# How to connect Search api to Hermes Agent (paste one key, 5 tools) > Connect Search api to Hermes with ClawLink: paste your Search api 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/search-api Most guides for giving Hermes Agent Search api 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 Search api setup: pair once in the browser and your always-on Hermes agent can act on Search api 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 Search api. 1. **Install ClawLink** — add the plugin to Hermes Agent once. 2. **Connect Search api** — 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 search-api # connect Search api (browser OAuth) npx -y @useclawlink/cli actions search-api # list available actions npx -y @useclawlink/cli run search-api --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 Search api in the [ClawLink dashboard](https://claw-link.dev/dashboard) — paste your Search api API key once. Verify the connection by asking Hermes: > Pull the relevant data from Search api, 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 Search api is connected in the dashboard, that agent calls the same 5 Search api 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). ## Search api MCP for Hermes Looking for a Search api MCP server for Hermes Agent? ClawLink connects Search api to Hermes Agent and exposes 5 Search api 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 Search api integration](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/search-api) works the same way. ## What the Hermes Agent Search api integration can do 5 Search api tools are ready for Hermes Agent once the account is connected. ### All 5 Search api tools for Hermes | Tool | What it does | |---|---| | **Get account info** `search_api_get_account_info` | Retrieve account usage statistics including monthly usage, remaining credits, hourly limits | | **Get cached search by ID** `search_api_get_cached_search_by_id` | Retrieve cached search results by search ID in JSON format | | **Get cached search HTML by ID** `search_api_get_cached_search_html_by_id` | Retrieve cached search results by search ID in HTML format | | **Get locations** `search_api_get_locations` | Get available locations for geo-localized search queries | | **Search** `search_api_search` | Perform unified search across 40+ search engines including Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo | ## Example prompts **Get Account Info** > Pull the relevant data from Search api, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Get Cached Search By Id** > Search Search api for what I need, summarize the results, and tell me the next best action. **Get Cached Search Html By Id** > Search Search api for what I need, summarize the results, and tell me the next best action. **Get Locations** > Pull the relevant data from Search api, 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 Search api working from chat. | | Manual | ClawLink | |---|---|---| | **Credential handling** | Collect, validate, store, and rotate the Search api API key yourself, then make sure every tool call uses the right account. | Users complete the hosted ClawLink setup once and the connected Search api 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 Search api. | 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 Search api actions to the runtime in a format your agent can reliably use. | 5 tools for Search api are already exposed through ClawLink, so the agent can read and act from chat immediately. | ## ClawLink vs. Composio Composio also exposes Search api 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 Search api in the browser, and the 5 tools above work from chat. There is no SDK and no config file, and the Search api 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 Search api 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 Search api 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 Search api tools Search api 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 Search api 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. ### Search api 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 Search api 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 Search api integration? Yes. ClawLink is the fastest way to connect Hermes to Search api: link your Search api account once in the browser and Hermes Agent can call the Search api API through 5 ready-made tools — no custom code or token handling. ### How do I connect Search api 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 Search api in the dashboard and Hermes can use it from the next message — no config files, and the Search api key you paste is stored server-side instead of in your environment. ### How long does it take to connect Search api to Hermes Agent? About two minutes. Sign in, click Connect next to Search api in the dashboard, authenticate, and Hermes Agent can use it from the next chat message. ### Why use ClawLink instead of wiring Search api 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 Search api working from chat. ### Hermes paired but still can't use Search api 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 - [DataRobot tools](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. - [Just One API tools](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.