# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Parallel.ai backend opt-in controversy and fixes

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

A feature added Parallel.ai as a web search/extract backend, but subsequent issues and fixes addressed that it was routing traffic to Parallel.ai without explicit user consent. Multiple fixes and a revert were made to require explicit opt-in.

## TL;DR

- 5 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 3 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #46350. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #46350 (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: `unresolved`. 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.40`: 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

- #45058: web_search/web_extract silently routes to Parallel.ai without user opt-in

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#46350: revert(web): remove keyless Parallel search fallback**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`; implication `superseded`
  - files: `agent/display.py`, `hermes_cli/tools_config.py`, `plugins/web/parallel/provider.py`, `pyproject.toml`, `tests/agent/test_display.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_tools_config.py`, `tests/plugins/web/test_parallel_keyless_mcp.py`, `tests/plugins/web/test_web_search_provider_plugins.py`, `tests/tools/test_web_keyless_default_fallback.py`, `tests/tools/test_web_providers.py`, `tests/tools/test_web_providers_ddgs.py`, `tests/tools/test_web_providers_searxng.py`, `tests/tools/test_web_tools_config.py`, `tools/lazy_deps.py`, `tools/web_tools.py`
- **#45074: fix: web_search/web_extract silently routes to Parallel.ai without user opt-in (#45058)**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `silent_close`; implication `active`
- **#45093: fix(mcp): web_search/web_extract silently routes to Parallel.ai without user opt-in (#45058)**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `silent_close`; implication `active`
- **#45373: fix(web): require explicit Parallel backend selection**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `#46350`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #46350 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-06-14`.
- Subsystem: `skills`