OptMem for Hermes: memory tool for Hermes Agent

Local Hermes memory provider with append-only records, decay-compressed summaries and BM25 search

What OptMem for Hermes does

OptMem for Hermes is an independent Hermes integration of Victor Taelin's OptMem design, not the upstream project. It keeps local memory that stores durable facts, searches them with regex or BM25 and lets you zoom from summaries back to the original records. The memory engine needs no API key or LLM call.

The default hybrid mode runs alongside the native MEMORY.md and USER.md, and an OptMem-only mode replaces native memory injection after a verified migration and backup. Switching uses migrate --dry-run, migrate --split, check and mode optmem-only, and rollback undoes the last switch without deleting data. Raw records are append-only, and summaries are lossy but recoverable. Compaction runs only when the agent calls optmem_nap, unless auto_nap is enabled, which compacts about every 10 turns. Optional LLM summaries need both auto_nap and llm_summary turned on, and then send memory blocks to the selected provider and may cost money.

Key features

Append-only raw records with decay-compressed summaries
Regex and BM25 search with zoom from summaries to originals
Hybrid mode alongside native MEMORY.md and USER.md
OptMem-only mode with dry-run migration, readiness check and rollback
Manual compaction through optmem_nap, with optional auto_nap
Opt-in LLM summaries

When to use it

Adding searchable long-term memory next to Hermes native memory files
Moving a profile to OptMem-only memory after checking readiness
Keeping full history while limiting what enters the model context

Who it is for: Hermes Agent users who want local, searchable memory that preserves raw history.

How it fits with Hermes Agent

A Hermes memory provider plugin, selected with memory.provider set to optmem-hermes in a profile's config.yaml and managed through the hermes optmem-hermes command.

How to install OptMem for Hermes

These commands are copied from the project's README. Check the repository for the latest steps before you run them.

hermes plugins install optmem-hermes
pip install "git+https://github.com/rarf/optmem-hermes-plugin@v0.3.3"

Note: It is an independent integration of Victor Taelin's OptMem rather than the upstream project, and later notes do not automatically supersede earlier ones.

FAQ

What is OptMem for Hermes?

OptMem for Hermes is a memory provider plugin for Hermes Agent that keeps append-only local records, compresses them into summaries and searches them with regex or BM25. It is an independent integration of Victor Taelin's OptMem design.

How do I install OptMem for Hermes?

If optmem-hermes is listed in your Hermes catalog, run hermes plugins install optmem-hermes. Otherwise pip install the published release from GitHub into the Python environment Hermes uses, then set memory.provider to optmem-hermes.

Does OptMem for Hermes replace the built-in MEMORY.md and USER.md?

Not by default. Hybrid mode runs alongside them, and OptMem-only mode replaces native memory injection only after you migrate with a verified backup.