Hermes integrates with Free OpenRouter’s Elephant-Alpha Model

Takeaway

Use Hermes as a drop-in alternative to OpenClaw.
Configure the free Elephant-Alpha model via OpenRouter.

Background

After using OpenClaw for several months, I grew curious about Hermes and decided to give it a try. This guide walks through integrating the free Elephant-Alpha model from OpenRouter.

Register an Account on OpenRouter

1. Create an account on OpenRouter.
2. Obtain your API_KEY.

Set Up Hermes and Verify Status

Follow the official instructions to install Hermes and connect your preferred messaging platforms—Telegram, Discord, and WhatsApp are popular integrations supported by both Hermes and OpenClaw.

Verify the setup:

hermes status

Store your OpenRouter API_KEY in:

~/.hermes/.env

Treat this file like your credit card—keep it secure.

Configure the Elephant-Alpha Model in Hermes

Run the following command to configure Hermes and set the primary model:

hermes model

Select OpenRouter, then manually enter the model name elephant-alpha.

Verify the configuration:

hermes config show

Expected output:

◆ Model  
Model: {'default': 'elephant-alpha', 'provider': 'openrouter', 'base_url': 'https://openrouter.ai/api/v1', 'api_mode': 'chat_completions'}  
Max turns: 90

Test Hermes and Have Fun

Start the WhatsApp integration:

hermes whatsapp

When prompted, select: “Separate bot number (recommended)”

Enter the phone number authorized to message the bot. Hermes will generate a QR code—scan it using WhatsApp on your phone.

Once connected, send a message to the bot’s number in WhatsApp. The Hermes Agent will immediately reply with a pairing code.

Return to your Hermes terminal and approve the pairing:

hermes pairing approve whatsapp <PAIRING_CODE>

Allow More Than Two Users to Access the Agent on WhatsApp

In my case, I have only two users being able to interact with the Hermes Agent.
If additional users are unable to receive messages (e.g., pairing codes) when sending a DM, update your configuration manually:

whatsapp:
  unauthorized_dm_behavior: pair
  require_mention: true

Save the file at:

~/.hermes/config.json

Then restart the gateway:

hermes gateway restart

This change also enables @mention the Hermes Agent in WhatsApp groups once the bot has been added.

Happy Hermes—explore, customize, and enjoy!