Hermes Agent, the open-source self-improving AI agent from Nous Research, just shipped a feature that closes the gap between "I want to automate this" and actually having it running: Automation Blueprints. The idea is simple but impactful , instead of writing cron expressions and prompt strings from scratch, you pick a pre-built Blueprint, fill in a few fields, and Hermes schedules the whole thing for you.
The announcement landed with nearly 403K views on X, which signals this hit a nerve. Cron-based automation has always been powerful in theory, but the setup friction , writing self-contained prompts, remembering cron syntax, wiring up delivery targets , kept it squarely in power-user territory. Blueprints are Nous Research's answer to that.
Cron jobs, but make them conversational
Automation Blueprints are ready-to-run automations: pick one, fill in a couple of fields, and Hermes schedules it as a cron job , no cron syntax required. The interface adapts to wherever you're working:
- In the dashboard or desktop app, open the Cron page, switch to the Blueprints tab, fill the form, and click "Schedule it."
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From the CLI, TUI, or any messenger, type
/blueprint <name>(e.g./blueprint morning-brief) and Hermes asks you for what it needs, one question at a time, then schedules it. The name match is forgiving , a prefix or near-spelling resolves. - Power users can skip the questions entirely by passing values inline:
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