# How to connect Sourcegraph to Hermes Agent (paste one key, 8 tools)

> Connect Sourcegraph to Hermes with ClawLink: paste your Sourcegraph 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/sourcegraph

Most guides for giving Hermes Agent Sourcegraph 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 Sourcegraph setup: pair once in the browser and your always-on Hermes agent can act on Sourcegraph 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 Sourcegraph.

1. **Install ClawLink** — add the plugin to Hermes Agent once.
2. **Connect Sourcegraph** — 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 sourcegraph  # connect Sourcegraph (browser OAuth)
npx -y @useclawlink/cli actions sourcegraph  # list available actions
npx -y @useclawlink/cli run sourcegraph <action> --input '<json>'  # 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 Sourcegraph in the [ClawLink dashboard](https://claw-link.dev/dashboard) — paste your Sourcegraph API key once.

Verify the connection by asking Hermes:

> Use Sourcegraph to check site settings edit permission 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 Sourcegraph is connected in the dashboard, that agent calls the same 8 Sourcegraph 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).

## Sourcegraph MCP for Hermes

Looking for a Sourcegraph MCP server for Hermes Agent? ClawLink connects Sourcegraph to Hermes Agent and exposes 8 Sourcegraph 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 Sourcegraph integration](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/sourcegraph) works the same way.

## What the Hermes Agent Sourcegraph integration can do

8 Sourcegraph tools are ready for Hermes Agent once the account is connected.

### All 8 Sourcegraph tools for Hermes

| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Check site settings edit permission** `sourcegraph_check_site_settings_edit_permission` | Check whether site settings can be edited through the API |
| **Compare commits** `sourcegraph_compare_commits` | Compare two commits in a repository and retrieve their file diffs |
| **Get commit details** `sourcegraph_get_commit_details` | Get detailed information about a specific commit in a repository |
| **Get current user** `sourcegraph_get_current_user` | Retrieve information about the currently authenticated user |
| **Get file contents** `sourcegraph_get_file_contents` | Fetch the contents of a specified file on the default branch |
| **List repositories** `sourcegraph_list_repositories` | List repositories on the Sourcegraph instance |
| **List repository files** `sourcegraph_list_repository_files` | List all files and directories in a repository path |
| **List repository languages** `sourcegraph_list_repository_languages` | List languages used in a repository |

## Example prompts

**Check Site Settings Edit Permission**

> Use Sourcegraph to check site settings edit permission and walk me through the result in plain English.

**Compare Commits**

> Use Sourcegraph to compare commits and walk me through the result in plain English.

**Get Commit Details**

> Pull the relevant data from Sourcegraph, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention.

**Get Current User**

> Pull the relevant data from Sourcegraph, 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 Sourcegraph working from chat.

| | Manual | ClawLink |
|---|---|---|
| **Credential handling** | Collect, validate, store, and rotate the Sourcegraph API key yourself, then make sure every tool call uses the right account. | Users complete the hosted ClawLink setup once and the connected Sourcegraph 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 Sourcegraph. | 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 Sourcegraph actions to the runtime in a format your agent can reliably use. | 8 tools for Sourcegraph are already exposed through ClawLink, so the agent can read and act from chat immediately. |

## ClawLink vs. Composio

Composio also exposes Sourcegraph 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 Sourcegraph in the browser, and the 8 tools above work from chat. There is no SDK and no config file, and the Sourcegraph 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 Sourcegraph
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 Sourcegraph 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 Sourcegraph tools
Sourcegraph 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 Sourcegraph 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.

### Sourcegraph 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 Sourcegraph 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 Sourcegraph integration?
Yes. ClawLink is the fastest way to connect Hermes to Sourcegraph: link your Sourcegraph account once in the browser and Hermes Agent can call the Sourcegraph API through 8 ready-made tools — no custom code or token handling.

### How do I connect Sourcegraph 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 Sourcegraph in the dashboard and Hermes can use it from the next message — no config files, and the Sourcegraph key you paste is stored server-side instead of in your environment.

### How long does it take to connect Sourcegraph to Hermes Agent?
About two minutes. Sign in, click Connect next to Sourcegraph in the dashboard, authenticate, and Hermes Agent can use it from the next chat message.

### Why use ClawLink instead of wiring Sourcegraph 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 Sourcegraph working from chat.

### Hermes paired but still can't use Sourcegraph
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
- [PagerDuty](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/pagerduty) — Manage incidents, on-call schedules, and services
- [SafetyCulture tools](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.