# How to connect IBM X-Force Exchange to Hermes Agent (paste one key, 7 tools) > Connect IBM X-Force Exchange to Hermes with ClawLink: paste your IBM X-Force Exchange key once and 7 tools work from chat. No MCP server to run, nothing stored on your machine. Web version: https://claw-link.dev/hermes/ibm-x-force-exchange Most guides for giving Hermes Agent IBM X-Force Exchange 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 IBM X-Force Exchange setup: pair once in the browser and your always-on Hermes agent can act on IBM X-Force Exchange 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 IBM X-Force Exchange. 1. **Install ClawLink** — add the plugin to Hermes Agent once. 2. **Connect IBM X-Force Exchange** — 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 ibm-x-force-exchange # connect IBM X-Force Exchange (browser OAuth) npx -y @useclawlink/cli actions ibm-x-force-exchange # list available actions npx -y @useclawlink/cli run ibm-x-force-exchange --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 IBM X-Force Exchange in the [ClawLink dashboard](https://claw-link.dev/dashboard) — paste your IBM X-Force Exchange API key once. Verify the connection by asking Hermes: > Pull the relevant data from IBM X-Force Exchange, 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 IBM X-Force Exchange is connected in the dashboard, that agent calls the same 7 IBM X-Force Exchange 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). ## IBM X-Force Exchange MCP for Hermes Looking for a IBM X-Force Exchange MCP server for Hermes Agent? ClawLink connects IBM X-Force Exchange to Hermes Agent and exposes 7 IBM X-Force Exchange 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 IBM X-Force Exchange integration](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/ibm-x-force-exchange) works the same way. ## What the Hermes Agent IBM X-Force Exchange integration can do 7 IBM X-Force Exchange tools are ready for Hermes Agent once the account is connected. ### All 7 IBM X-Force Exchange tools for Hermes | Tool | What it does | |---|---| | **Get casefiles public** `ibm_x_force_exchange_get_casefiles_public` | Retrieve latest public Collections from IBM X-Force Exchange | | **Get casefiles public paginated** `ibm_x_force_exchange_get_casefiles_public_paginated` | Retrieve all public Collections using pagination from IBM X-Force Exchange | | **Get ipr categories** `ibm_x_force_exchange_get_ipr_categories` | Retrieve the complete list of IP reputation categories from IBM X-Force Exchange | | **Get URL categories** `ibm_x_force_exchange_get_url_categories` | Retrieve the complete list of URL categories from IBM X-Force Exchange | | **Get userprofile** `ibm_x_force_exchange_get_userprofile` | Retrieve authenticated user's profile information from IBM X-Force Exchange | | **Get version** `ibm_x_force_exchange_get_version` | Retrieve current running API version information from IBM X-Force Exchange | | **Post auth API key** `ibm_x_force_exchange_post_auth_api_key` | Generate a new API key and password pair for IBM X-Force Exchange authentication | ## Example prompts **Get Casefiles Public** > Pull the relevant data from IBM X-Force Exchange, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Get Casefiles Public Paginated** > Pull the relevant data from IBM X-Force Exchange, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Get Ipr Categories** > Pull the relevant data from IBM X-Force Exchange, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Get Url Categories** > Pull the relevant data from IBM X-Force Exchange, 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 IBM X-Force Exchange working from chat. | | Manual | ClawLink | |---|---|---| | **Credential handling** | Collect, validate, store, and rotate the IBM X-Force Exchange API key yourself, then make sure every tool call uses the right account. | Users complete the hosted ClawLink setup once and the connected IBM X-Force Exchange 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 IBM X-Force Exchange. | 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 IBM X-Force Exchange actions to the runtime in a format your agent can reliably use. | 7 tools for IBM X-Force Exchange are already exposed through ClawLink, so the agent can read and act from chat immediately. | ## ClawLink vs. Composio Composio also exposes IBM X-Force Exchange 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 IBM X-Force Exchange in the browser, and the 7 tools above work from chat. There is no SDK and no config file, and the IBM X-Force Exchange 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 IBM X-Force Exchange 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 IBM X-Force Exchange 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 IBM X-Force Exchange tools IBM X-Force Exchange 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 IBM X-Force Exchange 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. ### IBM X-Force Exchange 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 IBM X-Force Exchange 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 IBM X-Force Exchange integration? Yes. ClawLink is the fastest way to connect Hermes to IBM X-Force Exchange: link your IBM X-Force Exchange account once in the browser and Hermes Agent can call the IBM X-Force Exchange API through 7 ready-made tools — no custom code or token handling. ### How do I connect IBM X-Force Exchange 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 IBM X-Force Exchange in the dashboard and Hermes can use it from the next message — no config files, and the IBM X-Force Exchange key you paste is stored server-side instead of in your environment. ### How long does it take to connect IBM X-Force Exchange to Hermes Agent? About two minutes. Sign in, click Connect next to IBM X-Force Exchange in the dashboard, authenticate, and Hermes Agent can use it from the next chat message. ### Why use ClawLink instead of wiring IBM X-Force Exchange 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 IBM X-Force Exchange working from chat. ### Hermes paired but still can't use IBM X-Force Exchange 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 - [GitHub tools](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/github) — Manage repositories, issues, pull requests, and workflows - [Hermes PagerDuty integration](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/pagerduty) — Manage incidents, on-call schedules, and services - [Hermes SafetyCulture integration](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.