> Source: https://meetrix.io/blogs/hermes-agent-gcp-developer-guide/ > Markdown copy of that page. Cite the URL above, not this file. Development # Hermes Agent on GCP - Developer Guide [By Binuka Ranatunga](https://meetrix.io/blogs/authors/binuka-ranatunga/) • August 19, 2026 • 8 min read Welcome to the Meetrix Hermes Agent developer guide for Google Cloud Platform! Hermes Agent is a self-hosted, self-improving autonomous AI agent built by Nous Research that learns from experience, builds its own skills, and remembers past conversations across sessions. It connects to Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, and Signal through a unified gateway, runs scheduled automations, and works with any LLM provider, including OpenAI, OpenRouter, and custom endpoints, giving you a flexible, vendor-neutral foundation for autonomous AI workflows without vendor lock-in. With the Meetrix pre-configured GCP image, you can deploy a production-ready Hermes Agent instance in minutes. This guide walks you through finding the product on GCP Marketplace, configuring the deployment, pointing DNS and issuing SSL, choosing a model provider, and connecting your first messaging channel. Prerequisites Before you begin, make sure you have the following: - Basic Google Cloud Platform knowledge. - An active Google account with a GCP project and billing enabled. - Sufficient Compute Engine CPU quota in your target region for the machine type you plan to use. ## Launch the Product ### Step 1: Find the Product 1. Log in to your Google account. 2. Go directly to the product page: [Hermes Agent - Self-Hosted AI Agent with Memory & Automation on GCP Marketplace](https://console.cloud.google.com/marketplace/product/meetrix-public/hermes-agent-self-hosted-ai-agent) 3. You can also browse all Meetrix products at the [Meetrix Solutions Page](https://console.cloud.google.com/marketplace/browse?filter=partner:Meetrix%20Pte%20Ltd&ref=meetrix.io). ![Hermes Agent Self-Hosted AI Agent with Memory and Automation product details page on GCP Marketplace showing the Launch button and 5-day trial availability](https://meetrix.io/blog-images/paas-dev-guides/hermes-gcp/hermes-gcp-1.png) ### Step 2: Launch the Product 1. Select your GCP project from the project selector at the top. 2. Click the **Launch** button. 3. Review the terms and agreements, tick the acknowledgement checkbox, and click **AGREE**. ![GCP Marketplace Agreements page with the terms and agreements checkbox and Agree button for the Hermes Agent deployment](https://meetrix.io/blog-images/paas-dev-guides/hermes-gcp/hermes-gcp-2.png) ### Free Trial This product includes a **5-day free trial** with up to USD 50.00 in licence fee credits. To activate it, tick **I accept the solution trial Terms and Conditions** before proceeding. ![Free trial terms and conditions checkbox on the Hermes Agent GCP Marketplace deployment form](https://meetrix.io/blog-images/paas-dev-guides/hermes-gcp/hermes-gcp-3.png) Trial note Infrastructure charges (VM, disk) still apply during the trial. Only the Meetrix licence fee is credited. You can cancel the trial at any time by deleting the deployment. ### Step 3: Configure the Deployment You will see the deployment configuration form. Fill in the fields across the following sections: ![Hermes Agent GCP deployment configuration form showing deployment name, deployment service account, zone, and machine type settings](https://meetrix.io/blog-images/paas-dev-guides/hermes-gcp/hermes-gcp-4.png) #### General - **Deployment name** - A unique name for this deployment (a default is pre-filled). - **Deployment Service Account** - Select an existing service account that has the `roles/config.agent`, `roles/compute.admin`, and `roles/iam.serviceAccountUser` roles, or let GCP create a new one for you. - **Zone** - Select the GCP zone closest to your users (for example `us-central1-a`). #### Machine Type - **Series** - Default `General purpose` tab is preselected. - **Machine type** - The preselected default is enough to get started. Choose a larger type if you plan to run many concurrent automations or connect several messaging channels at once. GCP shows an estimated monthly cost, made up of the Meetrix licence fee and the underlying infrastructure fee, based on your selected machine type and disk size before you deploy. ### Step 4: Configure Networking - **Network** and **Subnetwork** - Leave as `default` unless you have a custom VPC. - **External IP** - Leave as `Ephemeral`. Select `None` only if you do not need public internet access. - **Allow SSH (TCP port 22) from the Internet** - Enabled by default. Restrict the source IP range if you want to limit SSH access to specific IPs. ![Hermes Agent GCP networking configuration showing the network interface settings and the Allow SSH firewall rule](https://meetrix.io/blog-images/paas-dev-guides/hermes-gcp/hermes-gcp-5.png) ### Step 5: Application Settings Scroll down to the Application Settings section and provide: - **Domain name** - The domain for your Hermes Agent instance (e.g. `hermes.yourdomain.com`). Make sure to point your DNS A record to the instance IP before or shortly after deploying. - **Admin email** - Used as the account contact for this deployment. - **Admin username** - The username you will use to sign in to the Hermes Agent dashboard. - **Admin password** - A strong password for the admin account. Keep this secure. Tick **I accept the solution trial Terms and Conditions**, then click **Deploy** and wait a few minutes for the deployment to complete. ![Hermes Agent GCP Application Settings form showing domain name, admin email, admin username, and admin password fields with the Deploy button](https://meetrix.io/blog-images/paas-dev-guides/hermes-gcp/hermes-gcp-6.png) ## Point DNS to Your Hermes Agent Server ### Step 1: Get the External IP 1. Once deployment is complete, open the VM instance from the deployment details. 2. Copy the **External IP** from the Network interfaces section. ![GCP VM instance details page showing the network interfaces table with internal and external IP addresses](https://meetrix.io/blog-images/paas-dev-guides/hermes-gcp/hermes-gcp-7.png) ### Step 2: Create a DNS A Record 1. Go to your DNS provider. 2. Add an **A record** pointing your Hermes Agent domain (e.g. `hermes.yourdomain.com`) to the copied external IP. 3. Wait for DNS propagation before proceeding (typically a few minutes to 1 hour). DNS must propagate first The image issues SSL via Let's Encrypt, which verifies domain ownership over HTTP. Make sure your DNS A record is pointing to the server IP and has propagated before the certificate request runs. ## Access Hermes Agent Once DNS has propagated and SSL has issued, visit your domain. Your browser will prompt for the **Admin username** and **Admin password** you set in the deployment's Application Settings. ![Browser HTTP Basic Auth sign-in dialog for the Hermes Agent domain, prompting for the admin username and password](https://meetrix.io/blog-images/paas-dev-guides/hermes-gcp/hermes-gcp-9.png) 502 Bad Gateway Error? If you encounter a "502 Bad Gateway" error, the application is likely still starting up. Please wait about 5 minutes and then refresh the page. ## Generate an SSL Certificate for Hermes Agent Manually Hermes Agent will automatically try to issue SSL for the domain name you provided during deployment. If it's unsuccessful, for example if DNS hadn't propagated yet, you can generate it manually. ### Step 1: SSH into the Server 1. Go to the VM instance page in the GCP console. 2. Click **SSH** to open a browser-based terminal and authorize access. ![GCP VM instance details page with the SSH button and Logs section for viewing serial console output](https://meetrix.io/blog-images/paas-dev-guides/hermes-gcp/hermes-gcp-8.png) ### Step 2: Run the Certificate Script The image includes a pre-configured certificate script. Run it with: ```bash sudo bash /root/certificate_generate_standalone.sh ``` This script runs certbot using the domain name and admin email you provided during deployment. ## Configure a Model Provider Hermes Agent needs at least one LLM provider configured before it can respond to messages. Open another SSH session to the instance (or reuse the one above): Run the Hermes CLI inside the container to select a model provider: ```bash sudo docker exec -it hermes hermes model ``` ![SSH-in-browser terminal running sudo docker exec -it hermes hermes model to open the provider selection menu](https://meetrix.io/blog-images/paas-dev-guides/hermes-gcp/hermes-gcp-11.png) Use the arrow keys to select a provider and press **Enter**. The built-in **Nous Portal** option gives you access to 300+ models with bundled tool use out of the box, or you can pick a provider you already have an API key for, such as OpenAI, OpenRouter, Anthropic, Google Vertex AI, or AWS Bedrock. ![Hermes Agent CLI provider selection menu listing Nous Portal, Fireworks AI, OpenRouter, Anthropic, OpenAI, and other LLM providers](https://meetrix.io/blog-images/paas-dev-guides/hermes-gcp/hermes-gcp-12.png) ## Using Hermes Agent Once a model provider is configured, sign back in to the web dashboard. The sidebar gives you access to every part of the agent: - **Chat** and **Sessions** - talk to the agent directly and review past conversations. - **Files**, **Models**, and **Skills** - manage documents, connected models, and the skills the agent has learned. - **Cron** - schedule recurring automations. - **Plugins** and **MCP** - extend the agent with plugins or Model Context Protocol servers. - **Channels** - pair Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, and Signal through the unified gateway. - **Webhooks**, **Pairing**, and **Profiles** - manage integrations, device pairing, and agent profiles. - **Config** - adjust agent-wide configuration settings. ![Hermes Agent web dashboard Sessions page accessed over HTTPS on the configured domain, showing the full sidebar navigation](https://meetrix.io/blog-images/paas-dev-guides/hermes-gcp/hermes-gcp-10.png) The **System** panel at the bottom of the sidebar lets you restart the gateway if a channel connection gets stuck. ## Manage the Deployment ### Stop the VM To stop the VM without deleting it, go to **Compute Engine → VM Instances** in the GCP console, select your instance, and click **Stop**. You can restart it later with your data intact. ### Change the Basic Auth Password The **Admin username** and **Admin password** you set in Application Settings are only used once, at first boot, to generate `/etc/nginx/.htpasswd`. To change them afterward, SSH into the server and regenerate the file: ```bash ssh -i /path/to/your-key ubuntu@ # replace "newusername". keep the ":" echo -n "newusername:" | sudo tee /etc/nginx/.htpasswd # replace "newpassword" openssl passwd -apr1 "newpassword" | sudo tee -a /etc/nginx/.htpasswd sudo systemctl reload nginx ``` ### Delete the Deployment To fully remove the deployment and stop all billing: 1. Go to **[Solution deployments](https://console.cloud.google.com/products/solutions/deployments)** in the GCP console. 2. Find your Hermes Agent deployment. 3. Click **Delete** to remove all associated resources. Back up any session history, files, or skills you need before deleting the deployment. ## Upgrades When a new image version is available in the GCP Marketplace, back up your Hermes Agent data, delete the previous deployment, and relaunch with the new version. ## Troubleshoot ### Check Server Logs Open an SSH session to the instance from the GCP console, then check the running containers and their logs: ```bash sudo docker ps sudo docker logs hermes ``` ### Gateway Not Responding If a connected channel stops responding, open the dashboard and use **Restart Gateway** in the System panel, or restart the container directly: ```bash sudo docker restart hermes ``` ### Quota or Capacity Errors GCP enforces regional CPU quotas. If you hit a quota error when deploying, request a Compute Engine API CPU quota increase for that region, or choose a different region or zone with available capacity. ### Disk Space If Hermes Agent becomes unresponsive, check whether the boot disk is full: ```bash df -h ``` If the root volume is between 90-100% full, resize the persistent disk in the GCP console, then reboot the instance and restart the service. ## Conclusion The Meetrix Hermes Agent Deployment Guide helps you get a self-hosted, self-improving AI agent running on your own GCP project in minutes. Whether you're automating routine tasks, running a Telegram or Slack assistant, or building a vendor-neutral AI workflow, this guide gives you a secure, working starting point. For the wider picture of what the listing includes, pricing, the 5-day trial and how it compares to a hosted agent SaaS, see our overview of [Hermes Agent on GCP Marketplace](https://meetrix.io/blogs/hermes-agent-gcp-marketplace/). ## Technical Support If you run into any issues, our support team is here to help. Reach out to us at [support@meetrix.io](mailto:support@meetrix.io) and we will respond within 12 hours. ## Frequently Asked Questions What is Hermes Agent? Hermes Agent is a self-hosted, self-improving autonomous AI agent built by Nous Research. It maintains persistent memory across sessions, builds its own skills over time, runs scheduled automations, and connects to messaging platforms like Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, and Signal through a single unified gateway. What are the prerequisites for installing Hermes Agent on GCP? You need basic knowledge of Google Cloud Platform, an active Google account with a GCP project and billing enabled, and sufficient Compute Engine CPU quota in your target region for the machine type you plan to use. Which machine type should I choose? The default General purpose machine type preselected in the deployment form is enough to get started. Increase it if you plan to run many concurrent automations, connect several messaging channels at once, or route requests to larger local models. Which LLM providers does Hermes Agent support? Hermes Agent works with any LLM provider, including the built-in Nous Portal (300+ models with bundled tool use), OpenAI, OpenRouter, Anthropic, Google Vertex AI, AWS Bedrock, and custom OpenAI-compatible endpoints. Select and configure a provider from the CLI after deployment with hermes model. How do I connect Hermes Agent to Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, or Signal? Open the Channels section of the Hermes Agent dashboard and follow the pairing flow for each platform. Hermes Agent connects to all of them through a single unified gateway, so you do not need separate integrations. What is the default admin login? The admin username and password are the values you set in the Application Settings section during deployment. There is no separate default credential to look up. How do I renew the SSL certificate? Certificates issued by Let's Encrypt renew automatically. If you generated one manually with the certificate script, you can re-run it at any time: sudo bash /root/certificate\_generate\_standalone.sh How do I change the basic auth username or password after deployment? The admin\_username and admin\_password fields are only used once, at first boot, to generate /etc/nginx/.htpasswd. To change them afterward, SSH into the server and regenerate the file: echo -n "newusername:" | sudo tee /etc/nginx/.htpasswd, then openssl passwd -apr1 "newpassword" | sudo tee -a /etc/nginx/.htpasswd, then sudo systemctl reload nginx. How do I get technical support? Reach out to Meetrix Support at [support@meetrix.io](mailto:support@meetrix.io) for assistance with Hermes Agent issues. ## Deploy Hermes Agent on GCP in Minutes Launch a production-ready, self-hosted Hermes Agent with persistent memory and automation on Google Cloud with a pre-configured Meetrix image. 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