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Use a full backup for migration or disaster recovery. Use hermes backup --quick only for frequent protection of selected critical state, and use profile export when you need to move one profile without handing over every credential.
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Choose the right Hermes backup method
Hermes has three different backup scopes. Picking the wrong one is the most common cause of an incomplete restore.
| Method | Command | What it is for | Credentials | What you must recreate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full backup | hermes backup |
Moving Hermes to another machine or creating a complete disaster-recovery archive | Included, including credentials stored in the data root | Application installation, dependency environments, downloaded tools/models/runtimes, caches and other machine-local state |
| Quick snapshot | hermes backup --quick |
Frequent protection of selected critical state | Selected authentication state is included | Anything outside the quick set; it is not a migration archive |
| Single-profile export | hermes profile export work ./work-backup.tar.gz |
Porting or sharing one profile | Stripped from the archive for safer transfer | Provider sign-in and destination-specific paths |
The full backup is the only option in this table intended to reproduce the complete Hermes data root. A profile archive is deliberately narrower, while quick mode trades completeness for speed.
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What a full Hermes backup contains
Hermes stores its user data under ~/.hermes/. The documented configuration and state include these items:
config.yamlfor Hermes configuration..envfor environment variables, which can include API keys.auth.jsonfor authentication and OAuth credentials.SOUL.mdfor the agent’s persistent identity or instructions.memories/for saved memories.skills/for installed skills.cron/for scheduled jobs.sessions/for conversation and execution sessions.logs/for Hermes logs.- Profiles and the other user data covered by the Hermes data root.
The NousResearch Hermes Agent FAQ describes the scope this way: “The full backup covers configuration, credentials, memories, skills, sessions, and profiles under the Hermes data root. It is not an application or runtime image.” That distinction matters: importing the ZIP restores Hermes data, not a bootable copy of the old computer.
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Install the same application family on the destination
Use the official Hermes Agent installer on the destination machine before importing anything. The backup does not contain the Hermes source checkout or its dependency environment, so the destination needs a working Hermes installation first.
Make sure you can reach the data root
Run the backup as the user account that owns the Hermes installation and its ~/.hermes/ directory. If Hermes is managed by a service account, perform the operation in that account’s environment so the archive contains the intended data.
Plan secure transport
A full ZIP can contain API keys and OAuth credentials because .env and auth.json may hold them. Treat the archive as a secret from the moment it is created. Use an encrypted transfer channel or an encrypted external drive, limit who can read the file, and remove temporary copies when the migration is verified.
An external SSD is optional. It is useful when the source and destination are not network-connected and can also provide offline retention, but the device does not make the archive safe by itself; the ZIP still needs access controls and encryption.
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1. Create the archive on the source machine
On the old machine, run:
hermes backupWith no output path specified, Hermes writes a file named like ~/hermes-backup-<timestamp>.zip. The timestamp is generated by Hermes, so use the exact filename it reports rather than assuming a date format.
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Wait for the command to finish and read its output. Full backups report files that could not be copied. A successful command with skipped files is not the same as a completely captured data root; record the skipped paths and decide whether they contain state you need before dismantling the source installation.
2. Transfer the ZIP
For an SSH-accessible destination, a shell glob can select the recently created archive without guessing its timestamp:
scp ~/hermes-backup-*.zip user@destination:~Replace the SSH user and host with the account and machine you actually use. If more than one matching archive exists, select the intended file explicitly or transfer it from an encrypted external SSD. Keep the original until the destination has been checked.
3. Install Hermes on the destination
Run the official installer on the new machine and confirm that the hermes command is available. Do not import into an uninstalled or partially configured destination; the archive supplies user data, not the executable and runtime dependencies.
4. Stop the destination gateway
Before importing, stop the Hermes gateway on the destination using the service manager or process supervision method used by that installation. The CLI reference specifically warns against importing while the gateway is running. A live gateway can keep files or database connections open while the restore is changing them.
5. Import the archive
From the directory containing the transferred ZIP, run the import with its exact name:
hermes import ~/hermes-backup-2026-10-14T120000.zipThe filename above is an example of the timestamped naming pattern. Substitute the actual name created by your backup. If you want the shell to choose the newest archive in your home directory, you can assign it first and pass the resulting path:
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BACKUP="$(ls -t ~/hermes-backup-*.zip | head -n1)"
hermes import "$BACKUP"Keep the gateway stopped until the import has completed and any errors have been addressed.
6. Run setup and verify providers
After importing, run:
hermes setupUse setup to verify API keys and provider configuration on the new machine. Even when credentials were included in the full archive, provider endpoints, local paths, permissions, or the destination’s environment can differ. Complete any prompts, then confirm that the expected profiles, memories, skills, sessions, and scheduled jobs are visible.
7. Perform a controlled first start
Start the gateway only after the import and setup checks finish. Test a representative session, inspect the restored skills and memories, and confirm that scheduled jobs point to valid destination paths. Keep the source machine or its untouched archive until these checks pass.
What the full backup does not include
A full archive is comprehensive user data, not a disk image. The following are excluded and must be recreated, downloaded, or allowed to regenerate:
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- The Hermes source checkout and application code.
- Dependency environments.
- Downloaded tools, models, and runtimes.
- Build caches.
- Checkpoints.
- Previous full backups and quick snapshots.
- Browser profiles.
- Bytecode.
- SQLite sidecar files.
gateway.pidandcron.pid, which describe old process state..backup.lock.
Dependencies can be downloaded again from restored package declarations. Bytecode and SQLite sidecars regenerate locally. Because browser profiles are excluded, browser-based sessions or logins may require a separate, application-specific migration process; they are not silently carried by the Hermes ZIP.
Do not interpret the absence of a PID file as a problem. PIDs belong to the old machine’s running processes and should not be restored. Likewise, a missing cache or sidecar is expected behavior, not evidence that the backup failed.
Quick snapshots: useful, but not a migration
Run this command for a faster snapshot:
hermes backup --quickQuick mode captures selected critical state, including config.yaml, state.db, .env, authentication data, and cron jobs. It is designed for frequent protection of the most important live state.
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The Hermes FAQ explicitly says quick mode is not a replacement for a full backup before machine migration. A quick snapshot does not promise the complete set of memories, skills, sessions, profiles, logs, and other data covered by a full archive. Keep a recent full backup for a move or disaster-recovery plan, and use quick snapshots as an additional, more frequent layer.
Move only one Hermes profile
If the goal is to move a single profile rather than the entire Hermes installation, export that profile on the source machine:
hermes profile export work ./work-backup.tar.gzTransfer work-backup.tar.gz to the destination, then import it under the desired profile name:
hermes profile import ./work-backup.tar.gz workA profile archive carries that profile’s configuration, memories, sessions, and skills. It strips credentials, making it safer to share than a full ZIP and preventing unrelated profiles’ secrets from traveling with the archive.
What to do after a profile import
- Re-authenticate the providers used by the profile.
- Review provider settings in the destination environment.
- Adjust filesystem paths if the new machine stores projects or tools elsewhere.
- Check that the imported profile’s skills and memories refer to resources that exist on the destination.
- Run a small test session before enabling automation.
Profile export is therefore a portability and sharing mechanism, not a credential-preserving clone. If you need every profile and its credentials, use the full backup workflow instead.
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Hermes uses SQLite. Its backup implementation uses SQLite’s backup API, including protection for WAL-mode databases, so the backup operation can copy database content safely while Hermes is running.
That safety property applies to creating the backup, not to the restore. The import procedure still requires the destination gateway to be stopped. During import, database members are written into the existing database file rather than replacing its inode. Open connections can therefore converge on the imported data, but leaving those connections open during a restore is still an avoidable operational risk. Stop the gateway, import, run setup, and only then start services again.
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Troubleshooting common migration problems
The import refuses to run or reports a busy database
Confirm that the destination gateway and any related Hermes process are stopped. Check that you are importing the transferred ZIP, not a directory or a partial copy. Retry after the process supervisor confirms that the gateway has exited.
Some files appear to be missing
Read the skipped-file report produced by the full backup. A reported copy failure identifies the precise paths that were not archived. If those paths contain important state, restore access on the source, create a new full backup, and inspect the report again before retiring the old installation.
Providers ask for credentials again
That is expected after a profile import because profile archives strip credentials. Re-authenticate each provider and review the resulting configuration. After a full import, run hermes setup to verify that the restored .env and auth.json values are usable on the destination.
Skills or scheduled jobs reference paths that do not exist
The archive preserves Hermes data, not the old machine’s directory layout or downloaded tools. Recreate required dependencies, update destination-specific paths, and check cron jobs before enabling them. A successful data import does not guarantee that every external executable or model is present.
Sessions or memories are present but behavior differs
Inspect configuration, provider selection, skills, and environment variables. Differences in installed runtimes, tools, model downloads, or local paths can change what an imported session can do even when its Hermes data was restored correctly.
A browser login did not come across
Browser profiles are explicitly excluded from the full backup. Sign in again using the destination browser or follow the browser tool’s own supported migration process; do not expect the Hermes ZIP to contain browser cookies or profile data.
Retention and security checklist
- Keep at least one verified full archive separate from the source machine.
- Protect the ZIP as a credential-bearing secret because it may contain
.envandauth.json. - Use encrypted storage or an encrypted transfer path for network and external-drive copies.
- Restrict archive access to the operators who need to restore Hermes.
- Review skipped-file output before deleting the source data.
- Delete temporary unencrypted copies after verification, according to your organization’s retention policy.
- Do not rely on a quick snapshot as your only machine-migration backup.
- After a restore, run setup, inspect profiles and scheduled jobs, and test a real session before resuming automation.
Bottom line
Use hermes backup for a complete Hermes move, transfer the timestamped ZIP securely, stop the destination gateway, import it, and run hermes setup. Remember that the archive restores Hermes data rather than the application runtime. For one profile, use profile export and expect to re-authenticate; for frequent protection of critical state, use quick snapshots without mistaking them for a full migration backup.
Quick Recap
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