Hermes Markdown Documentation

Welcome to Hermes Markdown, your privacy-first markdown editor built for prompt engineering. This guide covers everything from quick start basics to advanced features like slash commands and document templates.

Table of Contents

1. Quick Start
2. Slash Commands
3. Document Templates
4. Token & Quality Metrics
5. Editor Features
6. Table Editor
7. Zen Mode
8. Export & Import
9. Find & Replace
10. Timer
11. Keyboard Shortcuts
12. Offline & PWA
13. Privacy & Security
14. Markdown Syntax Guide

Quick Start

Get started with Hermes Markdown in three steps:

1. Create or import a file: Start with a blank file, select a template, or import an existing .md or .txt file.
2. Use slash commands: Type / in the editor to access 35+ prompt engineering templates. Start typing to filter commands.
3. Export your work: Save as PDF or Markdown, or use Copy Prompt to copy clean text without YAML frontmatter.

Access the editor from the Dashboard to begin writing.

Slash Commands

Slash commands are Hermes Markdown core feature for prompt engineering. Type / anywhere in the editor to open the command palette, then type to filter. Press Enter or click to insert the template at your cursor position.

Prompt Foundation

Build strong prompts from scratch:

• /structure - Scaffold a complete prompt layout (Role, Context, Task, Constraints, Output format)
• /success - Define what done means and how to judge it
• /plan - Outline steps, milestones, and verification
• /constraints - Scope, assumptions, exclusions, and uncertainty handling
• /inputs - Minimum context and required data sources
• /output - Specify format, length, tone, and required sections

Prompt Refinement

Polish and validate what you wrote:

• /verify - Checklist to catch common failures
• /examples - Add 1-3 examples when format or style matters
• /iterate - Ask clarifying questions or propose alternatives
• /critique - Highlight gaps, logic, and clarity issues

Content Transformation

Daily operations on existing content:

• /summarize - Condense content into short bullets
• /extract - Pull actionable items with owners
• /outline - Create a structured outline with headings
• /explain - Explain for a target audience with examples
• /rewrite - Adapt tone and audience while preserving meaning
• /fix - Improve grammar and clarity without changing meaning
• /translate - Translate while preserving key terms
• /compare - Side-by-side comparison by criteria

Content Generation

Create new content:

• /idea - Generate multiple ideas with constraints
• /steps - Break work into ordered steps
• /email - Draft an email with tone and subject
• /spec - Outline a concise product or feature spec
• /meeting - Summarize decisions, actions, and questions
• /todo - Convert content into actionable tasks

Technical

Developer-focused templates:

• /documentation - Write user or developer documentation
• /refactor - Refactor code or components safely
• /code - Generate code with language and style hints
• /unit-test - Write unit tests for a component
• /test - Generate test scenarios and expected results
• /sql - Draft SQL with tables and constraints
• /bug - Short bug report scaffold
• /issue - Research issue first, then generate a spec-first prompt

Specialized

Niche and advanced templates:

• /qa - Generate question and answer pairs
• /rubric - Build a criteria-based scoring rubric
• /generic - Quick structure for goals, constraints, and output

Document Templates

Full document templates provide complete prompt structures for complex tasks. Access them via the template picker (⌘/Ctrl + Shift + M) or from the sidebar.

General

• Generic Task - All-purpose task prompt structure
• Task Prompt Generator - Meta-template to generate other prompts

Architecture & Design

• System Contract - Define system behavior and boundaries
• Component Refactor - Plan component restructuring
• Database Schema - Design database structures

Testing & Security

• Security Red Team - Security review and vulnerability analysis
• Unit Test Suite - Comprehensive test planning

Analysis & Logic

• Balanced Decision - Pros/cons decision framework
• Step-by-Step Reasoning - Chain-of-thought prompting
• Structural Critique - Systematic content review
• Legacy Modernization - Plan codebase upgrades

Communication

• PR Description - Pull request documentation
• Release Notes - Version changelog formatting
• Post Mortem - Incident analysis and learnings
• Incident Update - Status communication during outages
• Stakeholder Brief - Executive summaries
• Status Update - Project progress reports
• Meeting Summary - Meeting notes with action items
• Decision Record - Document architectural decisions
• Roadmap Brief - Product direction overview
• Customer Update - External communication templates

Token & Quality Metrics

Hermes Markdown provides real-time metrics to help you optimize your prompts:

• Token Estimation: Approximate token count calculated as word count × 1.35. Useful for staying within LLM context limits.
• Reading Ease Score: Flesch-based clarity analysis. Higher scores indicate easier-to-read text. Aim for 60+ for general audiences.
• Word Count: Total words in your document, updated in real-time.

Copy Prompt

The Copy Prompt button copies your document content to the clipboard without the YAML frontmatter. This gives you clean prompt text ready to paste directly into any LLM interface.

Editor Features

• Live Markdown Preview: See rendered output as you type with side-by-side or tabbed view.
• Font Customization: Choose from multiple monospace fonts (JetBrains Mono, Fira Code, Source Code Pro, IBM Plex Mono, Roboto Mono, Cascadia Code).
• Theme Support: Light and dark themes that respect your system preference.
• Metadata Editing: Edit file name, title, description, and tags via the document properties dialog.
• Autosave: Your work is automatically saved to browser storage. Unsaved changes are indicated in the UI.
• Responsive Design: Full support for desktop and mobile with collapsible sidebar on smaller screens.

Table Editor

Create and edit markdown tables visually with the Table Editor. No need to write table syntax manually.

• Create New Tables: Start with a blank table and add rows/columns as needed.
• Edit Existing Tables: Import existing markdown tables and modify them visually.
• Add/Remove Rows & Columns: Dynamically adjust table structure with toolbar controls.
• Inline Cell Editing: Click any cell to edit its content directly.
• Automatic Markdown: Tables are formatted with proper markdown syntax automatically.

Access via the sidebar, mobile menu, or keyboard shortcut ⌘/Ctrl + Shift + T.

Zen Mode

Zen Mode provides a distraction-free writing environment. The editor is centered, UI elements are hidden, and you can focus entirely on your content.

Toggle Zen Mode using the floating button in the editor. Press Esc to exit.

Export & Import

Import Formats

• .md - Markdown files with full frontmatter preservation
• .txt - Plain text files

Export Formats

• PDF: Print-friendly export with clean styling. Use ⌘/Ctrl + Shift + E or the PDF icon.
• Markdown: Export as .md file with all metadata preserved. Use ⌘/Ctrl + Shift + Y.
• Copy Prompt: Copy clean prompt text without YAML frontmatter to clipboard.

YAML Frontmatter

Hermes Markdown preserves YAML frontmatter when importing and exporting markdown files. Frontmatter contains metadata like title, description, and tags:

---
title: My Prompt
description: A sample prompt
tags: [prompt, example]
---

Find & Replace

Quickly search your document using the floating FindBar (⌘/Ctrl + F). Navigate between matches with arrow buttons and use the replace functionality for advanced editing.

Timer

The built-in Timer helps you maintain focus with timed writing sessions.

• Start/Pause: Use the play/pause button to control your session.
• Reset: Restart the current interval from the beginning.
• Configure Duration: Open timer settings (gear icon) to set custom duration.
• Notifications & Sounds: Receive alerts when sessions end (requires browser permission).
• Minimize: Keep the timer running in compact mode while you write.

Access the timer from the main toolbar. On mobile, it appears at the bottom of the screen.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Offline & PWA

Hermes Markdown works fully offline after the initial page load.

• Local Storage: All documents are saved in your browser's local storage. No internet required for writing or editing.
• Progressive Web App: Install Hermes Markdown as a standalone app on your device. Look for the install prompt in your browser or use the "Add to Home Screen" option.
• No Account Required: Start writing immediately without sign-up or login.

Privacy & Security

Hermes Markdown is designed with privacy as a core principle:

• Local-Only Storage: All content stays in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to servers.
• No Data Collection: We don't collect personal information, usage statistics, or document content.
• No Tracking: No analytics, cookies, or third-party trackers.
• Open Source: The code is available on GitHub for full transparency.
• Works Offline: After initial load, no internet connection is needed.

For complete details, see our Privacy Policy.

Markdown Syntax Guide

Tip: When you select a link in the editor, a popup appears allowing you to open it directly.

For more details, see the Markdown Guide.