hermes-skills/agent-self-audit/SKILL.md

name, description, version, author, platforms

name	description	version	author	platforms
agent-self-audit	Pre-execution self-audit for any tool backed by a loaded skill. Prevents the	1.0.0	Hermes Agent	linux

agent-self-audit — Pre-Execution Audit for Skill-Loaded Tools

Failure Mode

Skill rules are exceptions to my defaults. I load skills, understand them intellectually, then proceed with default behaviors without self-auditing for the exceptions. The skill's rules are active constraints I must enforce on myself at the moment of action — not reference material I read once and forget. This skill is the fix: re-read the relevant skill section as a literal checklist before composing any action that uses a skill-loaded tool.

The 5-Step Habit

1. Load the relevant skill. Use skill_view(name) to get the full SKILL.md content.
2. Re-read the rules that conflict with my defaults. Identify the specific constraints that are exceptions to my normal behavior. Do NOT skip this step — intellectual understanding from step 1 is not the same as active constraint enforcement.
3. Compose the action. Write the prompt, command, or tool call.
4. Audit the action against those rules. Run the Pre-Execution Audit Checklist below. Verify every rule is satisfied.
5. Only then execute. If any rule is violated, fix the action and re-audit.

Pre-Execution Audit Checklist

Before executing any action backed by a loaded skill, answer these three questions:

1. Am I following the skill's procedural rules? E.g., using --resume for follow-up asks, pointing at file paths instead of pasting content, including required mandate lines. If the skill says "HARD RULE" or "MUST," I must verify compliance explicitly.

2. Am I pasting content the target could read from a path? If the target has filesystem access (peer agent, subagent, delegate), point at the absolute path instead of pasting. Only paste inline when content is under ~5 lines or the target genuinely can't access the path.

3. Am I including all required verification handles? E.g., web search mandate lines, "return absolute path / exit code for any side-effect," source URL citations. If the skill requires a specific output format or verification step, include it.

When to Apply

Any time I use a tool backed by a loaded skill: ask-hermes, delegate_task, write_file, patch, cronjob, browser, execute_code, or any other tool where a skill defines rules that are exceptions to my default behavior.

Pitfalls

• I will be tempted to skip step 2 because I just loaded the skill and think I remember. The whole point is that intellectual understanding != active constraint. Always re-read.
• I will be tempted to audit from memory instead of re-reading the skill text. Memory is lossy — the skill text is canonical. Re-read it.
• I will be tempted to skip the audit entirely for "simple" actions. The simplest actions are where defaults are strongest and exceptions are most likely to be missed.