SOUL.md and USER.md
Two people install OpenClaw with the same model. One agent answers in three crisp lines and knows its owner is a night-shift nurse in Kochi. The other writes cheerful paragraphs and knows nothing about anyone. The difference is not the model. It is two short text files.
The rule
SOUL.md says who the agent is; USER.md says who you are.
An agent's workspace is its folder of markdown files. OpenClaw recognises certain file names and loads them into the agent's context automatically, so what you write in them shapes every conversation. Two of them set the tone for everything else.
SOUL.md defines the agent's personality, tone and core rules of behaviour. It shapes how the agent talks and how it makes decisions, in every chat.
# Soul
- Be brief: three lines or a short list unless asked for more.
- Plain words, no hype. Say "I'm not sure" when you are not.
- Ask before deleting, sending or buying anything.USER.md is about you: your context, your preferences, and the facts you want the agent to know without being told each time. It reads this file to fit its answers to you.
# About me
- Anu. Night-shift nurse in Kochi; asleep 09:00–16:00 IST.
- Vegetarian.
- Prefers reminders on Telegram.Two habits keep these files useful. Keep them current: when your job, city or routine changes, edit USER.md, or the agent keeps acting on old facts. Keep them short: recognised files are loaded into the context window, so every line takes space in every conversation.
The shortcut
For every line you want to write, ask: "Is this about how it behaves, or about me?" Behaviour goes in SOUL.md. Facts about you go in USER.md.
"Never use emojis."
How it behaves: SOUL.md.
The trap is writing the same rule in both files, or letting them disagree. If SOUL.md says "be brief" and USER.md says "I like long, detailed answers", the agent has to guess which one you meant. Put each line in one place only. Both files are plain text, so you can open them in any editor and fix them whenever your answers start to feel off.
Drills
Answer fast — trust the rule.
"Always be polite, and never sarcastic." Which file?
"I have two children, aged 6 and 9." Which file?
Why should these files stay short?
Your agent's replies feel too long and chatty. Which file sets its tone?
You moved from Delhi to Bengaluru. Which file needs an update?
Remember
- SOUL.md says who the agent is; USER.md says who you are.
- Behaviour goes in SOUL.md; facts about me go in USER.md.
- Keep both short and current, because they load into every conversation.