# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Backend capability check in web auto-detect

## Open now

- 1 issue, 2 PRs open on GitHub.
- #98618: \[Bug\]: _is_backend_available() ignores capability — search-only backends report available for extract
- PR #98623: fix(tools): skip capability-incapable backends in web auto-detect
- PR #98686: fix(web): _is_backend_available checks capability — ddgs not used for extract

These issues and PRs concern a bug where \`_is_backend_available()\` does not account for backend capabilities, causing search-only backends to incorrectly report as available for extract operations. Fixes involve skipping capability-incompatible backends during web auto-detection.

## TL;DR

- 3 member(s): 1 open issue(s), 0 closed issue(s), 2 open PR(s), 0 merged PR(s), 0 PR(s) closed without merging.
- No fix has been merged to main; one or more PRs were attempted (see below).
- **Recommended:** review the prior/competing PR(s) below. A fix was attempted but not merged; your case may extend or revive that work.

## 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.67`: 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.

## Open related issues

- #98618: \[Bug\]: _is_backend_available() ignores capability — search-only backends report available for extract

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#98623: fix(tools): skip capability-incapable backends in web auto-detect**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `wontfix_bydesign`; implication `wontfix`
  - files: `tests/tools/test_web_tools_config.py`, `tools/web_tools.py`
- **#98686: fix(web): _is_backend_available checks capability — ddgs not used for extract**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `duplicate_of`; implication `duplicate`; refs `#98623`, `#98618`
  - files: `.github/workflows/ci.yaml`, `agent/model_metadata.py`, `gateway/platforms/base.py`, `plugins/platforms/telegram/adapter.py`, `tools/web_tools.py`

## Fix status

- No merged fix on record.
- Subsystem: `agent`