# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Agent ignoring web tool restrictions in prompts

## Open now

- 0 issues, 1 PR open on GitHub.
- PR #39905: fix(agent): respect permitted web retrieval guidance

These issues and fixes relate to an agent (Hermes) disregarding prompt-level instructions that restrict or prohibit use of web search and extraction tools. The work involves making system prompt guidance around permitted tools more explicit and reliably enforced.

## TL;DR

- 4 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 1 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 1 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #89924. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #89924 (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-89924`. 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.50`: 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

- #39797: \[Bug\]: Hermes ignores SOUL.md's instruction to not use web_search and web_extract

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#89924: fix(agent): prompt guidance no longer mandates web tools the session doesn't have (#39797, salvage #39905)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `agent/prompt_builder.py`, `agent/system_prompt.py`, `model_tools.py`, `tests/agent/test_phantom_tool_references.py`, `tests/tools/test_model_tools.py`, `tools/browser_cdp_tool.py`, `tools/browser_tool.py`, `website/docs/reference/tools-reference.md`
- **#39905: fix(agent): respect permitted web retrieval guidance**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `merged_via`; implication `superseded`; refs `#89924`
  - files: `agent/prompt_builder.py`, `model_tools.py`, `tests/agent/test_prompt_builder.py`, `tests/test_model_tools.py`, `tests/tools/test_browser_hardening.py`, `tools/browser_cdp_tool.py`, `tools/browser_tool.py`
- **#106548: fix(agent): gate execution-guidance tool lines on the session's toolset**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `41201bf2153`, `#130743`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #89924 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-09-15`.
- Subsystem: `agent`