You've been running OpenClaw for weeks or months. Your SOUL.md is dialed in, your custom skills handle real workflows, and your messaging channels are configured. Now you want to try Hermes Agent — the self-improving alternative from Nous Research — without losing everything you've built.

Good news: Hermes ships with a dedicated migration tool that imports your persona, memory, skills, configs, and API keys in a single command. This guide walks through every step, from pre-migration backup to post-migration validation, so you can switch confidently.

For context on why you might want to migrate, see our Hermes vs OpenClaw comparison guide.

1Prerequisites & Backup

Before migrating, ensure you have:

• Python 3.10+ installed (python3 --version)
• pip or pipx available for package installation
• Your OpenClaw installation directory accessible
• At least one LLM provider API key ready

Back up your OpenClaw data first. The migration tool is non-destructive (it reads but doesn't modify OpenClaw files), but a backup is always smart:

2Install Hermes Agent

Hermes Agent installs with a single command. On macOS:

On Linux/WSL2:

Verify the installation: hermes --version should show v0.7.0 or later.

3Run the Migration Tool

The migration tool auto-detects your OpenClaw installation. Start with a dry run:

The tool is interactive — it will show you each item being imported and ask for confirmation. If your OpenClaw installation is in a non-standard location, specify the path:

4What Gets Migrated

5Skill Format Conversion

OpenClaw skills use a custom Markdown format. Hermes uses the agentskills.io open standard. The migration tool handles the conversion automatically, but there are nuances:

• Simple skills (single-action, no branching) convert cleanly with no manual intervention
• Complex skills with conditional logic may need manual review after conversion
• Skills referencing OpenClaw-specific APIs (e.g., Gateway hooks) will need rewriting for Hermes's tool system

After migration, Hermes will start using your converted skills immediately. Over time, the self-improving loop will refine them based on actual usage patterns — something that never happens with OpenClaw.

6Messaging Channel Setup

The migration tool imports your messaging platform configurations (bot tokens, webhook URLs, etc.), but you'll need to verify each channel works:

• Telegram: Bot token transfers directly. Test with a simple message.
• Discord: Bot token and guild IDs transfer. You may need to update webhook URLs if they point to OpenClaw's gateway port.
• Slack: App credentials transfer. Verify the OAuth redirect URL points to Hermes's gateway.
• WhatsApp: Business API credentials transfer. Update webhook callback URLs.
• Signal: Hermes supports Signal natively (OpenClaw does not). You can add it as a new channel post-migration.

Run hermes channels test after migration to verify all channels are connected and receiving messages.

7LLM Provider Configuration

Hermes supports more LLM providers than OpenClaw. Your existing API keys will be migrated, but you may want to explore additional options:

Switch models with hermes model — no code changes needed. For cost optimization, consider using open-source LLMs via Ollama for routine tasks and premium models for complex reasoning.

8Post-Migration Validation

After migration, run through this checklist:

1. Verify persona: hermes persona show — confirm your SOUL.md content transferred
2. Check memory: hermes memory list — verify persistent notes are present
3. Test skills: Ask the agent to perform a task that uses a migrated skill
4. Test channels: Send a message from each connected messaging platform
5. Test scheduling: If you had Heartbeat cron jobs, verify they're running via hermes cron list
6. Monitor for 24 hours: Watch for any errors in hermes logs

9Running Side by Side

For a gradual migration, you can run both agents simultaneously. Since OpenClaw uses Node.js and Hermes uses Python, they don't conflict at the runtime level. However, you'll need to manage messaging channel routing:

• Option A: Route different channels to different agents (e.g., Telegram → Hermes, Discord → OpenClaw)
• Option B: Use different bot accounts for each agent on the same platform
• Option C: Run Hermes on CLI only while keeping OpenClaw on messaging channels, then swap once validated

We recommend Option C for most teams — it lets you test Hermes thoroughly via CLI before committing to a full channel migration.

10Troubleshooting Common Issues

11How Lushbinary Can Help

Migrating AI agent infrastructure is more than copying config files. At Lushbinary, we handle the full migration lifecycle:

• Pre-migration audit: Review your OpenClaw setup and identify potential issues
• Custom skill rewriting: Convert complex OpenClaw skills that don't auto-migrate
• Infrastructure setup: Deploy Hermes on AWS, VPS, or serverless with proper security
• Channel migration: Seamless handoff of all messaging channels with zero downtime
• Post-migration monitoring: 30-day support to ensure everything runs smoothly

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

📚 Sources

• Hermes Agent Quickstart Guide
• Hermes Agent GitHub Repository

Content was rephrased for compliance with licensing restrictions. Migration steps sourced from official Hermes Agent documentation as of April 2026. Commands and features may change — always verify on the official docs.