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Slash Commands Reference

Hermes has two slash-command surfaces, both driven by a central COMMAND_REGISTRY in hermes_cli/commands.py:

  • Interactive CLI slash commands — dispatched by cli.py, with autocomplete from the registry
  • Messaging slash commands — dispatched by gateway/run.py, with help text and platform menus generated from the registry

Installed skills are also exposed as dynamic slash commands on both surfaces. That includes bundled skills like /plan, which opens plan mode and saves markdown plans under .hermes/plans/ relative to the active workspace/backend working directory.

Interactive CLI slash commands​

Type / in the CLI to open the autocomplete menu. Built-in commands are case-insensitive.

Session​

CommandDescription
/new (alias: /reset)Start a new session (fresh session ID + history)
/clearClear screen and start a new session
/historyShow conversation history
/saveSave the current conversation
/retryRetry the last message (resend to agent)
/undoRemove the last user/assistant exchange
/titleSet a title for the current session (usage: /title My Session Name)
/compress [focus topic]Manually compress conversation context (flush memories + summarize). Optional focus topic narrows what the summary preserves.
/rollbackList or restore filesystem checkpoints (usage: /rollback [number])
/snapshot [create|restore <id>|prune] (alias: /snap)Create or restore state snapshots of Hermes config/state. create [label] saves a snapshot, restore <id> reverts to it, prune [N] removes old snapshots, or list all with no args.
/stopKill all running background processes
/queue <prompt> (alias: /q)Queue a prompt for the next turn (doesn't interrupt the current agent response). Note: /q is claimed by both /queue and /quit; the last registration wins, so /q resolves to /quit in practice. Use /queue explicitly.
/resume [name]Resume a previously-named session
/statusShow session info
/agents (alias: /tasks)Show active agents and running tasks across the current session.
/background <prompt> (alias: /bg, /btw)Run a prompt in a separate background session. The agent processes your prompt independently — your current session stays free for other work. Results appear as a panel when the task finishes. See CLI Background Sessions.
/branch [name] (alias: /fork)Branch the current session (explore a different path)

Configuration​

CommandDescription
/configShow current configuration
/model [model-name]Show or change the current model. Supports: /model claude-sonnet-4, /model provider:model (switch providers), /model custom:model (custom endpoint), /model custom:name:model (named custom provider), /model custom (auto-detect from endpoint). Use --global to persist the change to config.yaml. Note: /model can only switch between already-configured providers. To add a new provider, exit the session and run hermes model from your terminal.
/personalitySet a predefined personality
/verboseCycle tool progress display: off → new → all → verbose. Can be enabled for messaging via config.
/fast [normal|fast|status]Toggle fast mode — OpenAI Priority Processing / Anthropic Fast Mode. Options: normal, fast, status.
/reasoningManage reasoning effort and display (usage: /reasoning [level|show|hide])
/skinShow or change the display skin/theme
/statusbar (alias: /sb)Toggle the context/model status bar on or off
/voice [on|off|tts|status]Toggle CLI voice mode and spoken playback. Recording uses voice.record_key (default: Ctrl+B).
/yoloToggle YOLO mode — skip all dangerous command approval prompts.

Tools & Skills​

CommandDescription
/tools [list|disable|enable] [name...]Manage tools: list available tools, or disable/enable specific tools for the current session. Disabling a tool removes it from the agent's toolset and triggers a session reset.
/toolsetsList available toolsets
/browser [connect|disconnect|status]Manage local Chrome CDP connection. connect attaches browser tools to a running Chrome instance (default: ws://localhost:9222). disconnect detaches. status shows current connection. Auto-launches Chrome if no debugger is detected.
/skillsSearch, install, inspect, or manage skills from online registries
/cronManage scheduled tasks (list, add/create, edit, pause, resume, run, remove)
/reload-mcp (alias: /reload_mcp)Reload MCP servers from config.yaml
/reloadReload .env variables into the running session (picks up new API keys without restarting)
/pluginsList installed plugins and their status

Info​

CommandDescription
/helpShow this help message
/usageShow token usage, cost breakdown, and session duration
/insightsShow usage insights and analytics (last 30 days)
/platforms (alias: /gateway)Show gateway/messaging platform status
/pasteAttach a clipboard image
/copy [number]Copy the last assistant response to clipboard (or the Nth-from-last with a number). CLI-only.
/image <path>Attach a local image file for your next prompt.
/terminal-setup [auto|vscode|cursor|windsurf]TUI-only: configure local VS Code-family terminal bindings for better multiline + undo/redo parity.
/debugUpload debug report (system info + logs) and get shareable links. Also available in messaging.
/profileShow active profile name and home directory
/gquotaShow Google Gemini Code Assist quota usage with progress bars (only available when the google-gemini-cli provider is active).

Exit​

CommandDescription
/quitExit the CLI (also: /exit). See note on /q under /queue above.

Dynamic CLI slash commands​

CommandDescription
/<skill-name>Load any installed skill as an on-demand command. Example: /gif-search, /github-pr-workflow, /excalidraw.
/skills ...Search, browse, inspect, install, audit, publish, and configure skills from registries and the official optional-skills catalog.

Quick Commands​

User-defined quick commands map a short slash command to either a shell command or another slash command. Configure them in ~/.hermes/config.yaml:

quick_commands:
status:
type: exec
command: systemctl status hermes-agent
deploy:
type: exec
command: scripts/deploy.sh
inbox:
type: alias
target: /gmail unread

Then type /status, /deploy, or /inbox in the CLI or a messaging platform. Quick commands are resolved at dispatch time and may not appear in every built-in autocomplete/help table.

String-only prompt shortcuts are not supported as quick commands. Put longer reusable prompts in a skill, or use type: alias to point at an existing slash command.

Alias Resolution​

Commands support prefix matching: typing /h resolves to /help, /mod resolves to /model. When a prefix is ambiguous (matches multiple commands), the first match in registry order wins. Full command names and registered aliases always take priority over prefix matches.

Messaging slash commands​

The messaging gateway supports the following built-in commands inside Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, Email, and Home Assistant chats:

CommandDescription
/newStart a new conversation.
/resetReset conversation history.
/statusShow session info.
/stopKill all running background processes and interrupt the running agent.
/model [provider:model]Show or change the model. Supports provider switches (/model zai:glm-5), custom endpoints (/model custom:model), named custom providers (/model custom:local:qwen), and auto-detect (/model custom). Use --global to persist the change to config.yaml. Note: /model can only switch between already-configured providers. To add a new provider or set up API keys, use hermes model from your terminal (outside the chat session).
/personality [name]Set a personality overlay for the session.
/fast [normal|fast|status]Toggle fast mode — OpenAI Priority Processing / Anthropic Fast Mode.
/retryRetry the last message.
/undoRemove the last exchange.
/sethome (alias: /set-home)Mark the current chat as the platform home channel for deliveries.
/compress [focus topic]Manually compress conversation context. Optional focus topic narrows what the summary preserves.
/title [name]Set or show the session title.
/resume [name]Resume a previously named session.
/usageShow token usage, estimated cost breakdown (input/output), context window state, and session duration.
/insights [days]Show usage analytics.
/reasoning [level|show|hide]Change reasoning effort or toggle reasoning display.
/voice [on|off|tts|join|channel|leave|status]Control spoken replies in chat. join/channel/leave manage Discord voice-channel mode.
/rollback [number]List or restore filesystem checkpoints.
/background <prompt>Run a prompt in a separate background session. Results are delivered back to the same chat when the task finishes. See Messaging Background Sessions.
/reload-mcp (alias: /reload_mcp)Reload MCP servers from config.
/yoloToggle YOLO mode — skip all dangerous command approval prompts.
/commands [page]Browse all commands and skills (paginated).
/approve [session|always]Approve and execute a pending dangerous command. session approves for this session only; always adds to permanent allowlist.
/denyReject a pending dangerous command.
/updateUpdate Hermes Agent to the latest version.
/restartGracefully restart the gateway after draining active runs. When the gateway comes back online, it sends a confirmation to the requester's chat/thread.
/debugUpload debug report (system info + logs) and get shareable links.
/helpShow messaging help.
/<skill-name>Invoke any installed skill by name.

Notes​

  • /skin, /snapshot, /gquota, /reload, /tools, /toolsets, /browser, /config, /cron, /skills, /platforms, /paste, /image, /terminal-setup, /statusbar, and /plugins are CLI-only commands.
  • /verbose is CLI-only by default, but can be enabled for messaging platforms by setting display.tool_progress_command: true in config.yaml. When enabled, it cycles the display.tool_progress mode and saves to config.
  • /sethome, /update, /restart, /approve, /deny, and /commands are messaging-only commands.
  • /status, /background, /voice, /reload-mcp, /rollback, /debug, /fast, and /yolo work in both the CLI and the messaging gateway.
  • /voice join, /voice channel, and /voice leave are only meaningful on Discord.