# Hermes Agent: Self-Review Instead of One-Shot Output

Canonical URL: https://huecki.com/en/blog/hermes-self-improving-agent/
Markdown URL: https://huecki.com/en/blog/hermes-self-improving-agent.md
Language: English
Published: 2026-05-11
Updated: 2026-05-12
Author: Dominic Hückmann
Topic: AI Agent Workflows
- Agent topics: Context Engineering, Agent Evals
- Tags: Hermes Agent, AI Agents, Self-Improvement, Nous Research
Content status: field-note

## Summary

Hermes gets interesting when an agent does not only produce output, but reviews the run: execute, measure, critique, rewrite the skill, and test again. The loop pays off mainly for repeatable workflows.

## Description

A short visual guide to the Hermes self-improvement loop: run, review, rewrite, and test the skill again.

## Body

## Short answer

Hermes is not magic autopilot. The useful part is the **review loop**: the agent inspects its own run and rebuilds the workflow.

## The 5-minute loop

1. Pick a skill you actually use.
2. Run it on a real task.
3. Ask Hermes to review speed, cost, and output quality.
4. Let it rewrite the skill.
5. Run the same task again and compare.

## Review prompt

```txt
Review the skill you just ran.
Find:
1. slowest steps
2. most expensive token usage
3. weak parts of the output

Rewrite the skill so it becomes faster,
cheaper, and more reliable.
```

## Token math

Self-review also spends tokens. Simple rule:

> If the workflow will not repeat, do not optimize it.

If a run costs €0.10 and the review costs €0.30, you need future runs before the rewrite pays off. Daily skill: yes. One-off experiment: no.

## Community patterns

## Sources

- [One month with Hermes Agent — what I wish I knew earlier](https://reddit.com/r/hermesagent/comments/1t29ogw/)
- [Hermes Agent: The Open-Source Self-Improving AI Agent](https://reddit.com/r/WebAfterAI/comments/1sx4748/)
- [Claude Code cheat sheet after 6 months of daily use](https://reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1sv852q/)
- [Nous Research Hermes Agent on GitHub](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent)

## FAQ

### What does self-improvement mean for Hermes Agent?

Hermes can review completed tasks, spot inefficient steps, and improve skills or prompts for the next run.

### Do I need special configuration?

No. Use the skill system: run the task, request a review, rewrite the skill, and test it again.

### When is it worth it?

When the workflow repeats. For one-off tasks, the review can cost more than it saves.