AI Clients

Hermes Agent

Hermes Agent, from Nous Research, runs on your own machine or server and reaches remote MCP servers from its config file. Add MCP Ads under mcp_servers in ~/.hermes/config.yaml and the agent can read and manage your ad accounts from the CLI or any chat app its gateway serves.

Add the server

Remote servers live under mcp_servers in ~/.hermes/config.yaml, with a url plus either headers or auth: oauth. On a server or VPS, an MCP Ads API key in an Authorization header is the reliable setup: there is no browser sign-in to route back to that machine.

Create an API key
In MCP Ads, open Manage → Connect MCP → API keys at https://mcp-ads.com/manage, name the key “Hermes” and create it. Copy it now: it is shown once.

Add the entry to config.yaml

Add the server with the key in a header.

~/.hermes/config.yaml

mcp_servers:
  mcp_ads:
    url: "https://mcp-ads.com/mcp-slim"
    headers:
      Authorization: "Bearer mcp_live_..."

Load it
In a running session, run /reload-mcp. A running messaging gateway picks up config changes on its own in about a minute.
Verify it works
The first real tool call should return the platforms connected in your MCP Ads dashboard and the accounts on each. An empty list means the server is reachable but nothing is connected yet.
Try this first
```
Using mcp_ads, list the platforms I have connected and
the accounts on each.
```

Or sign in with OAuth

MCP Ads supports OAuth, and Hermes can run it: set auth: oauth instead of headers, then run hermes mcp login from a fresh terminal and approve in the browser. This should work, but we have not yet tested Hermes’ sign-in against MCP Ads end to end, so on a server the API key above is the path we recommend.

Sign in
Run the login from a fresh terminal. Hermes prints an authorization URL and opens the browser; approve it with the login that owns your MCP Ads account.
bash
```
hermes mcp login mcp_ads
```
On a remote host
The callback listens on a local port on the machine running Hermes. If your browser is elsewhere, approve the sign-in and paste the full redirect URL back at the prompt (a connection error in the browser is expected), or forward the port over SSH.

~/.hermes/config.yaml

mcp_servers:
  mcp_ads:
    url: "https://mcp-ads.com/mcp-slim"
    auth: oauth

Troubleshooting

The server does not appear in a session: the YAML is mis-indented or the entry is not under mcp_servers. Fix it and run /reload-mcp.
Calls are refused with 401: the key is wrong, revoked, or missing the “Bearer ” prefix. Create a new key under Manage → Connect MCP → API keys and replace the header value.
The OAuth redirect never arrives: Hermes runs on a server and the browser is on your laptop. Paste the redirect URL back at the prompt, forward the port over SSH, or switch to the API key.
Tools load but no ad accounts are listed: the connection works and nothing is connected in MCP Ads yet. Connect your ad accounts in the dashboard and ask again.

Go further

Run your ads from Hermes Agent

What to ask once it is connected, including a weekly check Hermes can run on a schedule.

OpenClaw

The same server in the OpenClaw gateway.

Tool reference

Every tool available once connected.

Common questions

Which URL do I add?

https://mcp-ads.com/mcp-slim, under mcp_servers in ~/.hermes/config.yaml. It exposes one tool per platform that takes an action name, so the agent loads the details only when it needs them.

Why an API key and not the sign-in?

On a server, the OAuth callback cannot reach the machine running Hermes without a paste-back or a port forward, and the key needs neither. OAuth should work through hermes mcp login, but the key is the setup we recommend there. The key is hashed at rest, revocable from the dashboard, and bound to the same plan limits as a sign-in.

Do I need to restart Hermes after editing config.yaml?

No. Run /reload-mcp in a session; a running gateway picks up the change in about a minute.

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