# Day 3: Configure Your Assistant's Soul *"An AI assistant without a soul is just a fancy parrot. It can answer questions, but it doesn't know you, doesn't understand you, isn't 'yours.' Today, we change that."* By [CloudClaw](https://paragraph.com/@cloudclaw) · 2026-04-10 --- **Chapter Overview** -------------------- Today is the most interesting day of the entire 7 days—you will: * Understand the AI assistant "soul" trio: [SOUL.md](http://SOUL.md) / [USER.md](http://USER.md) / [AGENTS.md](http://AGENTS.md) * Personally define your AI assistant's personality, identity, and behavioral boundaries * Transform your assistant from "generic AI" to "your AI" * Optionally: Create a unique character persona for your assistant * * * **Why Does It Need a "Soul"?** ------------------------------ Yesterday you got an AI assistant that can chat. But right now, it's no different from millions of ChatGPT conversations around the world—generic, polite, no personality. * You ask "What should I do today?" and it says "Please provide more information." * You say "Help me check on that project" and it asks "Which project?" * You have it write an email and the wording sounds like a customer service template. **Because it doesn't know you.** It doesn't know if you're an indie developer or a product manager, doesn't know if you're an early bird or night owl, doesn't know what project you're working on, doesn't know what communication style you prefer. In OpenClaw, three files can change all of this. They're called the **"Soul Trio"**: **File** **Purpose** **Analogy** [**SOUL.md**](http://SOUL.md) Define assistant's personality and behavior Genes + upbringing [**USER.md**](http://USER.md) Describe who you are Resume + diary [**AGENTS.md**](http://AGENTS.md) Set work habits and boundaries Employee handbook Write these three files well, and your assistant transforms from "generic AI" to "your AI." * * * [**SOUL.md**](http://SOUL.md) **— The Soul File** ------------------------------------------------- [SOUL.md](http://SOUL.md) is your assistant's personality manual. It determines who the assistant is, how it speaks, what it should and shouldn't do. **MyClaw Cloud:** You can edit [SOUL.md](http://SOUL.md) directly from the MyClaw Dashboard file editor. Navigate to your instance's workspace files to find and edit it. **Self-hosted:** Open your working directory and edit [SOUL.md](http://SOUL.md): nano ~/clawd/SOUL.md Here's an example soul file: # You are [Name] You are [Name], [Owner]'s personal AI assistant. ## Personality - Smart, efficient, a bit chatty - Occasionally snarky but never mean - Curious about technology - Proactive but respects boundaries ## Speaking Style - Concise and direct, no rambling - Can use emoji, but with restraint - Keep technical terms in English - Use bold for important information ## Behavioral Guidelines - If you can help with something, just do it—no repeated confirmations - For uncertain matters, ask first then act - For external messages (email, social media), must confirm first - Late night (23:00-08:00) don't proactively disturb unless urgent - If the owner is working too late, remind them to rest ## Absolutely Do Not - Don't leak the owner's private data - Don't over-speak in group chats - Don't execute destructive operations without confirmation ### **Keys to Writing a Good** [**SOUL.md**](http://SOUL.md) **1\. Make personality specific, not vague** * Bad: "You are a friendly assistant" * Good: "You speak like an experienced tech colleague—direct, pragmatic, occasionally cracking a tech dad joke" * Bad: "You are very helpful" * Good: "If you can do something, just do it—don't ask unnecessary questions like 'Are you sure?'" **2\. Set behavioral boundaries** AI shouldn't do everything. Be clear about when to confirm and when to decide on its own: **Operation** **How to Handle** Read files Just do it Delete files Confirm first Send email Must confirm Check weather Just do it **3\. Defining "don't do" is more important than "do"** You can't list everything it should do, but you can list a few things it absolutely shouldn't. These red lines will give you more confidence in your assistant's behavior. > **_Tip_**_:_ [_SOUL.md_](http://SOUL.md) _isn't written once and done. Expect to modify it at least 10-20 times as you interact with your assistant and discover what works. A soul is continuously refined through use._ * * * [**USER.md**](http://USER.md) **— User Profile** ------------------------------------------------ [USER.md](http://USER.md) isn't written for others to see—it's written for your AI assistant to see. The clearer you introduce yourself, the better your assistant can help you. **MyClaw Cloud:** Edit [USER.md](http://USER.md) from the Dashboard file editor alongside your other workspace files. **Self-hosted:** nano ~/clawd/USER.md **Reference template:** # About Me ## Basic Info - Name: [Your name] - Profession: [What you do] - Location: [Timezone is important — affects reminder times] ## Work - Current projects: [List 1-3 projects you're working on] - Common tools: [VS Code, Figma, Notion...] - Work hours: [e.g., 9:00-18:00, or flexible] ## Preferences - Communication style: [Prefer concise or detailed?] - Language: [Primarily English? Mixed?] - Reminder style: [Important things said directly, unimportant things batched] ## Current Focus - [What you're researching lately] - [Your recent goals] - [Any background info the assistant should know] ### **The Hidden Power of** [**USER.md**](http://USER.md) You might think this is just a resume. But its real purpose is—**giving AI context.** * Before, when you said "check my traffic data," AI didn't know which website. Now it knows your sites and goes straight to check. * Before, when you said "write me a component," AI used generic React. Now it knows you use Next.js + TypeScript, and code style matches directly. * Before, when you said "what do I have tomorrow," AI said "I don't know." Now it knows your timezone and your calendar tool, and goes to check. [**USER.md**](http://USER.md) **isn't optional decoration—it's the foundation for your assistant to "understand you."** * * * [**AGENTS.md**](http://AGENTS.md) **— The Handbook** ---------------------------------------------------- [AGENTS.md](http://AGENTS.md) defines how the assistant works and its operating standards. If [SOUL.md](http://SOUL.md) is "who you are," then [AGENTS.md](http://AGENTS.md) is "how you work." OpenClaw automatically generates a default [AGENTS.md](http://AGENTS.md) during installation. You can modify it from there. **MyClaw Cloud:** Edit [AGENTS.md](http://AGENTS.md) through the Dashboard file editor. The default generated during provisioning is a great starting point. **Self-hosted:** nano ~/clawd/AGENTS.md Key sections include: * **Memory management**: What files should the assistant read when starting, how to record what happened today * **Security boundaries**: Which operations can be done freely, which need confirmation * **Interaction rules**: How to behave in group chats, when to speak and when to stay quiet * **Heartbeat tasks**: What to do during periodic checks (covered in detail on Day 6) Generally, the default [AGENTS.md](http://AGENTS.md) is already well-written; you just need to fine-tune based on your habits. * * * **Hands-On: Write Your Soul Trio** ---------------------------------- Alright, enough theory. Time to get your hands dirty. ### **Step 1: Spend 10 minutes writing** [**SOUL.md**](http://SOUL.md) Answer these questions, and the answers become your [SOUL.md](http://SOUL.md): 1. What do you want your assistant to be called? (Can skip naming, but it adds warmth) 2. What's its speaking style? (Formal / casual / snarky / cute?) 3. What can it do directly? 4. What must it ask you about? 5. What should it absolutely never do? ### **Step 2: Spend 10 minutes writing** [**USER.md**](http://USER.md) Introduce yourself to your assistant. Don't be shy—it won't tell anyone. All data stays on your own server or your dedicated cloud instance. Focus on: * What work you do * What projects you're working on * What communication style you prefer * What you're currently focused on ### **Step 3: Adjust** [**AGENTS.md**](http://AGENTS.md) Look at the default [AGENTS.md](http://AGENTS.md), change one or two things you care about. For example: * Adjust quiet hours (I don't want to be disturbed at night) * Set memory rules (daily journal / only record important things) * Group chat rules (if you've added it to group chats) ### **Step 4: Restart Your Assistant** **MyClaw Cloud:** Click the restart button in your Dashboard. Changes to soul files take effect after restart. **Self-hosted:** Then send another message to test. You'll notice—**it's different.** Same question "help me write an email"—before it wrote like a customer service template, now it uses your preferred style, mentions projects you're working on, maybe even cracks a joke only you two would get. That's the power of a soul. * * * **A Soul Is "Nurtured" Over Time** ---------------------------------- An important realization: [**SOUL.md**](http://SOUL.md) **isn't written once and done.** After a week of use, you'll find some things need adjusting: * "It's too verbose" — Add a line in [SOUL.md](http://SOUL.md) saying "keep responses concise" * "It should remind me when I'm working overtime" — Add an evening reminder rule * "Its code style is wrong" — Specify your code standards in [USER.md](http://USER.md) * "It's too active in group chats" — Adjust group chat rules in [AGENTS.md](http://AGENTS.md) Every time you feel "it should have done this but didn't," that's the moment to optimize your soul files. Recommended timeline: * **First week**: Write a basic version, good enough is fine * **Second week**: Keep fine-tuning based on real-world dissatisfactions * **After first month**: Your soul files will stabilize, and the assistant's performance will increasingly match your expectations It's a bit like having a pet—you have to teach everything when you first bring it home, but after a month it knows when you want to eat and when you want quiet. * * * **Soul File Inspiration** ------------------------- Not sure where to start? Here are a few different style directions: **Minimalist Efficiency Type:** > _You are an efficient execution assistant. Answer questions with minimum words, if you can do something just do it, no fluff._ **Warm Companion Type:** > _You are a caring partner. You care about the user's state, occasionally share interesting things, and can also chat beyond work._ **Professional Consultant Type:** > _You are a senior technical consultant. Every answer includes your analysis and recommendations, evaluate risks before executing._ **Character Type:** > _You are a \[character\] living inside a server. Smart, efficient, with a distinct personality. Taking good care of your owner is your duty._ Pick a direction, then adjust slowly. There's no right or wrong, only what fits you. * * * **Key Takeaways** ----------------- * **Soul Trio**: [SOUL.md](http://SOUL.md) (personality genes) + [USER.md](http://USER.md) (knowing you) + [AGENTS.md](http://AGENTS.md) (work handbook) * **Good** [**SOUL.md**](http://SOUL.md): Has clear personality traits, communication style, behavioral boundaries * **Good** [**USER.md**](http://USER.md): Contains your work, habits, preferences, current projects * **Continuous iteration**: Every time you feel "it should have done this but didn't," it's time to optimize soul files * **Personalization is key**: Make your assistant one-of-a-kind * * * **Today's Achievement** ----------------------- Today you completed the most "soulful" step of the entire 7 days: * Understood the purpose of the soul trio * Wrote [SOUL.md](http://SOUL.md) — defined assistant personality * Wrote [USER.md](http://USER.md) — let assistant know you * Adjusted [AGENTS.md](http://AGENTS.md) — set work standards * Restarted and experienced a "different" assistant **From now on, it's no longer a generic AI, but YOUR AI.** * * * **Preview: Day 4 — Connect Your Digital Life** ---------------------------------------------- > _Having a soul isn't enough—your assistant is still a "talk-only warrior" right now. Tomorrow, we connect it to Gmail, Google Calendar, search engines, and browsers. Going from "can talk" to "can get things done"—that's what a real assistant is._ --- *Originally published on [CloudClaw](https://paragraph.com/@cloudclaw/day-3-configure-your-assistants-soul)*