feat: cron agents can suppress delivery with [SILENT] response (NousResearch#1833)

feat: cron agents can suppress delivery with [SILENT] response

Author: teknium1

cron/scheduler.py

@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@
 
 from cron.jobs import get_due_jobs, mark_job_run, save_job_output
 
+# Sentinel: when a cron agent has nothing new to report, it can start its
+# response with this marker to suppress delivery.  Output is still saved
+# locally for audit.
+SILENT_MARKER = "[SILENT]"
+
 # Resolve Hermes home directory (respects HERMES_HOME override)
 _hermes_home = Path(os.getenv("HERMES_HOME", Path.home() / ".hermes"))
 
@@ -180,6 +185,17 @@ def _build_job_prompt(job: dict) -> str:
     """Build the effective prompt for a cron job, optionally loading one or more skills first."""
     prompt = job.get("prompt", "")
     skills = job.get("skills")
+
+    # Always prepend [SILENT] guidance so the cron agent can suppress
+    # delivery when it has nothing new or noteworthy to report.
+    silent_hint = (
+        "[SYSTEM: If you have nothing new or noteworthy to report, respond "
+        "with exactly \"[SILENT]\" (optionally followed by a brief internal "
+        "note). This suppresses delivery to the user while still saving "
+        "output locally. Only use [SILENT] when there are genuinely no "
+        "changes worth reporting.]\n\n"
+    )
+    prompt = silent_hint + prompt
     if skills is None:
         legacy = job.get("skill")
         skills = [legacy] if legacy else []
@@ -480,9 +496,16 @@ def tick(verbose: bool = True) -> int:
                 if verbose:
                     logger.info("Output saved to: %s", output_file)
 
-                # Deliver the final response to the origin/target chat
+                # Deliver the final response to the origin/target chat.
+                # If the agent responded with [SILENT], skip delivery (but
+                # output is already saved above).  Failed jobs always deliver.
                 deliver_content = final_response if success else f"⚠️ Cron job '{job.get('name', job['id'])}' failed:\n{error}"
-                if deliver_content:
+                should_deliver = bool(deliver_content)
+                if should_deliver and success and deliver_content.strip().upper().startswith(SILENT_MARKER):
+                    logger.info("Job '%s': agent returned %s — skipping delivery", job["id"], SILENT_MARKER)
+                    should_deliver = False
+
+                if should_deliver:
                     try:
                         _deliver_result(job, deliver_content)
                     except Exception as de:

hermes_cli/commands.py

@@ -104,6 +104,9 @@ class CommandDef:
                subcommands=("list", "add", "create", "edit", "pause", "resume", "run", "remove")),
     CommandDef("reload-mcp", "Reload MCP servers from config", "Tools & Skills",
                aliases=("reload_mcp",)),
+    CommandDef("browser", "Connect browser tools to your live Chrome via CDP", "Tools & Skills",
+               cli_only=True, args_hint="[connect|disconnect|status]",
+               subcommands=("connect", "disconnect", "status")),
     CommandDef("plugins", "List installed plugins and their status",
                "Tools & Skills", cli_only=True),
 

tests/cron/test_scheduler.py

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-from cron.scheduler import _resolve_origin, _resolve_delivery_target, _deliver_result, run_job
+from cron.scheduler import _resolve_origin, _resolve_delivery_target, _deliver_result, run_job, SILENT_MARKER
 
 
 class TestResolveOrigin:
@@ -449,3 +449,97 @@ def _skill_view(name):
         assert "Instructions for blogwatcher." in prompt_arg
         assert "Instructions for find-nearby." in prompt_arg
         assert "Combine the results." in prompt_arg
+
+
+class TestSilentDelivery:
+    """Verify that [SILENT] responses suppress delivery while still saving output."""
+
+    def _make_job(self):
+        return {
+            "id": "monitor-job",
+            "name": "monitor",
+            "deliver": "origin",
+            "origin": {"platform": "telegram", "chat_id": "123"},
+        }
+
+    def test_normal_response_delivers(self):
+        with patch("cron.scheduler.get_due_jobs", return_value=[self._make_job()]), \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.run_job", return_value=(True, "# output", "Results here", None)), \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.save_job_output", return_value="/tmp/out.md"), \
+             patch("cron.scheduler._deliver_result") as deliver_mock, \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.mark_job_run"):
+            from cron.scheduler import tick
+            tick(verbose=False)
+        deliver_mock.assert_called_once()
+
+    def test_silent_response_suppresses_delivery(self, caplog):
+        with patch("cron.scheduler.get_due_jobs", return_value=[self._make_job()]), \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.run_job", return_value=(True, "# output", "[SILENT]", None)), \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.save_job_output", return_value="/tmp/out.md"), \
+             patch("cron.scheduler._deliver_result") as deliver_mock, \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.mark_job_run"):
+            from cron.scheduler import tick
+            with caplog.at_level(logging.INFO, logger="cron.scheduler"):
+                tick(verbose=False)
+        deliver_mock.assert_not_called()
+        assert any(SILENT_MARKER in r.message for r in caplog.records)
+
+    def test_silent_with_note_suppresses_delivery(self):
+        with patch("cron.scheduler.get_due_jobs", return_value=[self._make_job()]), \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.run_job", return_value=(True, "# output", "[SILENT] No changes detected", None)), \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.save_job_output", return_value="/tmp/out.md"), \
+             patch("cron.scheduler._deliver_result") as deliver_mock, \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.mark_job_run"):
+            from cron.scheduler import tick
+            tick(verbose=False)
+        deliver_mock.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_silent_is_case_insensitive(self):
+        with patch("cron.scheduler.get_due_jobs", return_value=[self._make_job()]), \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.run_job", return_value=(True, "# output", "[silent] nothing new", None)), \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.save_job_output", return_value="/tmp/out.md"), \
+             patch("cron.scheduler._deliver_result") as deliver_mock, \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.mark_job_run"):
+            from cron.scheduler import tick
+            tick(verbose=False)
+        deliver_mock.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_failed_job_always_delivers(self):
+        """Failed jobs deliver regardless of [SILENT] in output."""
+        with patch("cron.scheduler.get_due_jobs", return_value=[self._make_job()]), \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.run_job", return_value=(False, "# output", "", "some error")), \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.save_job_output", return_value="/tmp/out.md"), \
+             patch("cron.scheduler._deliver_result") as deliver_mock, \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.mark_job_run"):
+            from cron.scheduler import tick
+            tick(verbose=False)
+        deliver_mock.assert_called_once()
+
+    def test_output_saved_even_when_delivery_suppressed(self):
+        with patch("cron.scheduler.get_due_jobs", return_value=[self._make_job()]), \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.run_job", return_value=(True, "# full output", "[SILENT]", None)), \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.save_job_output") as save_mock, \
+             patch("cron.scheduler._deliver_result") as deliver_mock, \
+             patch("cron.scheduler.mark_job_run"):
+            save_mock.return_value = "/tmp/out.md"
+            from cron.scheduler import tick
+            tick(verbose=False)
+        save_mock.assert_called_once_with("monitor-job", "# full output")
+        deliver_mock.assert_not_called()
+
+
+class TestBuildJobPromptSilentHint:
+    """Verify _build_job_prompt always injects [SILENT] guidance."""
+
+    def test_hint_always_present(self):
+        from cron.scheduler import _build_job_prompt
+        job = {"prompt": "Check for updates"}
+        result = _build_job_prompt(job)
+        assert "[SILENT]" in result
+        assert "Check for updates" in result
+
+    def test_hint_present_even_without_prompt(self):
+        from cron.scheduler import _build_job_prompt
+        job = {"prompt": ""}
+        result = _build_job_prompt(job)
+        assert "[SILENT]" in result