# NousResearch/hermes-agent · search_files fails inside hidden directory paths

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

A bug where content search returns no results when the target path contains hidden directories (e.g. dotfolders). Multiple fix attempts address the grep --exclude-dir behavior in these cases.

## TL;DR

- 7 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 5 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #115349. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #115349 (and any competing PRs below) before filing. Confirm the merged change covers your symptom.

## Maintainer resolution verdict

- Internal-tracker verdict over this cluster's issue members: `resolved` · deciding PR(s): `pr-115349`. This is distinct from the fix status above. Weigh it yourself.

## How this cluster was grouped

- Link evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.
- Pairwise link density `0.29`: the share of member pairs that carry a link, counting a structural link in full and a relevance-only link at 0.36. `1.00` means every pair is linked.

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #18473: \[Bug\]: search_files target='content' returns 0 results when search path contains hidden directories (e.g. ~/.hermes/)

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#18589: fix(file-ops): allow grep content search in hidden roots (#18473)**. closed without merge · fix tier `suggested`
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `#18487`
  - _suggested-tier fix detail withheld; re-request with `?tier=all` to include it._
- **#115349: search_files grep fallback finds content under hidden directories (#18473, supersedes #34017 #48878)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`; implication `superseded`
  - files: `tests/tools/test_search_hidden_dirs.py`, `tools/file_operations_search.py`
- **#18487: fix(tools): skip --exclude-dir when search path contains hidden directories**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `stale_abandoned`; implication `active`
- **#18645: fix: allow search_files to work inside hidden directory paths**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`
- **#34017: fix(tools): grep content search returns nothing under a hidden root (#18473)**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `#115349`
- **#48878: fix: grep fallback in search_files — enable ERE and skip --exclude-dir on hidden roots**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `#115349`, `#18473`, `#34017`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #115349 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-09-18`.
- Subsystem: `agent`