How to Update Hermes Agent on Hostinger (2026)

Updating Hermes Agent on Hostinger depends on how you run it. If you use the managed AI automation plan, Hostinger handles updates for you automatically. If you run the self-hosted version on a VPS, you update it yourself through Docker Manager or the terminal — and this guide walks through both routes step by step.

Hermes Agent is an open-source AI agent built by Nous Research (not by Hostinger) that Hostinger offers two ways: as a managed app with guided setup, and as a one-click Docker template on a Hostinger VPS. The update process is completely different for each, so the first step is figuring out which one you have.

Step 1 – Figure out which Hermes you have

Before touching anything, identify your setup. It takes less than a minute:

Managed: you signed up through Hostinger’s AI automation apps page, picked Hermes during a guided onboarding, and never opened a VPS dashboard for it. You access Hermes through messaging channels or a web interface, and you never ran a Docker command.
Self-hosted: you deployed Hermes from the Docker Manager Catalog on your VPS (VPS dashboard → Docker Manager → Catalog → Hermes Agent), and you access it through an “Open” button that launches a terminal-style CLI.

If you are not sure, open your Hostinger dashboard and check whether you have a VPS listed. No VPS means you are on the managed plan. A VPS with a Hermes project in Docker Manager means self-hosted.

Updating managed Hermes Agent (automatic)

On the managed plan, Hostinger takes care of server configuration, updates, backups, and security. There is no update button for you to press and no version to track manually — updates roll out on Hostinger’s side.

What you should do instead is a short health check every month or so:

Open Hermes the way you normally use it (your connected messaging channel or web interface) and send a simple test prompt to confirm it responds.
If a feature looks different or a new capability is announced, check Hostinger’s AI automation apps page or your account email for changelog notices.
Keep an eye on your AI credit balance. Updates never reset your credits, but if Hermes stops responding, a depleted credit balance is a far more common cause than a missed update. Credit balance is shared across Hostinger AI products, and requests are declined — not charged into negative — when the balance runs out.

If something actually breaks after a Hostinger-side update, the fix is the same as for any managed service: clear the conversation and retry, then contact Hostinger support if the problem persists. You can read more about how the managed option works on our Hermes Agent hub.

Updating self-hosted Hermes via Docker Manager

The self-hosted Hermes runs as a Docker container (plus helper services like Traefik) that Docker Manager created when you deployed the template. Updating it means pulling the newer container image and redeploying. Here is the panel route:

Log in to your Hostinger dashboard, go to VPS, and click Manage on the server running Hermes.
In the left sidebar, open Docker Manager, then go to Projects.
Find your Hermes project in the list. If a newer image version is available, the project will show an update indicator — select the project to open its details.
Trigger the update from the project view (this pulls the latest Hermes image and recreates the container with your existing configuration). Wait for the status to return to Running; image pulls can take a few minutes depending on size.
Click the Open button next to the project to launch the Hermes CLI and confirm it starts normally.

Tip: snapshot your VPS before updating. Docker Manager updates are usually smooth, but a snapshot gives you a one-click rollback if the new image misbehaves with your configuration.

Your settings — admin credentials, connected model provider keys, enabled channels — are stored in the project’s configuration and persist across image updates. What does not transfer is anything you changed inside the container’s filesystem directly (as opposed to through the CLI settings or environment variables), so avoid hand-editing files inside the running container.

Updating via the terminal (manual method)

If you prefer the command line, or if you deployed Hermes with your own Docker Compose setup rather than the catalog template, update it the standard Docker way:

Connect to your VPS via SSH or the browser terminal in the VPS dashboard.
Move to the directory holding your Hermes Compose file (for catalog deployments this is typically a folder like /root/hermes-agent).
Pull the newest images:
```
docker compose pull
```
Recreate the containers with the new images:
```
docker compose up -d
```
Confirm everything is running:
```
docker compose ps
```

The -d flag keeps the containers running in the background, and Compose reuses your existing volumes and environment variables, so your configuration survives the update.

Verify the update worked

After either method, run this quick verification:

Open the Hermes CLI (Docker Manager → Projects → Open, or your usual access method).
Type /help to confirm the CLI responds and to see the current command list — new versions sometimes add commands.
Send a short test task, for example asking Hermes to summarize a paragraph, and confirm it completes.
Check that your connected channels (Telegram, WhatsApp) still respond, since updates occasionally require re-authenticating a channel.

Troubleshooting update problems

The container will not start after updating. Check the project logs in Docker Manager for error messages. The most common cause is a breaking change in required environment variables — compare your project’s variables against the template defaults in the Catalog listing. If you cannot resolve it quickly, restore your pre-update VPS snapshot and try again later.

Update indicator never appears. Not every upstream release gets repackaged into the catalog template immediately. If Docker Manager shows no update, your version is simply the latest one Hostinger has packaged. You can always check the upstream Hermes releases from Nous Research to see whether you are behind.

Hermes updated but stopped responding. Check your AI credit balance first — this is the most common false alarm. In Docker Manager, open the project and look at the connected Hostinger AI Router / Oxylabs credit status. Top up if needed.

Config lost after update. This happens when settings were changed inside the container instead of through environment variables or the CLI. Re-enter them through the proper channels this time so the next update preserves them.

FAQ

Do I need to update Hermes Agent myself on the managed plan?

No. On Hostinger’s managed AI automation plan, Hostinger handles server configuration, updates, backups, and security automatically. You only need to update Hermes yourself if you run the self-hosted Docker version on a VPS.

How often should I update self-hosted Hermes?

Check Docker Manager for an update indicator roughly once a month, and update promptly when a release fixes security issues. Avoid updating right before you need Hermes for something time-sensitive — update when you have a few minutes to verify and roll back if needed.

Will updating Hermes delete my conversations or settings?

No, as long as your configuration lives in environment variables, volumes, or the CLI settings — which is the default for catalog deployments. Settings changed directly inside the container filesystem may not survive a container recreation.

Can I switch from self-hosted to managed instead of updating?

Yes. The managed plan covers Hermes alongside OpenClaw, n8n, and Paperclip under one subscription, and you can switch between apps. Note that switching starts the new app fresh — configurations and history do not transfer between self-hosted and managed.