hermes

Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 11, 2026

This policy describes the private, single-user Gmail assistant called hermes, operated by the owner of melvinchen.com. The application is currently being configured and has not connected to Gmail. This page describes how it is designed to operate once the operator authorizes it.

Data and permissions

With the operator's Google consent, hermes requests only gmail.readonly and gmail.send. Read-only access permits the application to find and view Gmail messages and related information; send access permits it to send email on the operator's behalf. These permissions can cover sensitive mailbox data even though the intended workflow is narrower.

On a specific request, the assistant may retrieve message identifiers, sender and recipient addresses, dates, subjects, snippets, labels, and the body of a selected message. It processes recipient addresses, subjects, and draft bodies for proposed sends. It also holds the Google account identity and OAuth credentials needed for authorized access. The workflow is not configured to monitor mail in the background, change labels, delete messages, or reply automatically.

Why the data is used

Gmail information is used only to carry out the operator's visible request: search or read requested mail, answer a related question, prepare a draft, or send the exact draft after a fresh, explicit approval. The assistant does not sell Gmail information, use it for advertising, profile people for credit or lending, or use it for unrelated purposes.

The use and transfer of information obtained through Google Workspace APIs will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements, and the Google Workspace user data policy. This application will not use Google user data to develop, train, or improve a non-personalized AI or machine-learning model. Gmail access must remain disabled until the operator has verified that the configured AI service's settings and terms support this commitment.

Google: authenticates the account and provides the Gmail API; an approved sent message is delivered to its intended recipient.
AI processing: selected message content and the operator's request may be sent to the AI service configured for the Personal assistant to produce a requested answer or draft. As of this update, that service uses OpenAI Codex/ChatGPT. A provider change requires this policy to be reviewed before new Gmail data is processed.
Discord: requests, approval previews, answers, and any message excerpts the assistant returns may appear in the operator's Discord conversation and be subject to Discord's storage and access practices.
Hosting: the self-hosted Hermes server processes the request and stores operational records. Its hosting and infrastructure providers may process data as needed to operate the service.

These transfers are for the requested user-facing features, not for sale, advertising, or general-purpose model training. The operator must confirm the AI provider's model-training controls before using live Gmail data.

Storage, retention, and security

OAuth credentials are stored in files scoped to the Personal assistant with restrictive filesystem permissions. A send-attempt record may retain the account, recipient, draft digest, approval identifier, status, and Gmail message identifier, but not the draft body in that record. Retrieved message content and tool results may also remain in local Hermes session history and logs; a fixed automatic deletion period for that history is not currently in effect.

Content sent through Discord or the AI service can be retained under those providers' terms and settings. This policy does not promise that those copies are immediately deleted. The static pages on this site do not set cookies or load third-party scripts or images; the web host may keep ordinary access logs. File permissions alone are not encryption. Encryption at rest for OAuth credentials and any stored restricted Gmail data must be verified before live access; it has not yet been established for this integration.

Revocation, deletion, and changes

The operator can stop future Google API access by revoking this application's grant in Google Account settings. Revocation does not by itself erase Gmail messages, previously sent mail, local Hermes sessions, Discord messages, or data already processed by other providers. No documented, tested local deletion procedure or fixed deletion deadline is currently in place. The operator must establish and verify a way to remove the token and relevant local assistant records before processing live Gmail data. Copies already held by Discord, the AI provider, or backups may require separate action or may be subject to those services' retention rules.

Questions or deletion requests can be directed to the contact below; do not assume revoking access alone deletes previously processed data. If the way Gmail data is used or shared changes, this policy will be updated before the new use, and any additional Google consent required will be requested.

Contact