# How to connect Captions to Hermes Agent (paste one key, 8 tools) > Connect Captions to Hermes with ClawLink: paste your Captions key once and 8 tools work from chat. No MCP server to run, nothing stored on your machine. Web version: https://claw-link.dev/hermes/captions Most guides for giving Hermes Agent Captions 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 Captions setup: pair once in the browser and your always-on Hermes agent can act on Captions 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 Captions. 1. **Install ClawLink** — add the plugin to Hermes Agent once. 2. **Connect Captions** — 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 captions # connect Captions (browser OAuth) npx -y @useclawlink/cli actions captions # list available actions npx -y @useclawlink/cli run captions --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 Captions in the [ClawLink dashboard](https://claw-link.dev/dashboard) — paste your Captions API key once. Verify the connection by asking Hermes: > Use Captions to download video and walk me through the result in plain English. ### 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 Captions is connected in the dashboard, that agent calls the same 8 Captions 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). ## Captions MCP for Hermes Looking for a Captions MCP server for Hermes Agent? ClawLink connects Captions to Hermes Agent and exposes 8 Captions 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 Captions integration](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/captions) works the same way. ## What the Hermes Agent Captions integration can do 8 Captions tools are ready for Hermes Agent once the account is connected. ### All 8 Captions tools for Hermes | Tool | What it does | |---|---| | **Download video** `captions_download_video` | Download the MP4 content of a completed video job and return an offloaded file reference | | **Get caption template** `captions_get_caption_template` | Retrieve one caption style by ID, including its name and preview video URL | | **Get video status** `captions_get_video_status` | Retrieve the current state, progress, and error details for a video generation or captioning job | | **List caption templates** `captions_list_caption_templates` | Return one page of available caption styles, including names and preview video URLs | | **List videos** `captions_list_videos` | Return one page of video jobs owned by the connected Mirage account, including each job's | | **Add captions** `captions_add_captions` | Start an asynchronous job that transcribes and renders a selected caption style onto an | | **Generate speech** `captions_generate_speech` | Generate WAV speech synchronously from text using a known Mirage voice ID and return an | | **Generate video** `captions_generate_video` | Start an asynchronous Mirage Video 1 job that animates a portrait image using speech audio | ## Example prompts **Download Video** > Use Captions to download video and walk me through the result in plain English. **Get Caption Template** > Pull the relevant data from Captions, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Get Video Status** > Pull the relevant data from Captions, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **List Caption Templates** > List the relevant items in Captions, 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 Captions working from chat. | | Manual | ClawLink | |---|---|---| | **Credential handling** | Collect, validate, store, and rotate the Captions API key yourself, then make sure every tool call uses the right account. | Users complete the hosted ClawLink setup once and the connected Captions 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 Captions. | 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 Captions actions to the runtime in a format your agent can reliably use. | 8 tools for Captions are already exposed through ClawLink, so the agent can read and act from chat immediately. | ## ClawLink vs. Composio Composio also exposes Captions 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 Captions in the browser, and the 8 tools above work from chat. There is no SDK and no config file, and the Captions 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 Captions 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 Captions 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 Captions tools Captions 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 Captions 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. ### Captions 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 Captions 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 Captions integration? Yes. ClawLink is the fastest way to connect Hermes to Captions: link your Captions account once in the browser and Hermes Agent can call the Captions API through 8 ready-made tools — no custom code or token handling. ### How do I connect Captions 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 Captions in the dashboard and Hermes can use it from the next message — no config files, and the Captions key you paste is stored server-side instead of in your environment. ### How long does it take to connect Captions to Hermes Agent? About two minutes. Sign in, click Connect next to Captions in the dashboard, authenticate, and Hermes Agent can use it from the next chat message. ### Why use ClawLink instead of wiring Captions 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 Captions working from chat. ### Hermes paired but still can't use Captions 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 DataRobot integration](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/datarobot) — DataRobot is a machine learning platform that automates model building, deployment, and monitoring, enabling organizations to derive predictive insights from large datasets. - [Hermes Chatbotkit integration](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/chatbotkit) — ChatBotKit is a platform that enables developers to build and manage AI-powered chatbots, offering comprehensive APIs and SDKs for seamless integration into applications. - [Hermes Just One API integration](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/just-one-api) — Just One API provides unified access to public social media, creator, entertainment, and ecommerce data across hundreds of metered endpoints.