# Discord: keep agent conversation scoped to the right people

> Connect Hermes to direct messages or server channels with deliberate mention rules, authorization, and session boundaries.

Canonical: https://hermeswatcher.com/tools/discord  
Kind: Integration · Everyday administration  
Last reviewed: Oct 29, 2026  
Basis: Explained from the official Hermes Agent docs and repository (Nous Research). Steps follow the linked official sources.

## What it is for

Discord can serve a personal assistant or a bounded team workflow. Hermes documents direct messages, server channels, threads, attachments, and slash commands. Defaults differ by surface: a channel interaction may require a mention, while a direct message is conversational. Decide where the bot should respond before adding it to a busy server. This reduces unwanted interruptions and makes ownership of requests easier to understand.

## What you need

- An authorized Discord bot and a running Hermes gateway configured for the relevant profile.
- A defined list of users, server/channel permissions, and a policy for shared versus individual conversation state.
- Manage Server permission to install the bot, a bot token and Message Content Intent. Enable Server Members Intent for username or role allowlists; numeric user-ID-only authorization does not itself require it. Presence Intent is optional.

## Setting it up

1. Follow the official bot setup and authorize only the intended users and channels. Start in a dedicated test channel.
2. Choose mention or free-response behavior deliberately. Keep private information out of shared channels and specify whether replies and recurring results should use threads.

## How to check it works

- Test direct-message, channel, and thread behavior where applicable, including a message that should not trigger a response.
- Confirm the reply destination and session isolation using two harmless test conversations before inviting wider use.

## Limits

- Visible channel membership alone does not establish who is authorized to invoke the agent.
- Changing session-sharing policy can expose earlier context to a broader audience. Voice and attachment capabilities may have additional provider or permission requirements.

## Related workflows

- [Wake up to a useful research briefing](https://hermeswatcher.com/workflows/daily-research-briefing.md)
- [Build a useful GitHub issue review](https://hermeswatcher.com/workflows/github-issue-review.md)
- [Know whether an automation actually worked](https://hermeswatcher.com/workflows/reliable-recurring-automation.md)

## Messaging setup

[All messaging platforms](https://hermeswatcher.com/messaging)
- [Setup guide](https://hermeswatcher.com/learn/hermes-agent-discord-setup)

## Sources

- [Official Discord setup](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/messaging/discord)
- [Official Hermes Agent source: website/docs/user-guide/messaging/discord.md](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/blob/088f657ecf77674c7b8e2ededf4e3576d82e042c/website/docs/user-guide/messaging/discord.md#L137-L241)

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