# How to connect Are.na to Hermes Agent (paste one key, 10 tools) > Connect Are.na to Hermes with ClawLink: paste your Are.na key once and 10 tools work from chat. No MCP server to run, nothing stored on your machine. Web version: https://claw-link.dev/hermes/arena Most guides for giving Hermes Agent Are.na 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 Are.na setup: pair once in the browser and your always-on Hermes agent can act on Are.na for you, reading and doing real work on your behalf with no auth, token refresh, or tool wiring to build yourself. ## Setup It takes three steps to connect Hermes to Are.na. 1. **Install ClawLink** — add the plugin to Hermes Agent once. 2. **Connect Are.na** — one-click OAuth in the ClawLink dashboard. 3. **Use it from chat** — ask Hermes Agent in plain English. **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. **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 arena # connect Are.na (browser OAuth) npx -y @useclawlink/cli actions arena # list available actions npx -y @useclawlink/cli run arena --input '' # 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 Are.na in the [ClawLink dashboard](https://claw-link.dev/dashboard) — paste your Are.na API key once. Verify the connection by asking Hermes: > Pull the relevant data from Are.na, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. ### 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 Are.na is connected in the dashboard, that agent calls the same 10 Are.na 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). ## Are.na MCP for Hermes Looking for a Are.na MCP server for Hermes Agent? ClawLink connects Are.na to Hermes Agent and exposes 10 Are.na 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 Are.na integration](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/arena) works the same way. ## What the Hermes Agent Are.na integration can do 10 Are.na tools are ready for Hermes Agent once the account is connected. The 9 below are the ones people reach for most; your agent can call all 10. ### 9 of 10 Are.na tools for Hermes | Tool | What it does | |---|---| | **Get block** `arena_get_block` | Get the details of one Are.na block by ID, including its subtype, content, source, creator, and | | **Get channel** `arena_get_channel` | Get an Are.na channel by numeric ID or slug, including visibility, counts, owner, and the | | **Get current user** `arena_get_current_user` | Return the identity and account details for the authenticated Are.na user | | **Get my feed** `arena_get_my_feed` | Return one page of the authenticated user's personalized Are.na activity feed, newest first | | **List channel contents** `arena_list_channel_contents` | Return one page of blocks and nested channels from an Are.na channel, with optional sorting and | | **Add to channels** `arena_add_to_channels` | Add an existing Are.na block or channel to one or more target channels without duplicating the | | **Create channel** `arena_create_channel` | Create a user-owned Are.na channel, closed by default, and return its stable numeric ID and | | **Update channel** `arena_update_channel` | Update selected fields of an Are.na channel the authenticated user can edit | | **Remove from channel** `arena_remove_from_channel` | Remove one block or nested channel placement from an Are.na channel | ## Example prompts **Get Block** > Pull the relevant data from Are.na, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Get Channel** > Pull the relevant data from Are.na, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Get Current User** > Pull the relevant data from Are.na, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Get My Feed** > Pull the relevant data from Are.na, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. ## 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 Are.na working from chat. | | Manual | ClawLink | |---|---|---| | **Credential handling** | Collect, validate, store, and rotate the Are.na API key yourself, then make sure every tool call uses the right account. | Users complete the hosted ClawLink setup once and the connected Are.na 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 Are.na. | 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 Are.na actions to the runtime in a format your agent can reliably use. | 10 tools for Are.na are already exposed through ClawLink, so the agent can read and act from chat immediately. | ## ClawLink vs. Composio Composio also exposes Are.na 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 Are.na in the browser, and the 10 tools above work from chat. There is no SDK and no config file, and the Are.na 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 Are.na 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 Are.na 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 Are.na tools Are.na 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 Are.na 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. ### Are.na 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 Are.na 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 Are.na integration? Yes. ClawLink is the fastest way to connect Hermes to Are.na: link your Are.na account once in the browser and Hermes Agent can call the Are.na API through 10 ready-made tools — no custom code or token handling. ### How do I connect Are.na 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 Are.na in the dashboard and Hermes can use it from the next message — no config files, and the Are.na key you paste is stored server-side instead of in your environment. ### How long does it take to connect Are.na to Hermes Agent? About two minutes. Sign in, click Connect next to Are.na in the dashboard, authenticate, and Hermes Agent can use it from the next chat message. ### Why use ClawLink instead of wiring Are.na 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 Are.na working from chat. ### Hermes paired but still can't use Are.na 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 - [Connect GitHub](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/github) — Manage repositories, issues, pull requests, and workflows - [PagerDuty](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/pagerduty) — Manage incidents, on-call schedules, and services - [SafetyCulture](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/safetyculture) — SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor) is a workplace operations platform that enables teams to conduct digital inspections, manage audits, track issues, schedule tasks, and maintain compliance through mobile and web applications.