feat(cron): Cron Recipes — parameterized automation templates across every surface

A 'recipe' is a one-place definition of an automation that every surface
renders natively. The slot schema (cron/recipe_catalog.py) is the single
source of truth; four renderers consume it, and all paths end at the same
cron.jobs.create_job — no second job engine.

Form where there's a screen, conversation where there's a chat line:
- Dashboard / GUI app: a Recipes sub-tab on the Cron page renders each
  recipe's typed slots as a form (time-picker, enum dropdown, free-text);
  submit POSTs /api/cron/recipes/instantiate which fills + creates the job.
- CLI / TUI / messengers: /cron-recipe lists the catalog, shows a recipe's
  fields, or fills + creates from a pasted 'key slot=val' command. The shared
  handler (hermes_cli/cron_recipe_cmd.py) names any missing/invalid slot so
  the agent can ask a targeted follow-up.
- Docs: a generated Cron Recipes catalog page (website, .mdx + React cards)
  shows each recipe with a copy-paste command and a 'Send to App' button.
- Desktop: a hermes:// URL scheme (Electron single-instance lock +
  setAsDefaultProtocolClient + open-url/second-instance) routes
  hermes://cron-recipe/<key>?slot=val into the chat composer pre-filled.

Typed slots (time/enum/text/weekdays) with defaults: users never type raw
cron — recipes parameterize time-of-day and weekday sets and translate to
cron expressions; a free-text 'schedule' slot is the full-flexibility escape
hatch. Consent-first throughout: nothing schedules without an explicit submit
or send.

Core:
- cron/recipe_catalog.py — CronRecipe + RecipeSlot, 5 curated recipes,
  recipe_form_schema / recipe_slash_command / recipe_deeplink /
  recipe_catalog_entry renderers, fill_recipe (validate + translate to
  create_job kwargs).
- hermes_cli/cron_recipe_cmd.py — shared /cron-recipe handler (CLI + TUI +
  gateway never drift). CommandDef + dispatch in commands.py / cli.py /
  gateway/run.py.

Dashboard: GET /api/cron/recipes + POST /api/cron/recipes/instantiate
(web_server.py), CronRecipes.tsx gallery+form, Segmented sub-tab on CronPage,
api.ts methods + types.

Desktop: hermes:// scheme end to end (main.cjs deep-link router + ready-queue,
preload onDeepLink/signalDeepLinkReady, global.d.ts types, desktop-controller
composer prefill, electron-builder protocols key).

Docs: extract-cron-recipes.py generator wired into prebuild.mjs,
cron-recipes-catalog.mdx + CronRecipesCatalog React component, sidebar entry.
Generated index json gitignored like skills.json.

Tests: 23 core (catalog/slots/schedule-resolution/validation/renderers/command
handler/generator) + 5 web_server endpoint tests. E2E verified end to end:
slot fill -> create_job -> persisted job with correct schedule/deliver/origin.

apps/desktop/electron/main.cjs

@@ -6111,6 +6111,111 @@ ipcMain.handle('hermes:vscode-theme:fetch', async (_event, id) => fetchMarketpla
 // Search the Marketplace for color-theme extensions (empty query = top installs).
 ipcMain.handle('hermes:vscode-theme:search', async (_event, query) => searchMarketplaceThemes(String(query || ''), 20))
 
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// hermes:// deep links (e.g. hermes://cron-recipe/morning-brief?time=08:00).
+// A docs/dashboard "Send to App" button opens this URL; we route it into the
+// running app's chat composer. Three delivery paths: macOS 'open-url',
+// Win/Linux running-app 'second-instance' (argv), Win/Linux cold-start argv.
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+const HERMES_PROTOCOL = 'hermes'
+let _pendingDeepLink = null
+let _rendererReadyForDeepLink = false
+
+function _extractDeepLink(argv) {
+  if (!Array.isArray(argv)) return null
+  return argv.find((a) => typeof a === 'string' && a.startsWith(`${HERMES_PROTOCOL}://`)) || null
+}
+
+function handleDeepLink(url) {
+  if (!url || typeof url !== 'string') return
+  let parsed
+  try {
+    parsed = new URL(url)
+  } catch {
+    rememberLog(`[deeplink] ignoring malformed url: ${url}`)
+    return
+  }
+  // hermes://cron-recipe/<key>?slot=val  -> host="cron-recipe", path="/<key>"
+  const kind = parsed.hostname || ''
+  const name = decodeURIComponent((parsed.pathname || '').replace(/^\//, ''))
+  const params = {}
+  parsed.searchParams.forEach((v, k) => {
+    params[k] = v
+  })
+  const payload = { kind, name, params }
+
+  if (!_rendererReadyForDeepLink || !mainWindow || mainWindow.isDestroyed()) {
+    _pendingDeepLink = payload
+    return
+  }
+  try {
+    if (mainWindow.isMinimized()) mainWindow.restore()
+    mainWindow.focus()
+    mainWindow.webContents.send('hermes:deep-link', payload)
+    rememberLog(`[deeplink] delivered ${kind}/${name}`)
+  } catch (err) {
+    rememberLog(`[deeplink] delivery failed: ${err.message}`)
+  }
+}
+
+// Renderer calls this (via IPC) once it has mounted its deep-link listener, so
+// a link that arrived during boot/install is flushed exactly once.
+ipcMain.handle('hermes:deep-link-ready', () => {
+  _rendererReadyForDeepLink = true
+  if (_pendingDeepLink) {
+    const queued = _pendingDeepLink
+    _pendingDeepLink = null
+    handleDeepLink(
+      `${HERMES_PROTOCOL}://${queued.kind}/${encodeURIComponent(queued.name)}` +
+        (Object.keys(queued.params).length
+          ? '?' + new URLSearchParams(queued.params).toString()
+          : ''),
+    )
+  }
+  return { ok: true }
+})
+
+function registerDeepLinkProtocol() {
+  try {
+    if (process.defaultApp && process.argv.length >= 2) {
+      // Dev: register with the electron exec path + entry script so the OS can
+      // relaunch us with the URL.
+      app.setAsDefaultProtocolClient(HERMES_PROTOCOL, process.execPath, [
+        path.resolve(process.argv[1]),
+      ])
+    } else {
+      app.setAsDefaultProtocolClient(HERMES_PROTOCOL)
+    }
+  } catch (err) {
+    rememberLog(`[deeplink] protocol registration failed: ${err.message}`)
+  }
+}
+
+// Single-instance lock: deep links on a running app (Win/Linux) arrive as a
+// second-instance argv. Without the lock a second `hermes://` launch spawns a
+// whole new app instead of routing into the running one.
+const _gotSingleInstanceLock = app.requestSingleInstanceLock()
+if (!_gotSingleInstanceLock) {
+  app.quit()
+} else {
+  app.on('second-instance', (_event, argv) => {
+    const url = _extractDeepLink(argv)
+    if (url) handleDeepLink(url)
+    else if (mainWindow) {
+      if (mainWindow.isMinimized()) mainWindow.restore()
+      mainWindow.focus()
+    }
+  })
+}
+
+// macOS delivers deep links via 'open-url' — register early (can fire before
+// whenReady; handleDeepLink queues until the renderer is ready).
+app.on('open-url', (event, url) => {
+  event.preventDefault()
+  handleDeepLink(url)
+})
+
+
 app.whenReady().then(() => {
   if (IS_MAC) {
     Menu.setApplicationMenu(buildApplicationMenu())
@@ -6119,11 +6224,16 @@ app.whenReady().then(() => {
   }
   installMediaPermissions()
   registerMediaProtocol()
+  registerDeepLinkProtocol()
   ensureWslWindowsFonts()
   configureSpellChecker()
   registerPowerResumeListeners()
   createWindow()
 
+  // Win/Linux cold start: the launching hermes:// URL is in our own argv.
+  const _coldStartLink = _extractDeepLink(process.argv)
+  if (_coldStartLink) handleDeepLink(_coldStartLink)
+
   app.on('activate', () => {
     // Recreate the primary window if it's gone. Guard on mainWindow directly
     // (not just total window count) so a dock click still restores the main

apps/desktop/electron/preload.cjs

@@ -80,6 +80,12 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld('hermesDesktop', {
     ipcRenderer.on('hermes:open-updates', listener)
     return () => ipcRenderer.removeListener('hermes:open-updates', listener)
   },
+  onDeepLink: callback => {
+    const listener = (_event, payload) => callback(payload)
+    ipcRenderer.on('hermes:deep-link', listener)
+    return () => ipcRenderer.removeListener('hermes:deep-link', listener)
+  },
+  signalDeepLinkReady: () => ipcRenderer.invoke('hermes:deep-link-ready'),
   onWindowStateChanged: callback => {
     const listener = (_event, payload) => callback(payload)
     ipcRenderer.on('hermes:window-state-changed', listener)

apps/desktop/package.json

@@ -132,6 +132,14 @@
     "appId": "com.nousresearch.hermes",
     "productName": "Hermes",
     "executableName": "Hermes",
+    "protocols": [
+      {
+        "name": "Hermes Protocol",
+        "schemes": [
+          "hermes"
+        ]
+      }
+    ],
     "artifactName": "Hermes-${version}-${os}-${arch}.${ext}",
     "icon": "assets/icon",
     "directories": {

apps/desktop/src/app/desktop-controller.tsx

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { Pane, PaneMain } from '@/components/pane-shell'
 import { useMediaQuery } from '@/hooks/use-media-query'
 import { useSkinCommand } from '@/themes/use-skin-command'
 
+import { requestComposerFocus, requestComposerInsert } from './chat/composer/focus'
 import { formatRefValue } from '../components/assistant-ui/directive-text'
 import { getCronJobs, getSessionMessages, listAllProfileSessions, type SessionInfo, triggerCronJob } from '../hermes'
 import { preserveLocalAssistantErrors, toChatMessages } from '../lib/chat-messages'
@@ -266,6 +267,31 @@ export function DesktopController() {
     }
   }, [])
 
+  // hermes:// deep links (e.g. a docs "Send to App" button for a cron recipe).
+  // Build the equivalent /cron-recipe slash command from the payload and drop
+  // it into the composer — the user reviews/edits, then sends; the agent (or
+  // the shared command handler) creates the job. Signal readiness so a link
+  // that arrived during boot is flushed exactly once.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const unsubscribe = window.hermesDesktop?.onDeepLink?.((payload) => {
+      if (!payload || payload.kind !== 'cron-recipe' || !payload.name) {
+        return
+      }
+      const slots = Object.entries(payload.params || {})
+        .map(([k, v]) => {
+          const sval = /\s/.test(v) ? `"${v.replace(/"/g, '\\"')}"` : v
+          return `${k}=${sval}`
+        })
+        .join(' ')
+      const command = `/cron-recipe ${payload.name}${slots ? ' ' + slots : ''}`
+      requestComposerInsert(command, { mode: 'block', target: 'main' })
+      requestComposerFocus('main')
+    })
+    // Tell the main process the renderer is ready to receive deep links.
+    void window.hermesDesktop?.signalDeepLinkReady?.()
+    return () => unsubscribe?.()
+  }, [])
+
   useEffect(() => {
     const onKeyDown = (event: KeyboardEvent) => {
       if (!$filePreviewTarget.get() && !$previewTarget.get()) {

apps/desktop/src/global.d.ts

@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ declare global {
       }
       onClosePreviewRequested?: (callback: () => void) => () => void
       onOpenUpdatesRequested?: (callback: () => void) => () => void
+      onDeepLink?: (
+        callback: (payload: { kind: string; name: string; params: Record<string, string> }) => void,
+      ) => () => void
+      signalDeepLinkReady?: () => Promise<{ ok: boolean }>
       onWindowStateChanged?: (callback: (payload: HermesWindowState) => void) => () => void
       onPreviewFileChanged: (callback: (payload: HermesPreviewFileChanged) => void) => () => void
       onBackendExit: (callback: (payload: BackendExit) => void) => () => void