How to connect Zulip to Hermes Agent
Connect Zulip to Hermes with ClawLink: paste your Zulip key once and 108 tools work from chat. No MCP server to run, nothing stored on your machine.
ZulipBASIC AUTHMCPChat for distributed teams.. Once connected, Hermes Agent can read and act on Zulip from chat — pairing, token refresh, and tool wiring handled for you.
Most guides for giving Hermes Agent Zulip 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 Zulip setup: pair once in the browser and your always-on Hermes agent can act on Zulip 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 Zulip.
1Install and pair
Install the ClawLink plugin, then pair Hermes with a one-time browser approval:
hermes plugins install ClawLink-HQ/hermes-plugin --enable- 2
Connect Zulip
Enter your account details in the dashboard.
- 3
Use it from chat
Ask Hermes Agent: "What can you do with Zulip?"
Install by command
The prompt above walks Hermes through this. By hand, it is four commands and a browser approval:
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 testThen connect Zulip in the ClawLink dashboard — enter your Zulip account details once.
Verify the connection by asking Hermes:
Use Zulip to check messages match narrow 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:
npx -y @useclawlink/cli loginlogin opens the same browser approval and stores a credential locally. Once Zulip is connected in the dashboard, that agent calls the same 108 Zulip tools over MCP. Full setup for MCP clients and shell agents: connect apps to any AI agent.
Zulip MCP for Hermes
Looking for a Zulip MCP server for Hermes Agent? ClawLink connects Zulip to Hermes Agent and exposes 108 Zulip tools your agent can call over MCP, with hosted auth and nothing to run or maintain yourself. Using OpenClaw instead? The OpenClaw Zulip integration works the same way.
What the Hermes Agent Zulip integration can do
108 Zulip tools are ready for Hermes Agent once the account is connected. The 30 below are the ones people reach for most; your agent can call all 108.
30 of 108 Zulip tools for Hermes
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
Check messages match narrow zulip_check_messages_match_narrow | Check if specific messages match a narrow filter |
Get alert words zulip_get_alert_words | Retrieve all configured alert words for the authenticated user |
Get another user presence zulip_get_another_user_presence | Get the presence status for a specific user in Zulip |
Get attachments zulip_get_attachments | Retrieve metadata on files uploaded by the requesting user |
Get channel folders zulip_get_channel_folders | Retrieve all channel folders in the organization, sorted by display order |
Get custom emoji zulip_get_custom_emoji | Retrieve all custom emoji configured in the Zulip realm |
Get custom profile fields zulip_get_custom_profile_fields | Get all custom profile fields configured for the Zulip realm |
Get drafts zulip_get_drafts | Fetch all drafts for the authenticated user |
Get events zulip_get_events | Get events from a Zulip event queue |
Get file temporary URL zulip_get_file_temporary_url | Get a public temporary URL for an uploaded file in Zulip |
Get icon zulip_get_icon | Retrieve the URL of the Zulip realm's icon |
Get invites zulip_get_invites | Retrieve all unexpired invitations for the Zulip organization |
Get is user group member zulip_get_is_user_group_member | Check if a user is a member of a specific user group |
Get linkifiers zulip_get_linkifiers | Retrieve all configured linkifiers in the Zulip realm |
Get message zulip_get_message | Fetch a single message by ID from Zulip |
Get message history zulip_get_message_history | Fetch the complete edit history of a Zulip message |
Get messages zulip_get_messages | Fetch messages from Zulip |
Get navigation views zulip_get_navigation_views | Fetch all navigation views for the authenticated user |
Get own user zulip_get_own_user | Retrieve the profile information for the authenticated user |
Get read receipts zulip_get_read_receipts | Retrieve read receipts for a message in Zulip |
Get realm export consents zulip_get_realm_export_consents | Retrieve data export consent state for users in a realm |
Get realm exports zulip_get_realm_exports | Retrieve all data exports for the Zulip organization |
Get realm presence zulip_get_realm_presence | Get the presence status for all users in the Zulip realm |
Get reminders zulip_get_reminders | Fetch all undelivered reminders for the authenticated user |
Get saved snippets zulip_get_saved_snippets | Fetch all saved snippets for the authenticated user |
Get scheduled messages zulip_get_scheduled_messages | Fetch all scheduled messages for the authenticated user |
Get server settings zulip_get_server_settings | Retrieve server configuration and available authentication methods |
Get stream by ID zulip_get_stream_by_id | Get detailed information about a Zulip channel by its ID |
Get stream email address zulip_get_stream_email_address | Retrieve the email address for a Zulip channel |
Get stream ID zulip_get_stream_id | Get a channel's unique ID by its name |
Try it: find the Zulip tool you need
Browse the 30 Zulip tools
Click any tool to see exactly what Hermes can do and copy a ready-to-use prompt.
Example prompts
Use Zulip to check messages match narrow and walk me through the result in plain English.
Pull the relevant data from Zulip, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention.
Pull the relevant data from Zulip, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention.
Pull the relevant data from Zulip, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention.
ClawLink vs. building it yourself
The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual credential 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 Zulip working from chat.
| Manual | ClawLink | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup flow | Collect and store the right Zulip credentials yourself, then keep the account mapping and request format correct. | ClawLink keeps the setup in one hosted flow so non-technical users can link Zulip without custom integration screens. |
| Ongoing maintenance | You own refresh logic, permission debugging, environment config, and every provider-specific edge case for Zulip. | 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 Zulip actions to the runtime in a format your agent can reliably use. | 108 tools for Zulip are already exposed through ClawLink, so the agent can read and act from chat immediately. |
ClawLink vs. Composio
Composio also exposes Zulip 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 Zulip in the browser, and the 108 tools above work from chat. There is no SDK and no config file, and the Zulip key you paste at setup is stored server-side rather than kept in your environment. Choosing between them? Read the full Composio alternatives comparison.
Troubleshooting
Hermes paired but still can't use Zulip
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 Zulip 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 Zulip tools
Zulip 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 Zulip 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.
Zulip 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.
The setup form accepts credentials but calls still fail
Re-enter the credentials carefully and verify the account-level permissions for Zulip. Basic and token-based integrations tend to fail on formatting mistakes or limited account roles.
FAQ
Is there a Hermes Agent Zulip integration?
Yes. ClawLink is the fastest way to connect Hermes to Zulip: link your Zulip account once in the browser and Hermes Agent can call the Zulip API through 108 ready-made tools — no custom code or token handling.
How do I connect Zulip 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 Zulip in the dashboard and Hermes can use it from the next message — no config files, and the Zulip key you paste is stored server-side instead of in your environment.
How long does it take to connect Zulip to Hermes Agent?
About two minutes. Sign in, click Connect next to Zulip in the dashboard, authenticate, and Hermes Agent can use it from the next chat message.
Why use ClawLink instead of wiring Zulip up myself?
The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual credential 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 Zulip working from chat.
Hermes paired but still can't use Zulip
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.
