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+# Hermes Automation Patterns
+
+Production patterns for efficient, low-cost always-on Hermes agents tied to Tony's workflows.
+
+## Source: Tonbi Hermes Agent Masterclass (Cron & Automation, June 19 2026)
+
+This directory captures techniques from the **cyrilXBT / Tonbi Hermes Agent Masterclass** series, specifically the **Cron & Automation** session published June 19, 2026. The session covers how to build persistent, cost-effective autonomous agents using Hermes' built-in scheduler, gates, and delivery controls.
+
+**Link:** [YouTube — Hermes Agent Masterclass (Cron & Automation)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grMNnzCv2gY)
+
+### Key Techniques
+
+| Technique | Description | Cost Impact |
+|-----------|-------------|-------------|
+| **wakeAgent Gates** | Condition-based triggers that only invoke the LLM when specific criteria are met (instead of running every tick). Prevents unnecessary API calls on irrelevant cycles. | High savings |
+| **no-agent Polling** | `no_agent=True` flag on cron scripts — runs a shell script directly without any LLM context. Output is delivered verbatim only when there's change or data. Zero token cost per tick when nothing happens. | Max savings |
+| **context-from Chaining** | Pipe output of one cron job as context into another via `context_from`. Enables multi-stage pipelines (e.g., collector → summarizer → delivery) where each stage only fires on upstream data. | Tiered cost |
+| **Silent Delivery** | Cron jobs that produce empty stdout on no-change ticks deliver nothing. The user only sees messages when there's actionable output. Reduces noise and delivery friction. | Free (no token) |
+
+### Goals
+
+1. **Email Triage** — Automated inbox scanning, priority routing, and draft response generation with approval gates.
+2. **Skills Hub Monitoring** — Track skill usage, freshness, and curator activity across all active skills.
+3. **Compliance Monitoring** — Periodic scans of regulatory changes and gap detection against SOP/KB artifacts.
+4. **Opportunity Scanning** — Scheduled market/tech landscape scans with mechanical filtering and artifact persistence.
+5. **Daily Briefs** — High-signal daily summaries from multiple sources, delivered at configured times via Telegram or email.
+
+---
+
+## Directory Layout
+
+```
+hermes-automation/
+├── README.md           # This file — overview and masterclass summary
+├── gates/              # wakeAgent-style gate designs (condition-based triggers)
+│   ├── email-triage-wakegate.md  # Example: email triage poller gate
+│   └── .gitkeep
+├── scripts/            # Shell/Python scripts for no-agent polling jobs
+│   └── .gitkeep
+├── examples/           # Full worked examples combining gates + scripts + delivery
+│   └── .gitkeep
+└── notes/              # Implementation notes, gotchas, config snippets
+    └── .gitkeep
+```
+
+---
+
+## Getting Started
+
+Browse the `gates/` directory for condition-based trigger patterns. When adapting a pattern:
+
+1. Start with a **no-agent script** (cheapest) — just shell/Python collecting and filtering data
+2. Add a **wakeAgent gate** when conditional LLM reasoning is needed
+3. Chain via **context-from** to split complex pipelines into lean stages
+4. Use **silent delivery** on every poller — never deliver "nothing changed" ticks