# How to connect AgentMail to Hermes Agent (paste one key, 5 tools)

> Connect AgentMail to Hermes with ClawLink: paste your AgentMail key once and 5 tools work from chat. No MCP server to run, nothing stored on your machine.

Web version: https://claw-link.dev/hermes/agent-mail

Most guides for giving Hermes Agent AgentMail access start with registering your own OAuth app or pasting API keys into env files, then leave the token refresh and tool wiring to you. ClawLink gives Hermes a more practical AgentMail setup: pair once in the browser and your always-on Hermes agent can act on AgentMail for you, reading and doing real work on your behalf with no auth, token refresh, or tool wiring to build yourself.

**Start here — paste this into Hermes to set up ClawLink:**

> Set up ClawLink for Hermes and tell me when it's ready.
> 1. Install the plugin: `hermes plugins install ClawLink-HQ/hermes-plugin --enable`
> 2. Start pairing with `hermes clawlink begin`. It prints an approval link, so show me the link and stop, don't wait.
> 3. I'll approve it in my browser, then reply "approved".
> 4. When I say approved, finish setup: `hermes clawlink finish`
> 5. Then run `hermes clawlink test` and tell me whether ClawLink is ready.

## Setup

It takes three steps to connect Hermes to AgentMail.

1. **Install ClawLink** — add the plugin to Hermes Agent once.
2. **Connect AgentMail** — one-click OAuth in the ClawLink dashboard.
3. **Use it from chat** — ask Hermes Agent in plain English.

**Alternative for any agent (no plugin needed):** if the Hermes Agent plugin route isn't available or doesn't work, any AI agent with shell access can use the ClawLink CLI instead:

```bash
npx -y @useclawlink/cli login          # sign in via browser — no API key to paste
npx -y @useclawlink/cli connect agent-mail  # connect AgentMail (browser OAuth)
npx -y @useclawlink/cli actions agent-mail  # list available actions
npx -y @useclawlink/cli run agent-mail <action> --input '<json>'  # execute (add --confirm for writes)
```

### Install by command

The prompt above walks Hermes through this. By hand, it is four commands and a browser approval:

```bash
hermes plugins install ClawLink-HQ/hermes-plugin --enable
hermes clawlink begin    # prints an approval link — open it and approve
hermes clawlink finish   # after approving in the browser
hermes clawlink test
```

Then connect AgentMail in the [ClawLink dashboard](https://claw-link.dev/dashboard) — paste your AgentMail API key once.

Verify the connection by asking Hermes:

> Create it in AgentMail for me, then confirm the important fields before you finish.

### Using a different agent?

The Hermes plugin is one client of ClawLink's MCP server. Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, or any agent that can run a shell command pairs with the same ClawLink account through the CLI:

```bash
npx -y @useclawlink/cli login
```

`login` opens the same browser approval and stores a credential locally. Once AgentMail is connected in the dashboard, that agent calls the same 5 AgentMail tools over MCP. Full setup for MCP clients and shell agents: [connect apps to any AI agent](https://claw-link.dev/learn/connect-apps-to-any-ai-agent).

## AgentMail MCP for Hermes

Looking for a AgentMail MCP server for Hermes Agent? ClawLink connects AgentMail to Hermes Agent and exposes 5 AgentMail tools your agent can call over [MCP](https://claw-link.dev/learn/what-is-an-mcp-server), with [hosted auth](https://claw-link.dev/learn/oauth-for-ai-agents) and nothing to run or maintain yourself. Using OpenClaw instead? The [OpenClaw AgentMail integration](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/agent-mail) works the same way.

## What the Hermes Agent AgentMail integration can do

5 AgentMail tools are ready for Hermes Agent once the account is connected.

### All 5 AgentMail tools for Hermes

| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Create inbox** `agent_mail_create_inbox` | Create a new AgentMail inbox via API. Returns the inbox_id and email address for sending/receiving messages. Use when provisioning new inboxes for agents or workflows. |
| **Get message** `agent_mail_get_message` | Retrieve the complete details of a specific email message from an AgentMail inbox. |
| **List inboxes** `agent_mail_list_inboxes` | List all inboxes available to the authenticated AgentMail account. Use this to discover valid inbox_id values for message operations. |
| **List messages** `agent_mail_list_messages` | List messages from an AgentMail inbox. Returns a `messages` array; each message uses `message_id` and `timestamp` fields (not `id`, `date`, or `items`). |
| **Send email** `agent_mail_send_email` | Send an email using AgentMail API |

## Example prompts

**Create Inbox**

> Create it in AgentMail for me, then confirm the important fields before you finish.

**Get Message**

> Pull the relevant data from AgentMail, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention.

**List Inboxes**

> List the relevant items in AgentMail, group them by priority, and recommend what Hermes should do next.

**List Messages**

> List the relevant items in AgentMail, group them by priority, and recommend what Hermes should do next.

## ClawLink vs. building it yourself

The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual API key setup plus your own token handling, permission troubleshooting, and tool plumbing for Hermes Agent. That is fine if you want to build and maintain the integration yourself. Most teams just want AgentMail working from chat.

| | Manual | ClawLink |
|---|---|---|
| **Credential handling** | Collect, validate, store, and rotate the AgentMail API key yourself, then make sure every tool call uses the right account. | Users complete the hosted ClawLink setup once and the connected AgentMail account becomes available to the agent without you building credential management. |
| **Ongoing maintenance** | You own refresh logic, permission debugging, environment config, and every provider-specific edge case for AgentMail. | ClawLink handles the repetitive integration plumbing so your team can focus on the workflow instead of the infrastructure. |
| **Agent usability** | You still need to expose the right AgentMail actions to the runtime in a format your agent can reliably use. | 5 tools for AgentMail are already exposed through ClawLink, so the agent can read and act from chat immediately. |

## ClawLink vs. Composio

Composio also exposes AgentMail to AI agents. It is developer infrastructure: Python and TypeScript SDKs, an MCP server, and a catalog past 1,000 apps, aimed at teams shipping agent products. ClawLink is built for Hermes Agent users instead. You install the plugin once, connect AgentMail in the browser, and the 5 tools above work from chat. There is no SDK and no config file, and the AgentMail key you paste at setup is stored server-side rather than kept in your environment. Choosing between them? Read the full [Composio alternatives](https://claw-link.dev/hub/composio-alternatives) comparison.

### Hermes paired but still can't use AgentMail
Pairing is a two-step handshake: run `hermes clawlink begin`, approve the link in your browser, then run `hermes clawlink finish`. If you ran finish before approving, or the approval link expired, run `hermes clawlink begin` again to get a fresh link. Confirm the plugin was installed with `--enable`, then verify with `hermes clawlink test`.

### Connection succeeds but no tools appear
Reconnect AgentMail from the dashboard, then start a fresh chat if the runtime still has the old tool catalog loaded.

### "Tool schema not loaded yet" error when calling AgentMail tools
AgentMail tool schemas load on demand the first time a tool runs and are cached after that, so this error usually clears on its own: wait a few seconds and retry the same request. If every AgentMail call keeps failing with it in a fresh chat, reconnect from the dashboard, and contact support if it still persists — that pattern points to a configuration problem on our side, not something you can fix by reconnecting again.

### AgentMail returns 403 or "permission denied" on one action while others work
Two usual causes. The connected account may not have access to the specific workspace, inbox, store, or project in the request — check that first. If access looks right, the agent may have sent a placeholder value (like "YOUR_ID" or an example id from documentation) instead of a real one: ask it to run a list or search tool first, then retry the action with a real id from those results. Most failures at this stage are one of these two, not ClawLink bugs.

### API key setup works but results look incomplete
Double-check that the API key for AgentMail has the right scopes or account access. A valid key can still be too limited for some reads or writes.

### Is there a Hermes Agent AgentMail integration?
Yes. ClawLink is the fastest way to connect Hermes to AgentMail: link your AgentMail account once in the browser and Hermes Agent can call the AgentMail API through 5 ready-made tools — no custom code or token handling.

### How do I connect AgentMail to Hermes with ClawLink?
Install the plugin with `hermes plugins install ClawLink-HQ/hermes-plugin --enable`, then pair once: run `hermes clawlink begin`, approve the link in your browser, and run `hermes clawlink finish`. Connect AgentMail in the dashboard and Hermes can use it from the next message — no config files, and the AgentMail key you paste is stored server-side instead of in your environment.

### How long does it take to connect AgentMail to Hermes Agent?
About two minutes. Sign in, click Connect next to AgentMail in the dashboard, authenticate, and Hermes Agent can use it from the next chat message.

### Why use ClawLink instead of wiring AgentMail up myself?
The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual API key setup plus your own token handling, permission troubleshooting, and tool plumbing for Hermes Agent. That is fine if you want to build and maintain the integration yourself. Most teams just want AgentMail working from chat.

### Hermes paired but still can't use AgentMail
Pairing is a two-step handshake: run `hermes clawlink begin`, approve the link in your browser, then run `hermes clawlink finish`. If you ran finish before approving, or the approval link expired, run `hermes clawlink begin` again to get a fresh link. Confirm the plugin was installed with `--enable`, then verify with `hermes clawlink test`.

## Related

- [Hermes SendGrid integration](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/sendgrid) — Deliver transactional and marketing emails
- [Dialpad tools](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/dialpad) — Business phone, messaging, and video conferencing
- [Hermes Discord Bot integration](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/discord-bot) — Automate Discord server actions with bot-specific permissions