Hermes Agent

Connect Nous Research's Hermes Agent CLI to the Based AI Inference Gateway as a custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint.

Hermes Agent is a CLI AI assistant from Nous Research that helps with coding, research, file management, and web browsing. Because Based AI exposes an OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions API, you can point Hermes at the Based AI Gateway and run any of its supported models — billed pay-per-use against your gateway balance.

This guide walks through adding Based AI as a custom (direct API) provider in Hermes.

Prerequisites

• Hermes Agent installed — follow the Hermes install guide.

• A Based AI API key — create one at ai.based.one/api-tokens. You'll paste it during setup.

• A funded balance — hold >$1 in USDC/USDH or top up a credit balance so requests can settle. See AI Inference Gateway.

Based AI uses the OpenAI Chat Completions format. The base URL is https://ai.based.one/v1 and requests go to the /chat/completions endpoint.

Setup

1

Start the model setup

Run the guided setup from your terminal:

hermes setup model

When asked to Select provider, choose custom (direct API).

Select custom (direct API) as the Hermes provider

2

Enter the Based AI base URL

At the API base URL prompt, enter the Based AI Gateway endpoint:

https://ai.based.one/v1

Enter https://ai.based.one/v1 as the API base URL

3

Paste your API key

At the API key [optional] prompt, paste the token you created at ai.based.one/api-tokens.

Paste your Based AI API key

Hermes verifies the endpoint and confirms the models available on your account.

4

Choose Chat Completions compatibility

When prompted to Select API compatibility mode, choose 2. Chat Completions. This routes requests to /chat/completions, the standard OpenAI-compatible path that Based AI uses.

Select Chat Completions as the API compatibility mode

5

Pick a model

Select a model by number, or type its name directly (for example moonshotai/kimi-k2.5).

Select a model from the Based AI gateway

6

Set context length and display name

Leave Context length blank to let Hermes auto-detect it.

Leave context length blank for auto-detect

Give the provider a Display name so it's easy to recognize later — for example BasedAI.

Set a display name such as BasedAI

7

Done

Hermes saves the configuration to your custom providers and sets the model as default.

Configuration complete — saved to custom providers as BasedAI

Start chatting

Hermes is now running on Based AI. Send a message and your selected model responds — every request settles against your gateway balance.

Hermes running on a Based AI model

Manage the connection

• Switch models or update settings — re-run hermes setup model, or edit the saved provider in your Hermes config.yaml.

• Track spending — view request history, token counts, and cost on the Usage page at ai.based.one.

• Rotate keys — manage or revoke tokens anytime at ai.based.one/api-tokens.

Supported models and pricing change over time. Check ai.based.one for the current model list and rates.