Establish what completed
Find the exact attempt by job identity and time. Inspect whether it produced a final response, a saved artifact or only intermediate tool output. The scheduled-task documentation tracks execution and delivery separately, so a missing notification does not erase evidence of successful work.
If there is no usable output, investigate generation first. A valid summary should contain the expected source window, required sections and current data. If an artifact exists, record its location and timestamp before attempting delivery repair. Preserve it so a communication failure does not require repeating expensive research.
Trace the intended destination
Compare the configured destination with the actual platform, account and conversation expected by the user. Inspect hermes cron list, hermes cron runs <job-id> --limit 20 and hermes cron doctor. Successful execution with a failed notification records last_status: delivery_failed and the reason in last_delivery_error. A correct platform name with the wrong conversation identifier is still the wrong destination. Check the target and any available receipt or message readback before replaying a send. Use one explicitly permitted private destination for recovery checks.
If a timeout leaves the send outcome uncertain, inspect the conversation before sending again. If output arrived but was empty, stale or truncated, classify that as an output-quality issue rather than a transport failure. Keep generation status and delivery status in the run record so the same symptom leads to the correct repair next time.
Check the configured deliver value and saved output before blaming the platform. Jobs created in messaging default to origin, the conversation where the job was created. Jobs created in the CLI default to local, under ~/.hermes/cron/output/. A bare platform name uses its configured home channel; an explicit chat or topic target selects that destination. all expands to configured home channels at fire time. It does not discover recipients, and with no configured homes it provides no targets.
Confirm platform delivery limits. WhatsApp Cloud API allows free-form replies only within 24 hours of the user's last inbound message. The current Hermes adapter does not implement the templates required outside that window, so a delayed notification can fail even when generation succeeded. See How to set up Hermes Agent on WhatsApp with the Business Cloud API. Compare destination types at messaging platforms.
For delivery into another bot conversation, use the official scheduled-task delivery reference (opens in a new tab). A queued request does not establish that a reply finished.
List jobs and delivery status
hermes cron listInspect one job, replace <job-id>
hermes cron runs <job-id> --limit 20Inspect scheduling and delivery problems
hermes cron doctorExpected result and limits
Success means the intended recipient can access the actual artifact and the run record identifies that result. A timer, process exit or agent success sentence alone is insufficient. Channel behavior differs across integrations; consult the specific platform guide when an error identifies a platform constraint.
If the Hermes host is off, asleep or disconnected, jobs cannot run there and messages cannot be delivered through its stopped gateway. For human messaging, the allowlist is the list of approved users; check authorization separately from the delivery route. Other routes use their own authentication, such as the API bearer key. Keep tokens and unredacted saved output private when sharing diagnostics. For inbound silence, see Hermes Agent bot not responding in your chat app.
Keep it running
The bot is silent while its computer sleeps or is switched off. Keep the Hermes host awake and online whenever you need replies. A background service does not prevent sleep.
Official docs
Reviewed Oct 29, 2026 against the official Hermes docs.
Official Hermes scheduled delivery docs (opens in a new tab)
Related guides
- All messaging platforms
- Hermes Agent messaging gateway explained
- Hermes Agent bot not responding in your chat app
- How to set up Hermes Agent on WhatsApp with the Business Cloud API
- How to set up Hermes Agent with Open WebUI and the API server
Primary sources
Spotted something wrong or out of date? Tell us on X at @HermesWatcher (opens in a new tab) and we will fix it.
New Hermes Agent updates every day on X. Follow @HermesWatcher
Browse all troubleshooting guides or search by symptom. For hands-on help, see services.