# How to connect Elai to Hermes Agent (paste one key, 8 tools) > Connect Elai to Hermes with ClawLink: paste your Elai 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/elai Most guides for giving Hermes Agent Elai 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 Elai setup: pair once in the browser and your always-on Hermes agent can act on Elai 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 Elai. 1. **Install ClawLink** — add the plugin to Hermes Agent once. 2. **Connect Elai** — 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 elai # connect Elai (browser OAuth) npx -y @useclawlink/cli actions elai # list available actions npx -y @useclawlink/cli run elai --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 Elai in the [ClawLink dashboard](https://claw-link.dev/dashboard) — paste your Elai API key once. Verify the connection by asking Hermes: > Use Elai to estimate speech duration 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 Elai is connected in the dashboard, that agent calls the same 8 Elai 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). ## Elai MCP for Hermes Looking for a Elai MCP server for Hermes Agent? ClawLink connects Elai to Hermes Agent and exposes 8 Elai 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 Elai integration](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/elai) works the same way. ## What the Hermes Agent Elai integration can do 8 Elai tools are ready for Hermes Agent once the account is connected. The 7 below are the ones people reach for most; your agent can call all 8. ### 7 of 8 Elai tools for Hermes | Tool | What it does | |---|---| | **Estimate speech duration** `elai_estimate_speech_duration` | Estimate how many seconds narration text will take with a selected Elai voice before modifying | | **Get video** `elai_get_video` | Get a video's status, render URL, metadata, and optionally its full slide configuration | | **List avatars** `elai_list_avatars` | Find available avatars and variants as compact records, optionally limited to | | **List videos** `elai_list_videos` | List videos and templates as compact summaries, with filters and a continuation cursor for | | **Copy video** `elai_copy_video` | Create a draft copy of an existing video or template; the new draft counts against Elai's | | **Create story video** `elai_create_story_video` | Create a Story video from text, HTML, or a web-page URL and generate its visual slides so it is | | **Render video** `elai_render_video` | Start asynchronous rendering of a prepared video, consuming paid rendering minutes | ## Example prompts **Estimate Speech Duration** > Use Elai to estimate speech duration and walk me through the result in plain English. **Get Video** > Pull the relevant data from Elai, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **List Avatars** > List the relevant items in Elai, group them by priority, and recommend what Hermes should do next. **List Videos** > List the relevant items in Elai, 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 Elai working from chat. | | Manual | ClawLink | |---|---|---| | **Credential handling** | Collect, validate, store, and rotate the Elai API key yourself, then make sure every tool call uses the right account. | Users complete the hosted ClawLink setup once and the connected Elai 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 Elai. | 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 Elai actions to the runtime in a format your agent can reliably use. | 8 tools for Elai are already exposed through ClawLink, so the agent can read and act from chat immediately. | ## ClawLink vs. Composio Composio also exposes Elai 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 Elai in the browser, and the 8 tools above work from chat. There is no SDK and no config file, and the Elai 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 Elai 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 Elai 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 Elai tools Elai 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 Elai 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. ### Elai 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 Elai 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 Elai integration? Yes. ClawLink is the fastest way to connect Hermes to Elai: link your Elai account once in the browser and Hermes Agent can call the Elai API through 8 ready-made tools — no custom code or token handling. ### How do I connect Elai 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 Elai in the dashboard and Hermes can use it from the next message — no config files, and the Elai key you paste is stored server-side instead of in your environment. ### How long does it take to connect Elai to Hermes Agent? About two minutes. Sign in, click Connect next to Elai in the dashboard, authenticate, and Hermes Agent can use it from the next chat message. ### Why use ClawLink instead of wiring Elai 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 Elai working from chat. ### Hermes paired but still can't use Elai 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 DataRobot](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.