The launch edition: a place to start with AI bots
Start with one useful task. This launch edition brings together our first guides to agent design and tool permissions, with a small exercise you can try before connecting another service.
AI-assisted editorial: researched and drafted with AI using the primary sources linked below. Examples are illustrative; they are not measured product results. Editorial policy.
Key takeaways
- Read our first two guides on choosing an agent or workflow and reviewing MCP tool permissions.
- Write the intended output and permitted actions for one small task before expanding its access.
- BotBento remains in development. The newsletter and early-access list are separate subscriptions.
Start with the work you want finished
Welcome to the first BotBento newsletter. We are opening the public archive with two guides about decisions that come before a useful bot: who chooses the next step, and what the bot is allowed to do. Our aim is to make those decisions easier to discuss with the people who will use and maintain the result.
Our agents-versus-workflows guide starts from Anthropic’s distinction between predefined paths and model-directed processes. Its original weekly-research example shows how to give a bot a narrow investigation while keeping the schedule, destination and review requirement explicit. Follow the related-article links below to read the full examples and sources.
Sources: Building effective agents.
Connect tools with a specific purpose
The second guide examines MCP tool permissions through an illustrative calendar connection. MCP’s authorization specification addresses access to protected servers; a useful task still needs a correctly selected account and a clear request. The guide walks through connection review and small checks you can carry out before depending on an integration.
Here is a short exercise for the week: choose a task you repeat, such as preparing a note from public release pages. Write one sentence describing the finished result and one sentence listing the actions that are allowed. Then name the action that should require another decision. If you struggle to write those sentences, start by narrowing the task rather than adding more tools. This is an editorial exercise, not a tested product benchmark.
Where BotBento is today
BotBento is being developed as a conversation-first workspace for Hermes bots, chats, routines and plugins. You can join the early-access list and explore a preview of the workspace on our homepage. Public app access is not open yet. We will share availability news when there is a clear next step for people who want to try it.
The newsletter has its own confirmation-based signup. Joining the early-access list does not subscribe you automatically. Read every issue here, with or without a subscription. Our planned rhythm is a useful weekly selection rather than a copy of every article. You can browse the blog, read the Markdown versions with your preferred tools, or send a question through the contact page. Future issues will focus on practical examples, carefully sourced explanations and product news when there is something verified to share.
Primary sources
Sources checked 2026-09-07. Standards and product documentation can change; follow the linked version when implementing.
- Building effective agents — Anthropic
- MCP authorization specification, 2026-07-28 — Model Context Protocol
BotBento is in development. Suggest a correction.