feat(skills): add phone-calls skill for outbound AI voice calls by mormio · Pull Request #965 · NousResearch/hermes-agent

mormio · 2026-03-11T17:00:13Z

What does this PR do?

Adds a phone-calls skill for making outbound phone calls via AI voice agents. This was originally submitted as a core tool in #847, but per reviewer feedback it's been reformulated as a skill — keeping the core lean while still giving users full phone calling capability on demand.

Two providers supported (user chooses during first-time setup):

Bland.ai (default): all-in-one, one API key, built-in voices
Vapi: flexible platform — plug in any voice provider (ElevenLabs, Deepgram, PlayHT) and telephony (Twilio, Vonage, Telnyx). Better voice quality, more setup.

Related Issue

Supersedes #847 (closed per feedback to reformulate as skill instead of core tool).

Type of Change

✨ New feature (non-breaking change that adds functionality)

Changes Made

skills/productivity/phone-calls/SKILL.md: full skill doc with procedure, safety rules, provider comparison, configuration, pitfalls
skills/productivity/phone-calls/scripts/phone_call.py: standalone CLI helper with call, status, and diagnose commands — uses only Python stdlib (no pip dependencies)

No core code changes. The skill teaches the agent to use the helper script via terminal/execute_code to make API calls to Bland.ai or Vapi.

How to Test

Quick test (Bland.ai):

Sign up at https://app.bland.ai (free, ~$2 trial credit)
Set BLAND_API_KEY in your env or ~/.hermes/config.yaml
Load the skill and ask the agent to make a call
Agent should confirm before dialing, make the call via the helper script, then report transcript

Script directly:

python3 skills/productivity/phone-calls/scripts/phone_call.py diagnose
python3 skills/productivity/phone-calls/scripts/phone_call.py call "+15551234567" "Ask what time they close"
python3 skills/productivity/phone-calls/scripts/phone_call.py status <call_id>

Checklist

Code

I've read the Contributing Guide
My commit messages follow Conventional Commits
I searched for existing PRs to make sure this isn't a duplicate
My PR contains only changes related to this feature
I've run tests — 166 pre-existing failures on main, no new failures from this PR (adds only 2 new files, no core changes)
I've tested on my platform: Ubuntu (Linux)

Documentation & Housekeeping

Skill is self-documenting (SKILL.md includes setup, usage, pitfalls)
No core code changes, no config changes needed
No pip dependencies — helper script uses only Python stdlib (urllib)
Follows existing skill patterns (see polymarket, openhue, etc.)

Reformulated from core tool (PR #847 feedback) into a skill with a standalone helper script. No new dependencies — uses only Python stdlib. Two providers supported: - Bland.ai (default): simple setup, one API key - Vapi: flexible, better voice quality via ElevenLabs/Deepgram + Twilio Includes: - SKILL.md with full procedure, safety rules, provider docs, pitfalls - scripts/phone_call.py CLI helper (call, status, diagnose commands)

Follow up on salvaged PR #965 by moving the capability into optional-skills and broadening it from outbound AI calling to a full telephony skill. Add Twilio number provisioning, env/state persistence, SMS/MMS, inbound SMS polling, Vapi import helpers, and a provider decision tree while keeping telephony out of core runtime code.

…alls (#1289) * feat: improve context compaction handoff summaries Adapt PR #916 onto current main by replacing the old context summary marker with a clearer handoff wrapper, updating the summarization prompt for resume-oriented summaries, and preserving the current call_llm-based compression path. * fix: clearer error when docker backend is unavailable * fix: preserve docker discovery in backend preflight Follow up on salvaged PR #940 by reusing find_docker() during the new availability check so non-PATH Docker Desktop installs still work. Add a regression test covering the resolved executable path. * test: make gateway async tests xdist-safe Replace sync test usage of asyncio.get_event_loop().run_until_complete() with asyncio.run() so tests do not depend on an ambient current event loop. Also create the email disconnect poll task inside a running loop. This fixes xdist/CI failures where workers have no current loop in MainThread. * feat(skills): add phone-calls skill for outbound AI voice calls Reformulated from core tool (PR #847 feedback) into a skill with a standalone helper script. No new dependencies — uses only Python stdlib. Two providers supported: - Bland.ai (default): simple setup, one API key - Vapi: flexible, better voice quality via ElevenLabs/Deepgram + Twilio Includes: - SKILL.md with full procedure, safety rules, provider docs, pitfalls - scripts/phone_call.py CLI helper (call, status, diagnose commands) * feat(skills): expand phone-calls into optional telephony skill Follow up on salvaged PR #965 by moving the capability into optional-skills and broadening it from outbound AI calling to a full telephony skill. Add Twilio number provisioning, env/state persistence, SMS/MMS, inbound SMS polling, Vapi import helpers, and a provider decision tree while keeping telephony out of core runtime code. * docs(skills): clarify Hermes TTS telephony workflow --------- Co-authored-by: aydnOktay <xaydinoktay@gmail.com> Co-authored-by: mormio <morganemoss@gmai.com>

teknium1 · 2026-03-14T11:16:50Z

Merged via PR #1289. I salvaged the outbound calling skill into an official optional telephony skill, expanded it to cover Twilio number provisioning/persistence, SMS/MMS, inbound SMS polling, Twilio direct calling, and Bland/Vapi AI call flows while keeping telephony out of core runtime code.

…alls (NousResearch#1289) * feat: improve context compaction handoff summaries Adapt PR NousResearch#916 onto current main by replacing the old context summary marker with a clearer handoff wrapper, updating the summarization prompt for resume-oriented summaries, and preserving the current call_llm-based compression path. * fix: clearer error when docker backend is unavailable * fix: preserve docker discovery in backend preflight Follow up on salvaged PR NousResearch#940 by reusing find_docker() during the new availability check so non-PATH Docker Desktop installs still work. Add a regression test covering the resolved executable path. * test: make gateway async tests xdist-safe Replace sync test usage of asyncio.get_event_loop().run_until_complete() with asyncio.run() so tests do not depend on an ambient current event loop. Also create the email disconnect poll task inside a running loop. This fixes xdist/CI failures where workers have no current loop in MainThread. * feat(skills): add phone-calls skill for outbound AI voice calls Reformulated from core tool (PR NousResearch#847 feedback) into a skill with a standalone helper script. No new dependencies — uses only Python stdlib. Two providers supported: - Bland.ai (default): simple setup, one API key - Vapi: flexible, better voice quality via ElevenLabs/Deepgram + Twilio Includes: - SKILL.md with full procedure, safety rules, provider docs, pitfalls - scripts/phone_call.py CLI helper (call, status, diagnose commands) * feat(skills): expand phone-calls into optional telephony skill Follow up on salvaged PR NousResearch#965 by moving the capability into optional-skills and broadening it from outbound AI calling to a full telephony skill. Add Twilio number provisioning, env/state persistence, SMS/MMS, inbound SMS polling, Vapi import helpers, and a provider decision tree while keeping telephony out of core runtime code. * docs(skills): clarify Hermes TTS telephony workflow --------- Co-authored-by: aydnOktay <xaydinoktay@gmail.com> Co-authored-by: mormio <morganemoss@gmai.com>

Follow up on salvaged PR NousResearch#965 by moving the capability into optional-skills and broadening it from outbound AI calling to a full telephony skill. Add Twilio number provisioning, env/state persistence, SMS/MMS, inbound SMS polling, Vapi import helpers, and a provider decision tree while keeping telephony out of core runtime code.

…alls (NousResearch#1289) * feat: improve context compaction handoff summaries Adapt PR NousResearch#916 onto current main by replacing the old context summary marker with a clearer handoff wrapper, updating the summarization prompt for resume-oriented summaries, and preserving the current call_llm-based compression path. * fix: clearer error when docker backend is unavailable * fix: preserve docker discovery in backend preflight Follow up on salvaged PR NousResearch#940 by reusing find_docker() during the new availability check so non-PATH Docker Desktop installs still work. Add a regression test covering the resolved executable path. * test: make gateway async tests xdist-safe Replace sync test usage of asyncio.get_event_loop().run_until_complete() with asyncio.run() so tests do not depend on an ambient current event loop. Also create the email disconnect poll task inside a running loop. This fixes xdist/CI failures where workers have no current loop in MainThread. * feat(skills): add phone-calls skill for outbound AI voice calls Reformulated from core tool (PR NousResearch#847 feedback) into a skill with a standalone helper script. No new dependencies — uses only Python stdlib. Two providers supported: - Bland.ai (default): simple setup, one API key - Vapi: flexible, better voice quality via ElevenLabs/Deepgram + Twilio Includes: - SKILL.md with full procedure, safety rules, provider docs, pitfalls - scripts/phone_call.py CLI helper (call, status, diagnose commands) * feat(skills): expand phone-calls into optional telephony skill Follow up on salvaged PR NousResearch#965 by moving the capability into optional-skills and broadening it from outbound AI calling to a full telephony skill. Add Twilio number provisioning, env/state persistence, SMS/MMS, inbound SMS polling, Vapi import helpers, and a provider decision tree while keeping telephony out of core runtime code. * docs(skills): clarify Hermes TTS telephony workflow --------- Co-authored-by: aydnOktay <xaydinoktay@gmail.com> Co-authored-by: mormio <morganemoss@gmai.com>

Follow up on salvaged PR NousResearch#965 by moving the capability into optional-skills and broadening it from outbound AI calling to a full telephony skill. Add Twilio number provisioning, env/state persistence, SMS/MMS, inbound SMS polling, Vapi import helpers, and a provider decision tree while keeping telephony out of core runtime code.

…alls (NousResearch#1289) * feat: improve context compaction handoff summaries Adapt PR NousResearch#916 onto current main by replacing the old context summary marker with a clearer handoff wrapper, updating the summarization prompt for resume-oriented summaries, and preserving the current call_llm-based compression path. * fix: clearer error when docker backend is unavailable * fix: preserve docker discovery in backend preflight Follow up on salvaged PR NousResearch#940 by reusing find_docker() during the new availability check so non-PATH Docker Desktop installs still work. Add a regression test covering the resolved executable path. * test: make gateway async tests xdist-safe Replace sync test usage of asyncio.get_event_loop().run_until_complete() with asyncio.run() so tests do not depend on an ambient current event loop. Also create the email disconnect poll task inside a running loop. This fixes xdist/CI failures where workers have no current loop in MainThread. * feat(skills): add phone-calls skill for outbound AI voice calls Reformulated from core tool (PR NousResearch#847 feedback) into a skill with a standalone helper script. No new dependencies — uses only Python stdlib. Two providers supported: - Bland.ai (default): simple setup, one API key - Vapi: flexible, better voice quality via ElevenLabs/Deepgram + Twilio Includes: - SKILL.md with full procedure, safety rules, provider docs, pitfalls - scripts/phone_call.py CLI helper (call, status, diagnose commands) * feat(skills): expand phone-calls into optional telephony skill Follow up on salvaged PR NousResearch#965 by moving the capability into optional-skills and broadening it from outbound AI calling to a full telephony skill. Add Twilio number provisioning, env/state persistence, SMS/MMS, inbound SMS polling, Vapi import helpers, and a provider decision tree while keeping telephony out of core runtime code. * docs(skills): clarify Hermes TTS telephony workflow --------- Co-authored-by: aydnOktay <xaydinoktay@gmail.com> Co-authored-by: mormio <morganemoss@gmai.com>

teknium1 mentioned this pull request Mar 14, 2026

feat(skills): add optional telephony skill with Twilio, SMS, and AI calls #1289

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teknium1 closed this Mar 14, 2026

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mormio commented Mar 11, 2026

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mormio commented Mar 11, 2026

What does this PR do?

Related Issue

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teknium1 commented Mar 14, 2026

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