Delegate → Agent works → Review
What happens after a user prepares a request?
BenAgent keeps the handoff explicit. Context is selected by the user, execution stays with the configured runtime, and the result returns to the local conversation.
- 01
Prepare the handoff
The user writes a request and can add selected Notes, Prompt Inventory entries, Clipboard History items, images, or bounded completed conversation context. BenAgent shows the prepared message before submission.
- 02
Check the connection boundary
BenAgent derives the endpoint from the selected Hermes or OpenClaw configuration and checks provider and sandbox-network readiness. A blocked request does not enter local conversation history as if execution had started.
- 03
Send one bounded request
BenAgent sends the prepared envelope directly to the configured endpoint. An optional provider-scoped gateway token is added only when the user saved one in macOS Keychain.
- 04
Let the runtime execute
Hermes or OpenClaw selects the model, reasons about the request, invokes allowed tools, reads files available to the runtime, and produces a reply or result.
- 05
Follow status without holding the terminal
BenAgent keeps request status, runtime activity, stop control, and returned content visible in Agent Hub or the desktop companion while the user continues other Mac work.
- 06
Keep the result and local continuity
BenAgent stores the completed local conversation, marks background replies unread when needed, and keeps supported text or image results connected to the request that produced them.
Ownership map
Who owns each part of the workflow?
The owner changes at each boundary. BenAgent does not inherit the runtime's model or tool capabilities merely because it can send a request to that runtime.
| Stage | Owner | What is owned | Main boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Context selection | User + BenAgent | Draft, selected notes, prompts, clipboard items, images, and bounded history | Nothing is sent until the user submits |
| Transport | BenAgent | Endpoint construction, optional gateway token, request envelope, readiness feedback | No BenAgent hosted prompt relay |
| Reasoning and tools | Hermes or OpenClaw | Model selection, tool loop, skills, files, sessions, network, and execution | Capabilities depend on runtime configuration |
| Model inference | Runtime's provider | Generation under the provider's account, policy, retention, and billing terms | BenAgent does not supply a hosted model |
| Local continuity | BenAgent | Completed local conversation records, bounded context, unread state, and result presentation | Provider session IDs are not the continuity source |
Data flow
What stays local, and what can leave the Mac?
BenAgent stores productivity records and completed conversation history locally. The content included in a submitted request goes to the configured endpoint and may cross a remote boundary.
Local until selected
Notes, Prompt Inventory, Clipboard History, and conversation records remain on the Mac until the user prepares and sends relevant context.
Submitted envelope
The current message, selected attachments, and bounded completed text can be sent directly to the configured runtime endpoint.
Runtime processing
A local runtime processes data on its host. A remote runtime or model provider can process submitted content outside the Mac.
Two return paths
How do replies and background results return?
A normal request/response and a background event use separate paths. Treating them as one transport hides who initiated the work.
| Path | Starts when | Returns through | BenAgent role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interactive reply | The user submits a BenAgent message | The configured Hermes or OpenClaw chat endpoint | Shows status, persists completed local continuity, and presents the reply |
| Background event | A compatible runtime finishes cron, hook, webhook, or plugin work | BenAgent's loopback-only local event listener | Queues and surfaces the accepted result; it does not run the schedule |
Security and privacy guardrails
Which controls stay explicit?
Provider-scoped credentials
Optional Hermes and OpenClaw gateway tokens are stored per provider in macOS Keychain and are sent only to the selected runtime.
Bounded local context
BenAgent sends a bounded portion of completed conversation text. Historical images remain metadata references rather than repeated image-byte uploads.
User-controlled runtime
The user is responsible for runtime permissions, tool access, endpoint exposure, model-provider terms, and the security of any remote transport.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about the BenAgent data flow
Does BenAgent run an AI model?
No. BenAgent sends a request to the Hermes or OpenClaw endpoint the user configures. The runtime and its model provider own model inference, tool use, file access, and execution.
What data can leave the Mac when a request is sent?
A submitted request can contain the current message, selected attachments, and a bounded portion of completed conversation text. BenAgent sends that envelope directly to the configured runtime endpoint.
Can BenAgent connect to a remote runtime?
Yes. A supported Hermes or OpenClaw endpoint can be local or intentionally remote. A remote endpoint changes the privacy and security boundary, so the user must control transport, authentication, runtime permissions, and logs.
Where does BenAgent conversation continuity come from?
BenAgent persists completed conversation records locally and sends bounded completed text with the next request. Provider-returned session IDs do not drive BenAgent continuity.
Who runs scheduled or background work?
The configured runtime runs scheduled or background work. When event delivery is configured, BenAgent can receive a supported cron, hook, webhook, or plugin result through its loopback-only local listener and show it on the Mac.
Continue with verified context
Choose the next source.
Ownership statements are checked against the current request contract, local stores, and shipped provider paths.