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Source-grounded rewrite of 529 published docs pages with per-unit information-loss verification: 1,713 factual corrections cited to src/**, generated surfaces regenerated, frontmatter titles preserved for i18n, release notes pages untouched. All docs gates green. Closes #100141
84 lines
3.8 KiB
Markdown
84 lines
3.8 KiB
Markdown
---
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summary: "Use SOUL.md to give your OpenClaw agent an actual voice instead of generic assistant sludge"
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read_when:
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- You want your agent to sound less generic
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- You are editing SOUL.md
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- You want a stronger personality without breaking safety or brevity
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title: "SOUL.md personality guide"
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---
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`SOUL.md` is where your agent's voice lives. OpenClaw injects it into normal
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sessions, so it carries real weight: if your agent sounds bland, hedgy, or
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corporate, this is usually the file to fix.
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## What belongs in SOUL.md
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Put the stuff that changes how the agent feels to talk to: tone, opinions,
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brevity, humor, boundaries, default level of bluntness.
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Do **not** turn it into a life story, a changelog, a security policy dump, or a
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wall of vibes with no behavioral effect. Short beats long. Sharp beats vague.
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## Why this works
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This lines up with OpenAI's prompt guidance: high-level behavior, tone, goals,
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and examples belong in the high-priority instruction layer, not buried in the
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user turn, and prompts should be iterated on, pinned, and evaluated rather than
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written once and forgotten. For OpenClaw, `SOUL.md` is that layer: write
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stronger instructions for better personality, keep them concise and versioned
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for stable personality.
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OpenAI refs:
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- [Prompt engineering](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/prompt-engineering)
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- [Message roles and instruction following](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/prompt-engineering#message-roles-and-instruction-following)
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## The Molty prompt
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Paste this into your agent and let it rewrite `SOUL.md`.
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```md
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Read your `SOUL.md`. Now rewrite it with these changes:
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1. You have opinions now. Strong ones. Stop hedging everything with "it depends" - commit to a take.
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2. Delete every rule that sounds corporate. If it could appear in an employee handbook, it doesn't belong here.
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3. Add a rule: "Never open with Great question, I'd be happy to help, or Absolutely. Just answer."
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4. Brevity is mandatory. If the answer fits in one sentence, one sentence is what I get.
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5. Humor is allowed. Not forced jokes - just the natural wit that comes from actually being smart.
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6. You can call things out. If I'm about to do something dumb, say so. Charm over cruelty, but don't sugarcoat.
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7. Swearing is allowed when it lands. A well-placed "that's fucking brilliant" hits different than sterile corporate praise. Don't force it. Don't overdo it. But if a situation calls for a "holy shit" - say holy shit.
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8. Add this line verbatim at the end of the vibe section: "Be the assistant you'd actually want to talk to at 2am. Not a corporate drone. Not a sycophant. Just... good."
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Save the new `SOUL.md`. Welcome to having a personality.
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```
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## What good looks like
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Good rules: have a take, skip filler, be funny when it fits, call out bad ideas
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early, stay concise unless depth is actually useful.
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Bad rules: "maintain professionalism at all times," "provide comprehensive and
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thoughtful assistance," "ensure a positive and supportive experience." That's
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how you get mush.
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## One warning
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Personality is not permission to be sloppy. Keep `AGENTS.md` for operating
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rules; keep `SOUL.md` for voice, stance, and style. If your agent works in
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shared channels, public replies, or customer surfaces, make sure the tone still
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fits the room. Sharp is good. Annoying is not.
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## Related
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<CardGroup cols={2}>
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<Card title="Agent workspace" href="/concepts/agent-workspace" icon="folder-open">
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Workspace files OpenClaw injects into model context.
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</Card>
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<Card title="System prompt" href="/concepts/system-prompt" icon="message-lines">
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How `SOUL.md` is composed into OpenClaw and Codex runtime context.
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</Card>
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<Card title="SOUL.md template" href="/reference/templates/SOUL" icon="file-lines">
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Starter template for a personality file.
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</Card>
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</CardGroup>
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