Builder mode
Builder mode
What builder mode adds to the sidebar and Settings, and how to turn it on and off.
Builder mode shows the whole dashboard: Apps, Workflows and the Scheduled page in the sidebar, and every section of Settings. Simple mode keeps only the everyday parts, and you can switch between the two whenever you like.
What builder mode adds
Builder mode changes what the dashboard shows. It doesn't change your agent: Hermes answers, remembers and runs tasks the same way in either mode.
In the sidebar
| Simple mode | Builder mode | |
|---|---|---|
| Sidebar | Chat, For You | Chat, Apps, Workflows, Scheduled |
| Bottom bar (on a phone or a narrow window) | Chat, For You, Settings | Chat, Apps, Workflows, Scheduled, Settings |
- Apps and Workflows are covered in Apps and workflows.
- Scheduled lists every scheduled task with its times and results. It takes the place of For You, which simple mode uses for the same tasks with fewer details. See Scheduled tasks.
- On the narrowest screens the bottom bar shows icons only, without their labels.
In Settings
Simple mode shows seven sections: Status, Theme, Channels, Billing, Usage, Credits and Help. Builder mode adds twelve more, and groups the full list under "Agent", "Models", "Customize", "Account" and "Developer", with Help at the end.
| Section | Group | What it's for | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voice | Agent | Keys for speech in and speech out | Models and keys |
| Memory | Agent | Where your agent keeps what it remembers | Memory and background tasks |
| Background tasks | Agent | Work Hermes does on its own, such as tidying its skills | Memory and background tasks |
| Model | Models | Which model answers you, and the key that pays for it | Models and keys |
| Tool keys | Models | Your own keys for web search and browser services | Models and keys |
| Personality | Customize | The two files that set your agent's voice and standing instructions | Personality |
| Skills | Customize | Installed skills and the marketplace | Skills |
| Connectors | Customize | Links to apps you already use | Connectors |
| Local servers | Customize | Extra tools that run inside your agent | Connectors |
| Webhooks | Customize | A web address other services can call to wake your agent | Webhooks |
| API | Developer | An address and key for calling your agent from your own code | API endpoints |
| Backups | Developer | Snapshots of your agent's data | Backups |
Other small changes
- Status shows your machine's size on a paid plan, for example "2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM".
- Billing adds a "Resources" line to each plan card with that plan's machine size, and its feature list says "Cron scheduler" and "MCP servers" where simple mode says "Scheduled work" and "Connected apps".
- Help lists two more questions, one about scheduled tasks and one about connectors. To set up a scheduled task, ask Hermes in the chat; Scheduled tasks explains how.
Turning it on and off
- Open the account menu at the bottom of the sidebar and choose "Settings" (open Settings). It opens on "Status".
- Under the status details, click "Builder mode: off". It switches to "Builder mode: on".
- To go back to simple mode, click "Builder mode: on".
- It takes effect straight away. The sidebar and the Settings list change as soon as you click.
- It's saved to your account, so it follows you to other browsers and devices.
- If the switch fails, it flips back and a short message asks you to try again.
- While a new paid agent is being set up, Status shows "Setting up your agent…" and the switch isn't there. It comes back once your agent is ready.
Which mode you start in
- Accounts created after the start of 1 September 2026 (UTC) start in simple mode.
- Accounts created at or before that moment start in builder mode.
- Once you click the switch, your choice is what counts, whenever your account was made.
Builder mode on the free tier
The switch works on every account, free or paid. On the free tier, builder mode shows you:
- Model in Settings, where you choose your free chat's model or save your own key. Models and keys has the details.
- Apps, where you can see the list but need an agent of your own to install anything.
- Workflows and Scheduled, which say "No active plan" with a "Pick a plan" button.
- No For You in the sidebar. Builder mode takes it out, but your free daily task is still at its direct link (see Plans and credits).
- The paid-only Settings sections, each with a "Pick a plan" button.
Plans and credits compares what each plan includes.
Common questions
Will switching modes change anything on my agent?
No. Your agent, its memory, its scheduled tasks and its settings stay exactly as they are. Only the dashboard layout changes.
I switched to simple mode. Where did my scheduled tasks go?
Nowhere. In simple mode they're listed under "For You" in the sidebar. The full Scheduled page, with search, filters and results, still opens from its direct link.
Can I open one builder-mode section without switching?
Yes. Every section has its own link, for example Memory. It opens in simple mode too.
What's next
- Personality: edit the two files that shape how Hermes talks and what it knows about you.
- Models and keys: switch provider, bring your own keys and add tool and voice keys.
- Skills: see what your agent can do and install more.
- Apps and workflows: add ready-made workflows and apps.