# witcheer's Wingtips #81: unauthorized_dm_behavior, what your bot says to someone you have not approved

Written by [witcheer](https://x.com/witcheer) at Nous Research. Republished with credit.

Canonical: https://hermeswatcher.com/wingtips/81  
Published: 2026-09-23  
[Original](https://notwitcheer.github.io/hermes-recipes/wingtips/81-unauthorized-dm-behavior/) · [On X](https://x.com/witcheer/status/2102680195161366668) · [Full collection](https://notwitcheer.github.io/hermes-recipes/) · [Official docs](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/configuration#unauthorized-dm-behavior)

[Source Markdown](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/notwitcheer/hermes-recipes/8653fb699a137a32e81936fa33cabacd3f4f2095/docs/wingtips/81-unauthorized-dm-behavior.md): use this file as the base for relative links in the verbatim text below.

Sources: [Hermes docs: Configuration](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/configuration#unauthorized-dm-behavior)


when someone you have not approved messages your Hermes bot, it answers with a one-time pairing code, so you can let them in from the CLI.

new in Hermes Agent: if the bot is only for you, it can say no instead.

`unauthorized_dm_behavior: decline`

one short, polite decline, then silence toward that sender for a day.

docs: [https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/configuration#unauthorized-dm-behavior](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/configuration#unauthorized-dm-behavior)