How do I set up Hermes as a Discord bot for my team?

Create a Discord application at discord.com/developers, add a Bot, enable MESSAGE CONTENT INTENT and SERVER MEMBERS INTENT, invite the bot to your server with appropriate permissions, then run `hermes gateway setup` and select Discord — paste your bot token and configure access controls.

What access controls can I configure for Discord?

You can restrict access by user ID, by role, or by channel — or combine all three for fine-grained team permissions. Each restriction type targets a different Discord primitive.

Why is using Discord channels as separate project contexts useful?

Each Discord channel can map to a different project or workflow, keeping context isolated and preventing bleed between unrelated tasks. One reviewer recommended: 'I want each channel to be an agent — it's a lot easier to organize.'

What should I check if my Discord bot can't read messages?

The most common cause is missing MESSAGE CONTENT INTENT in your Discord app's Bot settings — this is required and often overlooked. Also verify the bot was invited with 'Read Messages' permission and that channel permission overrides aren't blocking it.

Can I run multiple Discord bots with different Hermes profiles?

Yes. Configure different bot tokens for each, run separate Hermes profiles with `hermes profile create`, and start each with its own gateway instance. This gives you fully isolated agents with separate memory, skills, and conversation history.

Discord Gateway Setup

ChatGPT and Claude Code don't have team-shared persistent agents — Hermes Discord gateway gives your team a shared Hermes in your server. Here is how to set it up, configure permissions, and handle common issues.

Why Discord

Team collaboration on the same agent
Voice channel support
Rich media (embeds, images)
Role-based access control
Familiar platform for dev teams

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Create a Discord Application

Go to discord.com/developers/applications
Create New Application
Go to Bot section
Reset Token — copy it
Under Privileged Gateway Intents, enable:
- MESSAGE CONTENT INTENT (required)
- SERVER MEMBERS INTENT (for role-based access)

2. Invite the Bot

Go to OAuth2 > URL Generator
Scopes: bot
Bot Permissions:
- Read Messages/View Channels
- Send Messages
- Manage Threads (optional)
- Embed Links
- Attach Files
Copy the generated URL, open it, select your server

3. Configure Hermes

hermes gateway setup

Select Discord, paste your bot token. Configure channel permissions.

4. Start the Gateway

hermes gateway start

Mention the bot in a channel or DM it. You should get a response.

Access Control

By User ID

Configure allowed user IDs:

discord:
  allowed_user_ids:
    - 123456789012345678

By Role

Configure allowed roles:

discord:
  allowed_roles:
    - 123456789012345678
    - Admin

By Channel

Restrict to specific channels:

discord:
  allowed_channels:
    - 123456789012345678

Team Use Cases

Shared Team Agent

Put the bot in your team's dev server. Anyone with access can collaborate on tasks. Shared memory and skills across the team.

Project-Specific Agent

Dedicate a channel to a project. Configure only project members with access.

Multi-Agent Setup

Spawn separate agents for different needs — marketing agent in one channel, dev agent in another. Run different profiles.

Common Issues

"Unauthorized users triggering threads"

Fixed in PRs #4373 and #4387. Update to latest version.

Bot Not Responding

Check hermes gateway status
Verify MESSAGE CONTENT INTENT is enabled
Restart gateway: hermes gateway restart
Check logs: hermes gateway logs

Bot Cannot Read Messages

Re-invite with correct permissions
Check channel permissions override

Reactions Not Working

Enable SERVER MEMBERS INTENT for reaction processing.

Security Note

Discord bots can see all messages in channels they are added to. Consider:

Private channels for sensitive work
Specific channel permissions
Team members understanding bot visibility

Telegram setup Setup guide

FAQ

Can I run multiple Discord bots? Yes — configure different profiles and bot tokens.

Does Discord support voice? The multi-platform gateway handles text. Voice chat is separate.

Connect Telegram too

Try it at flyhermes.ai.

Set Up Discord Access