A Hermes Agent backup protects everything that makes your agent yours: its memory, skills, sessions, cron jobs and config. Hermes has built-in commands for it — hermes backup to create one and hermes import to restore it on another machine. Updates move fast, as you can see in the video below, so here’s exactly how to back up Hermes, restore it, and stay safe.
Key takeaways
hermes backupcreates a full backup for migrating, including credentials.hermes importrestores it on another machine.hermes profile exportexports one profile, without credentials.- Hermes also takes automatic snapshots before each update.
Hermes Agent backup options
| Method | Command | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Full backup | hermes backup |
Everything needed to migrate, including credentials (skips caches, runtimes and browser profiles) |
| Restore | hermes import |
Restores a backup on another machine (check hermes import --help) |
| One profile | hermes profile export |
A single profile, without credentials |
| Before updates | hermes update --backup |
A full backup before updating |
| Automatic | state-snapshots/ | Config, .env, auth, cron jobs and pairing data saved before each update |
How to back up Hermes Agent
Run this before you move to a new machine, reinstall, or try anything risky:
hermes backupThe backup includes your credentials, so store it somewhere safe. It leaves out things that can be re-downloaded — runtimes, dependency environments, caches and browser profiles — and shows a report of skipped files, which is worth reading.
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How to restore a Hermes backup
On the new machine, install Hermes, then restore with:
hermes importRun hermes import --help first to see the exact options for your version. Afterwards, run hermes doctor and check your messaging platforms reconnect.
Back up before every update
Updates can migrate your config and database in ways older versions can’t read, so a backup is your safety net. Run hermes update --backup for a full backup before updating, or set the default in config.yaml with updates.pre_update_backup — quick (the default), full or off.
Hermes also saves automatic snapshots in each profile’s state-snapshots/ folder before updates: config.yaml, .env, auth.json, cron jobs and pairing data. They restore state files only, not code.
What’s inside ~/.hermes
| File or folder | What it holds |
|---|---|
| config.yaml | Your settings and model choices |
| .env and auth.json | API keys and sign-ins — keep these private |
| memories/ | What Hermes remembers |
| skills | Your reusable skills |
| sessions/ and state.db | Conversation history |
| cron/jobs.json | Your scheduled jobs |
| Profile folders | Each profile’s own data |
If you ever copy these by hand, stop the gateway first (hermes gateway stop) so nothing is written mid-copy.
Backing up one profile
If you only want to share or move one profile — say a research bot — use hermes profile export. It packs that profile without credentials, so it’s safer to share, but you’ll need to add API keys again on the other side.
Hermes backup mistakes to avoid
- Deleting ~/.hermes to fix an install — the docs warn against it; reinstall the app instead.
- Sharing a full backup — it contains your credentials.
- Rolling back code without a backup — old code can’t always read newer data.
- Never testing a restore — try one on a spare machine or VPS.
- Forgetting your vault — if Hermes uses an Obsidian vault, back that up too.
A simple Hermes backup routine
Here’s the routine I recommend. Weekly: run hermes backup and copy the file to an encrypted drive or private cloud storage. Before every update: let hermes update –backup make a full backup, or keep the default quick backup if you’re short on space. Before any big change — a new provider, a big skill rewrite, moving to a new machine — take a manual backup first. And once a month, test a restore on a spare machine or VPS so you know it works.
It takes a few minutes a week and protects months of training: the memory, skills and workflows that make Hermes valuable.
Moving Hermes to a new machine or VPS
Moving is where backups really pay off. Run hermes backup on the old machine, install Hermes on the new one with the official script, then restore with hermes import. Run hermes doctor, reconnect any messaging platforms if needed, and reinstall the gateway service with hermes gateway install so background jobs keep running. Your agent arrives with its memory, skills and schedules intact — it’s the same assistant, just on a new computer.
What a backup doesn’t cover
Hermes backups focus on your data, not everything around it. They skip downloaded runtimes, dependency environments, caches and browser profiles, because those can be rebuilt. If your agent relies on an Obsidian vault, project folders or a separate database, back those up too. And if you use API keys from several providers, keep a private record of where each key came from, so you can rotate them quickly if a backup is ever lost. A complete backup plan covers Hermes plus the folders Hermes works on.
The bottom line on Hermes Agent backup
A Hermes Agent backup takes one command. Run hermes backup before big changes, use hermes update --backup before updates, keep the file somewhere private, and restore with hermes import when you move.
Think of your Hermes folder like a business asset. Over a few months it fills with your rules, your processes as skills, your history and your schedules — the things that make the agent fast and accurate for you. Losing it means starting from scratch. One command a week, and a backup before every update, is a tiny price for protecting that. If you only take one thing from this guide, make it this: run hermes backup today, then put a weekly reminder in your calendar or ask Hermes to remind you. A backup you’ve tested is the only kind worth having.
FAQ: hermes agent backup
How do I back up Hermes Agent?
Run hermes backup for a full backup, including credentials.
How do I restore a Hermes backup?
Install Hermes on the new machine and run hermes import (check hermes import –help for options).
Does Hermes back up automatically?
It saves state snapshots before each update, and hermes update –backup makes a full backup first.
Where is Hermes data stored?
In ~/.hermes/ on Mac and Linux, or wherever HERMES_HOME points.
Is a Hermes backup safe to share?
No — full backups include credentials. Use hermes profile export to share a profile without them.
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About Julian Goldie
I’m Julian Goldie — founder of Goldie Agency, best-selling author, and an AI educator with 428K+ YouTube subscribers. I’ve spent 10+ years in SEO and online business and I test every AI agent on my own work before I recommend it. Join the AI Profit Boardroom for the daily builds, or book a free strategy session to talk through yours.
Related reading
Last updated October 2026. This page is a living guide to hermes agent backup — the facts here move fast and it is updated as they do.
