Build a repeatable workflow

The biggest payoff with Hermes is turning a good one-off into something automatic.

The ladder

1. One-off prompt in CLI.
2. Saved prompt you copy each time.
3. Context file with project conventions.
4. Skill Hermes loads automatically.
5. Cron job that runs on schedule.

Worked example: "Add a new docs page"

Level 1: One-off

Every time I type the full prompt: create page, update sidebar, run build.

Level 2: Saved prompt

I keep a template in ~/notes/hermes-add-page.txt:

Add a new docs page at docs/{section}/{slug}.md about {topic}.
Match the style of existing pages in that section.
Add sidebar entry in docs/.vitepress/config.mts.
Run npm run build. Report errors or confirm success.

Level 3: Context file

AGENTS.md in the project root documents the sidebar structure, naming conventions, and build commands. It loads automatically every session, so prompts get shorter.

Level 4: Skill

~/.hermes/skills/add-vitepress-page/SKILL.md:

---
name: add-vitepress-page
description: Use when the user asks to add a new page to a VitePress docs site.
---

# Add VitePress Page

1. Read AGENTS.md for project conventions
2. Create markdown file in correct docs/ subdirectory
3. Add sidebar entry in docs/.vitepress/config.mts
4. No em dashes in prose
5. Run npm run build
6. Report result

Now I say: "Add a page about security hardening in best-practices."

Level 5: Cron (optional)

Weekly check that all docs pages are in the sidebar, saved locally:

hermes cron create "0 10 * * 0" \
  "Compare docs/ markdown files against the sidebar in config.mts. Report orphaned pages." \
  --name "sidebar-audit" --deliver local

How to decide the level

Signal	Action
Done once	One-off is fine
Done 2-3 times	Save a prompt template
Same project repeatedly	Add context file
Same procedure across projects	Create a skill
Needs to run without you	Add cron

The meta-habit

After every useful Hermes session, ask: "Will I do this again?" If yes, move it one step up the ladder.

That's how a local offline agent becomes genuinely time-saving instead of a novelty.