hermes-agent/website/docs/user-guide/features/web-dashboard.md

---
sidebar_position: 15
title: "Web Dashboard"
description: "Browser-based dashboard for managing configuration, API keys, sessions, logs, analytics, cron jobs, and skills"
---

# Web Dashboard

The web dashboard is a browser-based UI for managing your Hermes Agent installation. Instead of editing YAML files or running CLI commands, you can configure settings, manage API keys, and monitor sessions from a clean web interface.

## Quick Start

```bash
hermes dashboard
```

This starts a local web server and opens `http://127.0.0.1:9119` in your browser. The dashboard runs entirely on your machine — no data leaves localhost.

### Options

| Flag | Default | Description |
|------|---------|-------------|
| `--port` | `9119` | Port to run the web server on |
| `--host` | `127.0.0.1` | Bind address |
| `--no-open` | — | Don't auto-open the browser |

```bash
# Custom port
hermes dashboard --port 8080

# Bind to all interfaces (use with caution on shared networks)
hermes dashboard --host 0.0.0.0

# Start without opening browser
hermes dashboard --no-open
```

## Prerequisites

The default `hermes-agent` install does not ship the HTTP stack or PTY helper — those are optional extras. The **web dashboard** needs FastAPI and Uvicorn (`web` extra). The **Chat** tab also needs `ptyprocess` to spawn the embedded TUI behind a pseudo-terminal (`pty` extra on POSIX). Install both with:

```bash
pip install 'hermes-agent[web,pty]'
```

The `web` extra pulls in FastAPI/Uvicorn; `pty` pulls in `ptyprocess` (POSIX) or `pywinpty` (native Windows — note that the embedded TUI itself still requires WSL). `pip install hermes-agent[all]` includes both extras and is the easiest path if you also want messaging/voice/etc.

When you run `hermes dashboard` without the dependencies, it will tell you what to install. If the frontend hasn't been built yet and `npm` is available, it builds automatically on first launch.

## Pages

### Status

The landing page shows a live overview of your installation:

- **Agent version** and release date
- **Gateway status** — running/stopped, PID, connected platforms and their state
- **Active sessions** — count of sessions active in the last 5 minutes
- **Recent sessions** — list of the 20 most recent sessions with model, message count, token usage, and a preview of the conversation

The status page auto-refreshes every 5 seconds.

### Chat

The **Chat** tab embeds the full Hermes TUI (the same interface you get from `hermes --tui`) directly in the browser. Everything you can do in the terminal TUI — slash commands, model picker, tool-call cards, markdown streaming, clarify/sudo/approval prompts, skin theming — works identically here, because the dashboard is running the real TUI binary and rendering its ANSI output through [xterm.js](https://xtermjs.org/) with its WebGL renderer for pixel-perfect cell layout.

**How it works:**

- `/api/pty` opens a WebSocket authenticated with the dashboard's session token
- The server spawns `hermes --tui` behind a POSIX pseudo-terminal
- Keystrokes travel to the PTY; ANSI output streams back to the browser
- xterm.js's WebGL renderer paints each cell to an integer-pixel grid; mouse tracking (SGR 1006), wide characters (Unicode 11), and box-drawing glyphs all render natively
- Resizing the browser window resizes the TUI via the `@xterm/addon-fit` addon

**Resume an existing session:** from the **Sessions** tab, click the play icon (▶) next to any session. That jumps to `/chat?resume=<id>` and launches the TUI with `--resume`, loading the full history.

**Prerequisites:**

- Node.js (same requirement as `hermes --tui`; the TUI bundle is built on first launch)
- `ptyprocess` — installed by the `pty` extra (`pip install 'hermes-agent[web,pty]'`, or `[all]` covers both)
- POSIX kernel (Linux, macOS, or WSL). Native Windows Python is not supported — use WSL.

Close the browser tab and the PTY is reaped cleanly on the server. Re-opening spawns a fresh session.

### Config

A form-based editor for `config.yaml`. All 150+ configuration fields are auto-discovered from `DEFAULT_CONFIG` and organized into tabbed categories:

- **model** — default model, provider, base URL, reasoning settings
- **terminal** — backend (local/docker/ssh/modal), timeout, shell preferences
- **display** — skin, tool progress, resume display, spinner settings
- **agent** — max iterations, gateway timeout, service tier
- **delegation** — subagent limits, reasoning effort
- **memory** — provider selection, context injection settings
- **approvals** — dangerous command approval mode (ask/yolo/deny)
- And more — every section of config.yaml has corresponding form fields

Fields with known valid values (terminal backend, skin, approval mode, etc.) render as dropdowns. Booleans render as toggles. Everything else is a text input.

**Actions:**

- **Save** — writes changes to `config.yaml` immediately
- **Reset to defaults** — reverts all fields to their default values (doesn't save until you click Save)
- **Export** — downloads the current config as JSON
- **Import** — uploads a JSON config file to replace the current values

:::tip
Config changes take effect on the next agent session or gateway restart. The web dashboard edits the same `config.yaml` file that `hermes config set` and the gateway read from.
:::

### API Keys

Manage the `.env` file where API keys and credentials are stored. Keys are grouped by category:

- **LLM Providers** — OpenRouter, Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, etc.
- **Tool API Keys** — Browserbase, Firecrawl, Tavily, ElevenLabs, etc.
- **Messaging Platforms** — Telegram, Discord, Slack bot tokens, etc.
- **Agent Settings** — non-secret env vars like `API_SERVER_ENABLED`

Each key shows:
- Whether it's currently set (with a redacted preview of the value)
- A description of what it's for
- A link to the provider's signup/key page
- An input field to set or update the value
- A delete button to remove it

Advanced/rarely-used keys are hidden by default behind a toggle.

### Sessions

Browse and inspect all agent sessions. Each row shows the session title, source platform icon (CLI, Telegram, Discord, Slack, cron), model name, message count, tool call count, and how long ago it was active. Live sessions are marked with a pulsing badge.

- **Search** — full-text search across all message content using FTS5. Results show highlighted snippets and auto-scroll to the first matching message when expanded.
- **Expand** — click a session to load its full message history. Messages are color-coded by role (user, assistant, system, tool) and rendered as Markdown with syntax highlighting.
- **Tool calls** — assistant messages with tool calls show collapsible blocks with the function name and JSON arguments.
- **Delete** — remove a session and its message history with the trash icon.

### Logs

View agent, gateway, and error log files with filtering and live tailing.

- **File** — switch between `agent`, `errors`, and `gateway` log files
- **Level** — filter by log level: ALL, DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, or ERROR
- **Component** — filter by source component: all, gateway, agent, tools, cli, or cron
- **Lines** — choose how many lines to display (50, 100, 200, or 500)
- **Auto-refresh** — toggle live tailing that polls for new log lines every 5 seconds
- **Color-coded** — log lines are colored by severity (red for errors, yellow for warnings, dim for debug)

### Analytics

Usage and cost analytics computed from session history. Select a time period (7, 30, or 90 days) to see:

- **Summary cards** — total tokens (input/output), cache hit percentage, total estimated or actual cost, and total session count with daily average
- **Daily token chart** — stacked bar chart showing input and output token usage per day, with hover tooltips showing breakdowns and cost
- **Daily breakdown table** — date, session count, input tokens, output tokens, cache hit rate, and cost for each day
- **Per-model breakdown** — table showing each model used, its session count, token usage, and estimated cost

### Cron

Create and manage scheduled cron jobs that run agent prompts on a recurring schedule.

- **Create** — fill in a name (optional), prompt, cron expression (e.g. `0 9 * * *`), and delivery target (local, Telegram, Discord, Slack, or email)
- **Job list** — each job shows its name, prompt preview, schedule expression, state badge (enabled/paused/error), delivery target, last run time, and next run time
- **Pause / Resume** — toggle a job between active and paused states
- **Trigger now** — immediately execute a job outside its normal schedule
- **Delete** — permanently remove a cron job

### Skills

Browse, search, and toggle skills and toolsets. Skills are loaded from `~/.hermes/skills/` and grouped by category.

- **Search** — filter skills and toolsets by name, description, or category
- **Category filter** — click category pills to narrow the list (e.g. MLOps, MCP, Red Teaming, AI)
- **Toggle** — enable or disable individual skills with a switch. Changes take effect on the next session.
- **Toolsets** — a separate section shows built-in toolsets (file operations, web browsing, etc.) with their active/inactive status, setup requirements, and list of included tools

:::warning Security
The web dashboard reads and writes your `.env` file, which contains API keys and secrets. It binds to `127.0.0.1` by default — only accessible from your local machine. If you bind to `0.0.0.0`, anyone on your network can view and modify your credentials. The dashboard has no authentication of its own.
:::

## `/reload` Slash Command

The dashboard PR also adds a `/reload` slash command to the interactive CLI. After changing API keys via the web dashboard (or by editing `.env` directly), use `/reload` in an active CLI session to pick up the changes without restarting:

```
You → /reload
  Reloaded .env (3 var(s) updated)
```

This re-reads `~/.hermes/.env` into the running process's environment. Useful when you've added a new provider key via the dashboard and want to use it immediately.

## REST API

The web dashboard exposes a REST API that the frontend consumes. You can also call these endpoints directly for automation:

### GET /api/status

Returns agent version, gateway status, platform states, and active session count.

### GET /api/sessions

Returns the 20 most recent sessions with metadata (model, token counts, timestamps, preview).

### GET /api/config

Returns the current `config.yaml` contents as JSON.

### GET /api/config/defaults

Returns the default configuration values.

### GET /api/config/schema

Returns a schema describing every config field — type, description, category, and select options where applicable. The frontend uses this to render the correct input widget for each field.

### PUT /api/config

Saves a new configuration. Body: `{"config": {...}}`.

### GET /api/env

Returns all known environment variables with their set/unset status, redacted values, descriptions, and categories.

### PUT /api/env

Sets an environment variable. Body: `{"key": "VAR_NAME", "value": "secret"}`.

### DELETE /api/env

Removes an environment variable. Body: `{"key": "VAR_NAME"}`.

### GET /api/sessions/\{session_id\}

Returns metadata for a single session.

### GET /api/sessions/\{session_id\}/messages

Returns the full message history for a session, including tool calls and timestamps.

### GET /api/sessions/search

Full-text search across message content. Query parameter: `q`. Returns matching session IDs with highlighted snippets.

### DELETE /api/sessions/\{session_id\}

Deletes a session and its message history.

### GET /api/logs

Returns log lines. Query parameters: `file` (agent/errors/gateway), `lines` (count), `level`, `component`.

### GET /api/analytics/usage

Returns token usage, cost, and session analytics. Query parameter: `days` (default 30). Response includes daily breakdowns and per-model aggregates.

### GET /api/cron/jobs

Returns all configured cron jobs with their state, schedule, and run history.

### POST /api/cron/jobs

Creates a new cron job. Body: `{"prompt": "...", "schedule": "0 9 * * *", "name": "...", "deliver": "local"}`.

### POST /api/cron/jobs/\{job_id\}/pause

Pauses a cron job.

### POST /api/cron/jobs/\{job_id\}/resume

Resumes a paused cron job.

### POST /api/cron/jobs/\{job_id\}/trigger

Immediately triggers a cron job outside its schedule.

### DELETE /api/cron/jobs/\{job_id\}

Deletes a cron job.

### GET /api/skills

Returns all skills with their name, description, category, and enabled status.

### PUT /api/skills/toggle

Enables or disables a skill. Body: `{"name": "skill-name", "enabled": true}`.

### GET /api/tools/toolsets

Returns all toolsets with their label, description, tools list, and active/configured status.

## CORS

The web server restricts CORS to localhost origins only:

- `http://localhost:9119` / `http://127.0.0.1:9119` (production)
- `http://localhost:3000` / `http://127.0.0.1:3000`
- `http://localhost:5173` / `http://127.0.0.1:5173` (Vite dev server)

If you run the server on a custom port, that origin is added automatically.

## Development

If you're contributing to the web dashboard frontend:

```bash
# Terminal 1: start the backend API
hermes dashboard --no-open

# Terminal 2: start the Vite dev server with HMR
cd web/
npm install
npm run dev
```

The Vite dev server at `http://localhost:5173` proxies `/api` requests to the FastAPI backend at `http://127.0.0.1:9119`.

The frontend is built with React 19, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS v4, and shadcn/ui-style components. Production builds output to `hermes_cli/web_dist/` which the FastAPI server serves as a static SPA.

## Automatic Build on Update

When you run `hermes update`, the web frontend is automatically rebuilt if `npm` is available. This keeps the dashboard in sync with code updates. If `npm` isn't installed, the update skips the frontend build and `hermes dashboard` will build it on first launch.

## Themes & plugins

The dashboard ships with six built-in themes and can be extended with user-defined themes, plugin tabs, and backend API routes — all drop-in, no repo clone needed.

**Switch themes live** from the header bar — click the palette icon next to the language switcher. Selection persists to `config.yaml` under `dashboard.theme` and is restored on page load.

Built-in themes:

| Theme | Character |
|-------|-----------|
| **Hermes Teal** (`default`) | Dark teal + cream, system fonts, comfortable spacing |
| **Midnight** (`midnight`) | Deep blue-violet, Inter + JetBrains Mono |
| **Ember** (`ember`) | Warm crimson + bronze, Spectral serif + IBM Plex Mono |
| **Mono** (`mono`) | Grayscale, IBM Plex, compact |
| **Cyberpunk** (`cyberpunk`) | Neon green on black, Share Tech Mono |
| **Rosé** (`rose`) | Pink + ivory, Fraunces serif, spacious |

To build your own theme, add a plugin tab, inject into shell slots, or expose plugin-specific REST endpoints, see **[Extending the Dashboard](./extending-the-dashboard)** — the complete guide covers:

- Theme YAML schema — palette, typography, layout, assets, componentStyles, colorOverrides, customCSS
- Layout variants — `standard`, `cockpit`, `tiled`
- Plugin manifest, SDK, shell slots, page-scoped slots (inject widgets into built-in pages without overriding them), backend FastAPI routes
- A full combined theme-plus-plugin walkthrough (Strike Freedom cockpit demo)
- Discovery, reload, and troubleshooting