servers, memories and skills across. |
| Someone wants to check what would move first | hermes import-agent claude-code --dry-run |
It shows the full plan and writes nothing. |
| The team keeps editing Claude Code after the move | hermes import-agent --sync |
It re-imports only the sources that changed. |
| You run a profile per client or project | hermes profile create work --clone --sync-imports |
It carries the import sync manifest into a cloned profile. |
| Someone uses Cursor | hermes import-agent cursor |
It imports Cursor rules, MCP servers and skills through the agent-importers plugin. |
Every command there is copied from the official docs or the agent-importers README.
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What Hermes Import Agent Is, In Plain English
Hermes Agent is the free, open-source AI agent from Nous Research that runs on your own machine and works through your tools and chat apps.
Hermes Import Agent is the part of Hermes that moves across your setup from another coding agent.
The CLI help describes it as a "one-command import of another coding agent's setup into Hermes."
It reads that agent's config folder, works out the Hermes equivalent of each piece, shows you the plan, and then writes it.
Here's what it maps from Claude Code, according to the official Import from Other Agents page.
| Claude Code item | Where it goes in Hermes |
|---|---|
CLAUDE.md global instructions |
It becomes memory entries in MEMORY.md. |
Bash(...) allow rules |
They become the command_allowlist in config.yaml. |
Bash(...) deny rules |
They become approvals.deny in config.yaml. |
mcpServers |
They become mcp_servers in config.yaml. |
Skill folders with a SKILL.md |
They are copied into skills/claude-code-imports/. |
Slash commands in commands/*.md |
They are skipped with a note to convert them into skills. |
From Codex CLI, it maps AGENTS.md, the [mcp_servers.*] blocks in config.toml, memories/*.md and skill folders in the same way.
Who Makes It And What It Costs
Nous Research makes it, as part of Hermes Agent, which is free and open source under the MIT licence.
The agent-importers plugin README says it makes "no network calls and no model calls," so running an import doesn't cost you anything.
Your only cost is the model provider you connect to Hermes afterwards, because the import deliberately doesn't bring your keys.
The Business Problem It Solves
Most teams I talk to don't want to switch agents, they want to add one.
The problem is that every agent has its own instructions file, its own approved commands and its own MCP servers.
Rebuilding that in Hermes by hand takes hours, and two people's setups drift apart within a week.
Hermes Import Agent fixes the rebuild with one command, and the sync mode fixes the drift.
Use Case 1: Trialling Hermes Without Disrupting Anyone
Say a developer on your team is happy in Claude Code, but you want to see whether Hermes can take over the scheduled and messaging work.
The safest first move is a dry run, because it writes nothing.
hermes import-agent claude-code --dry-run
The docs say the dry run "never touches disk," so you can show the plan to the developer before anything changes.
When everyone's happy, you run the real import.
hermes import-agent claude-code
Their Claude Code setup isn't touched, so they can carry on working exactly as before.
I'd take a backup first with hermes backup, and my Hermes Agent backup guide walks through it.
Use Case 2: Bringing A Codex Developer Across
Codex users get the same treatment.
hermes import-agent codex
If their Codex folder lives somewhere unusual, such as a shared workstation path, you point at it.
hermes import-agent codex --source /path/to/.codex
Their AGENTS.md instructions and memories/*.md files become Hermes memory entries, so Hermes starts the job already knowing how they like to work.
Use Case 3: Keeping Two Agents In Step Every Day
This is the use case that makes Hermes Import Agent worth it for a team.
Every successful import registers its source in import-sync.json with a digest of everything it read.
When the Claude Code or Codex setup changes, one command pulls the changes into Hermes.
hermes import-agent --sync # re-import every changed source
hermes import-agent --sync --dry-run # preview what a sync would do
The docs say sync is prompt-free and cheap, and that unchanged sources are skipped, so "it is safe to run on a schedule."
They even suggest a daily cron job, which means your Hermes profile picks up new skills and edited instructions overnight.
The docs also say skills you create or edit yourself under the import category are never overwritten by a sync.
That protects any Hermes-specific tweaks your team makes after the first import.
Use Case 4: A Profile Per Client That Still Syncs
Agencies often run a separate Hermes profile per client, so credentials and memories never mix.
The sync manifest is per profile, but you can carry it into a clone.
hermes profile create work --clone --sync-imports # also carry over the import-agent sync manifest
After that, hermes -p work import-agent --sync keeps that profile pulling from the same Claude Code or Codex folders.
The v0.22.0 release notes also say profiles stay separate, with REST routes acting on the profile they name and exports skipping .ssh, .aws and .gnupg.
If your agency also wants to show clients what its agents are doing, my post on Hermes Agent dashboards covers the options.
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Use Case 5: Bringing In Cursor Users
The v0.22.4 release notes list "agent-importers (hermes import-agent, now with Cursor)" as new in the plugin catalog.
agent-importers is an official Nous Research plugin, and its README gives the install line.
hermes plugins install agent-importers
Then the Cursor import is one command.
hermes import-agent cursor # import from ~/.cursor
It maps Cursor's AGENTS.md and User Rules into memory, mcp.json servers into config.yaml, and skills into skills/cursor-imports/.
The README notes that on a Hermes version with import-agent still built in, the plugin stays inert and the built-in command runs, so check hermes import-agent --help to see which agents your install lists.
Use Case 6: Onboarding Safely With Secrets Left Behind
For a business, the security behaviour matters as much as the features.
The docs say credential files such as ~/.claude/.credentials.json and ~/.codex/auth.json are never read.
MCP environment variables or headers with secret-looking names are stripped and listed in the report, so you re-add them deliberately.
That means a new team member's personal keys never end up in a shared Hermes profile by accident.
After the import, you run hermes setup to connect the company's model provider, or add keys to the profile's .env file.
Don't Confuse It With Hermes Import
hermes import-agent and hermes import sound alike, but they do opposite jobs.
| Command | Job | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
hermes import-agent |
It brings another agent's setup into Hermes and merges it. | It's low, because it previews first and skips conflicts. |
hermes import |
It restores a Hermes backup zip made with hermes backup. |
It's higher, because every file in the archive overwrites the matching file. |
The docs example for restoring a backup is hermes import ~/hermes-backup-20260423.zip, and they warn you to stop the gateway first.
So for a migration you want import-agent, and for disaster recovery you want import.
The Limits To Know Before You Promise A Client Anything
| Limit | What it means for a business |
|---|---|
| Slash commands don't import. | Your team's custom commands need rebuilding as Hermes skills. |
Non-Bash permission rules don't map. |
Rules such as Read(...) or WebFetch need equivalent Hermes approvals set by hand. |
| Secrets never move. | Someone has to re-add API keys and MCP tokens after the import. |
| Conflicts are skipped by default. | Existing Hermes items stay unless you pass --overwrite. |
| Non-interactive runs stop at the preview. | Scripts need --yes once the plan has been checked. |
If you'd like help planning a team migration like this, you can book a free SEO strategy session with my team.
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Related Reading
- The best Hermes Agent alternatives for a business
- Hermes Labs, Nous Research's experimental plugins, for business
- Hermes Agent v0.22 and what it means for a business
Also On Our Network
- 🌐 The step-by-step Hermes Import Agent walkthrough
- 🌐 Hermes Import Agent reviewed feature by feature
- 🌐 How Hermes Import Agent fits an Agent OS workflow
- 🌐 The best model to run once you've imported, on GoldieBench
FAQ: Hermes Import Agent For Business
What is Hermes Import Agent?
Hermes Import Agent is the hermes import-agent command, which imports a Claude Code or Codex CLI setup into Hermes in one command.
Can my team keep using Claude Code after importing into Hermes?
Yes, they can, because hermes import-agent --sync pulls in any changes they make later.
Is it safe to import a work setup into Hermes?
It's designed to be safe, because it previews first, never reads credential files and strips secret-looking MCP variables.
What does Hermes Import Agent cost?
It costs nothing, because Hermes Agent is free and open source and the import makes no model calls.
Is hermes import-agent the same as hermes import?
No, it isn't, because hermes import restores a Hermes backup zip instead of importing another agent.
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About Julian
I'm Julian Goldie, an SEO entrepreneur, author and founder of the AI Profit Boardroom, which has 3,400+ members.
I help business owners scale with AI agents, automation and SEO.
- I've built a 7-figure SEO and link-building agency, Goldie Agency, with 70+ people in Bangkok.
- I've grown a YouTube channel to 400,000+ subscribers.
- I wrote the book "Link Building Mastery", which covers nine link building strategies.
- I run GoldieBench, where I score AI models on real one-shot builds.
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Dry-run it, import it, switch on sync and let your team keep the tools they love, and you'll get real business value from Hermes Import Agent.
