Hermes Agent

Hermes Agent is an open-source AI agent framework by NousResearch (github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent) with 180,000+ GitHub stars. Launched in February 2026, it features native MCP support with BM25 tool search, OAuth, and built-in malware scanning. MCP servers are configured in config.yaml and are accessible through the hermes mcp picker.

Prerequisites

1. Hermes Agent installed and running.
2. A Picsart API key. Get one at picsart.com/ai-playground/ under API Settings.
3. The @picsart/gen-ai-mcp package installed globally if you plan to use stdio transport:

npm install -g @picsart/gen-ai-mcp

Setup

Method 1: stdio (recommended for local setups)

Open config.yaml and add a picsart entry under mcp_servers:

mcp_servers:
  picsart:
    command: npx
    args: ["-y", "@picsart/gen-ai-mcp"]
    env:
      PICSART_TOKEN: "YOUR_PICSART_TOKEN"

Replace YOUR_PICSART_TOKEN with your API key from picsart.com/ai-playground/.

Hermes Agent spawns the MCP server process on demand via npx. No separate global install is required with this approach.

Method 2: Streamable HTTP

If you prefer to connect to the hosted MCP endpoint directly, use the HTTP transport:

mcp_servers:
  picsart:
    url: https://mcp.picsart.io/mcp
    headers:
      Authorization: "Bearer YOUR_PICSART_TOKEN"

Save config.yaml and restart Hermes Agent.

Browse installed servers

After configuring, open the hermes mcp picker to confirm picsart appears in the server list. Select it to see all available Picsart tools with their descriptions.

Verify the connection

Start a Hermes Agent session and ask:

"List available Picsart image models."

The agent should call picsart_list_models and return results. If it does not, see Troubleshooting.

Use it

Once connected, ask Hermes Agent in plain English:

• "Generate a hero image for a SaaS landing page using Flux 2 Pro."
• "Create a 5-second product video from this URL using Kling V3."
• "Remove the background from ./product.jpg and save it to Drive."
• "Quote the cost of a Seedance 2.0 video at 1080p for 8 seconds."

Hermes Agent's BM25 tool search automatically selects the best-matching Picsart tool based on your request. For a full list of available tools, see the MCP Quickstart.

Troubleshooting

npx hangs or times out on first run

The first npx -y @picsart/gen-ai-mcp call downloads the package from the npm registry. If your environment has a slow or restricted network, the package may time out. Install it globally in advance:

npm install -g @picsart/gen-ai-mcp

Then update config.yaml to call the binary directly instead of via npx:

mcp_servers:
  picsart:
    command: gen-ai-mcp
    env:
      PICSART_TOKEN: "YOUR_PICSART_TOKEN"

"Unauthorized" or 401 errors

Verify that YOUR_PICSART_TOKEN is correct. Copy it fresh from picsart.com/ai-playground/ and confirm there are no extra spaces in the YAML value.

Picsart tools do not appear in the hermes mcp picker

Confirm config.yaml is in the Hermes Agent project directory (not a subdirectory). Restart Hermes Agent after editing the file. If the tools still do not appear, run hermes mcp and check the error output for connection details.

YAML parse error on startup

YAML is whitespace-sensitive. Use spaces, not tabs, for indentation. Validate the file:

python3 -c "import yaml; yaml.safe_load(open('config.yaml'))"

FAQ

Does Hermes Agent's malware scanning affect Picsart tool calls?

Hermes Agent scans tool definitions when the MCP server is first loaded. The Picsart MCP server passes this check. Once loaded, tool calls proceed normally without per-call scanning overhead.

Can I use Picsart alongside other MCP servers in Hermes Agent?

Yes. Add multiple entries under mcp_servers. Hermes Agent's BM25 tool search works across all servers simultaneously, picking the best tool regardless of which server it comes from.

Is OAuth required for the Picsart MCP server?

No. Picsart authentication uses a Bearer token in the Authorization header (HTTP method) or the PICSART_TOKEN environment variable (stdio method). Hermes Agent's OAuth feature is for MCP servers that implement the OAuth 2.0 MCP extension, which Picsart does not require.