Web access as native Hermes tools
hermes-search1api is a native Hermes Agent plugin, listed in the official Hermes plugin catalog. It registers search, news, page reading, sitemap discovery, and trending as first-class tools the agent can call, plus a bundled skill that teaches when to pick each one.
What the plugin adds
Tools on the agent, not a bridge
`search1api_search`, `search1api_news`, `search1api_ask`, `search1api_crawl`, `search1api_sitemap`, and `search1api_trending` sit alongside Hermes’s own tools.
A bundled skill
Load `plugin:search1api` and the agent is told when to search, when to read a URL, and which filters fit a quick lookup versus deep research.
No extra Python packages
The official search1api Python SDK is vendored. `SEARCH1API_KEY` or `SEARCH1API_API_KEY` is the only thing to set.
Install the plugin
Install it from the Hermes plugin catalog and enable it in one command, then export a key. Get one at s1.dev — new accounts include 100 credits.
Install and enable — bash
Worth knowing
Installing by name pulls the commit Nous reviewed: the catalog pins an exact SHA, and `hermes plugins update search1api` only moves to a new pin after it is reviewed again.
This is not an MCP client config. Hermes talks to Search1API in-process through the plugin, with no hosted MCP hop.
It also does not replace Hermes’s built-in `web_search` backend. It adds its own tools rather than setting `web.search_backend`.
Tool calls bill as ordinary API calls: 1 credit per search or news request, plus 1 for each page successfully retrieved.
What people do with it
Let Hermes check current docs before it edits a library call.
Read a linked page in the same session, without a separate crawl step.
Start a session by checking what is trending on GitHub or Hacker News.
FAQ
How is this different from the MCP server?
The MCP server is a hosted process a client talks to over HTTP. This plugin runs inside Hermes and registers native tools, so there is no transport hop and no MCP config to write.
Is it in the official Hermes plugin catalog?
Yes. Nous merged it into the Hermes plugin catalog in September 2026, and Hermes Agent v0.21.4 is the first release that ships the entry. Hermes v0.21.2 and later also read the catalog live, so `hermes plugins install search1api` works there without upgrading.
Can I still install from the GitHub repo?
Yes, `hermes plugins install superagents-lab/hermes-search1api` still works. Hermes treats it as a custom, unreviewed source and installs the latest commit; the catalog name installs the reviewed pin.
Do I still need an API key?
Yes. Set `SEARCH1API_KEY` (or `SEARCH1API_API_KEY`) in `~/.hermes/.env` or the shell. The plugin calls the API directly.
How much does it cost?
New accounts get 100 credits free with no card. A search or news request is 1 credit, and each page successfully retrieved adds 1 more.