> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hermesvoice.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Matching Modes

> How Hermes matches your speech to trigger phrases.

## Three matching modes

When you create a trigger, you choose how the phrase should be matched:

| Mode         | Matches when...                     | Best for                     |
| ------------ | ----------------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| **Prefix**   | Speech *starts with* the phrase     | Commands with variable input |
| **Exact**    | Speech *is exactly* the phrase      | Single-action commands       |
| **Contains** | Phrase appears *anywhere* in speech | Flexible matching            |

***

## Prefix match

The most common mode. The trigger activates when your speech starts with the trigger phrase. Everything after the phrase becomes the "remainder" — available for use in your action.

### Example

```
Trigger phrase: "search google for"
Matching mode:  Prefix

Speech: "search google for best coffee nearby"
         └── phrase ──┘ └─── remainder ───┘

✅ Match! Remainder = "best coffee nearby"
```

### Use cases

* **Web search**: "search google for \[query]"
* **App launch**: "open \[app name]"
* **AI prompts**: "ask hermes \[question]"

### The remainder

In prefix mode, the text after your trigger phrase is captured as the `{remainder}` variable. Use it in your action configuration:

* Web search: The remainder becomes the search query
* AI calls: The remainder becomes part of your prompt
* Text expansion: The remainder can be inserted in templates

***

## Exact match

The trigger only activates when your speech is exactly the trigger phrase — nothing more, nothing less.

### Example

```
Trigger phrase: "window left"
Matching mode:  Exact

Speech: "window left"
✅ Match!

Speech: "window left please"
❌ No match (extra words)

Speech: "move window left"
❌ No match (extra words at start)
```

### Use cases

* **Window layouts**: "maximize", "fullscreen"
* **Single actions**: "paste", "undo"
* **Precise commands**: "lock screen"

### When to use exact

Use exact matching when:

* You don't need any variable input
* You want to avoid accidental triggers
* The action is a single, specific command

***

## Contains match

The trigger activates when the phrase appears anywhere in your speech.

### Example

```
Trigger phrase: "reminder"
Matching mode:  Contains

Speech: "set a reminder for tomorrow"
✅ Match!

Speech: "reminder to call mom"
✅ Match!

Speech: "don't forget the reminder"
✅ Match!
```

### Use cases

* **Keyword detection**: Trigger on specific words regardless of context
* **Natural speech**: Allow more conversational phrasing
* **Flexible matching**: When exact position doesn't matter

### Caution

Contains mode can trigger unexpectedly if your phrase is a common word. Use distinctive phrases.

***

## How matching works

Hermes uses a smart matching system with multiple fallback levels:

### 1. Exact match

First, Hermes checks if your normalized speech exactly matches a trigger phrase.

### 2. Smart matching

Handles minor variations:

* Plurals: "windows" matches "window"
* Compound words: "screenshot" matches "screen shot"

### 3. Fuzzy matching

Allows small errors (typos or misheard words):

* Maximum 2 character difference
* First character must match
* Short phrases (under 5 characters) allow only 1 difference

### 4. Phonetic matching

Matches words that sound alike:

* "write" matches "right"
* "there" matches "their"

### Normalization

Before matching, Hermes normalizes your speech:

* Converts to lowercase
* Removes punctuation
* Collapses multiple spaces
* Replaces hyphens with spaces

This means "Window-Left!" matches "window left".

***

## Choosing the right mode

| Scenario                  | Recommended Mode |
| ------------------------- | ---------------- |
| Search with a query       | Prefix           |
| Open app by name          | Prefix           |
| Snap window to position   | Exact            |
| Toggle a setting          | Exact            |
| Detect a keyword anywhere | Contains         |
| Natural language command  | Contains         |

***

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Creating triggers" icon="plus" href="/triggers/creating-triggers">
    Step-by-step trigger creation.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Variables" icon="code" href="/triggers/variables">
    Use remainder and other variables.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>