Handoff a Live Hermes Session from CLI to Messaging

/handoff <platform> moves the current CLI session into a messaging destination such as Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, or Matrix. It is designed for continuity: the gateway binds the destination to the existing session, replays the role-aware transcript, and opens a fresh thread where the platform supports one.

Official session guide: https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/sessions#cross-platform-handoff

Prepare the destination

The gateway must be running, and the target platform needs a configured home channel. From that destination, use /sethome before attempting the handoff. Treat a home channel as an operational routing decision: use a private or appropriately scoped location, not an arbitrary public room.

Run handoff only while the CLI is idle. Hermes refuses the command mid-turn so an active tool sequence and the new platform cannot race for control. On success the CLI exits cleanly and prints a resume hint; the same session can later be resumed locally.

Handoff checklist

• Confirm the gateway is healthy.
• Verify the intended platform account and destination channel.
• Set the platform home with /sethome.
• Finish or stop any active turn before handoff.
• Review the current transcript for content inappropriate for the destination.
• Run /handoff <platform> from the CLI.
• Wait for the confirmation turn in the new thread or chat.
• Save the displayed /resume hint for local recovery.

Public and team-channel boundaries

A handoff preserves context; it does not sanitize it. Before moving a development or operations session into a shared room, check for customer information, internal paths, incident details, or private prompts. Use a private destination when the transcript is not designed for broad visibility.

Pitfalls

• Trying to hand off while the agent is still working.
• Assuming a gateway install means the gateway is currently running.
• Sending the session to an old or incorrectly configured home channel.
• Treating a generated thread as a new blank conversation.
• Repeating the same handoff after success and creating routing confusion.
• Sharing a private transcript through a team-visible destination.

Verification steps

1. Check gateway status before the move.
2. Issue the handoff from an idle CLI session.
3. Confirm the CLI reports success and exits normally.
4. Open the exact destination thread and inspect the confirmation message.
5. Ask a harmless context-dependent question to prove continuity.
6. Resume locally with the supplied session reference if recovery is needed.
7. Verify subsequent messages land in only the intended session.