Agent Personality Overview
This section summarizes the role of the 4 persona files on the realvco platform. The complete syntax, advanced examples, and best practices for SOUL / IDENTITY / USER / AGENTS defer to the engine upstream documentation:
- 📘 OpenClaw (used by Rose / Ada) → docs.openclaw.ai Persona / Setup section
- 📘 Hermes-Agent (used by Vi) → upstream GitHub documentation
This section’s goal: let you know these 4 files exist, what each handles, and how to edit them on realvco. Deeper learning at the upstream docs.
realvco uses four core configuration files to define an AI companion’s personality and behavior: SOUL.md, IDENTITY.md, USER.md, and AGENTS.md. These files shape how the AI understands itself and how it interacts with you.
The four persona files
SOUL.md — Core Personality
The AI's soul: self-understanding, mission, values
IDENTITY.md — Identity
The AI's business card: name, identity, style
USER.md — User Context
Who the AI is serving: your background and preferences
AGENTS.md — Operating Manual
Responsibilities, procedures, safety rules
How the files relate
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Configuration Hierarchy │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ SOUL.md │ ← Core: who am I? what is my mission? │
│ │ │ │
│ └──────┬──────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌──────▼──────┐ │
│ │ IDENTITY.md │ ← Card: basic identity │
│ │ │ │
│ └──────┬──────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌──────▼──────┐ │
│ │ USER.md │ ← Audience: who am I serving? │
│ │ │ │
│ └──────┬──────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌──────▼──────┐ │
│ │ AGENTS.md │ ← Manual: how, specifically, to act? │
│ │ │ │
│ └─────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Configuration tips
1. Iterate gradually
No need to write every file at once. Suggested order:
- IDENTITY.md first (simplest)
- SOUL.md next (defines the core)
- Add USER.md (so the AI knows you)
- Finally AGENTS.md (advanced rules)
2. Keep it short
Cap each file at about 100 lines. Longer configs:
- Burn more tokens
- Dilute the weight of what matters
- Make it harder for the AI to find the signal
3. Update periodically
With use you will notice:
- Which settings worked, which did not
- What new information is needed
- What can be cut
A monthly review is a good cadence.
Summary
| File | Purpose | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| SOUL.md | Core personality and mission | Most important |
| IDENTITY.md | Basic identity | Simple but required |
| USER.md | Describes the audience | Big fit improvement |
| AGENTS.md | Operating manual | Advanced configuration |
Remember: these files are how your AI companion learns both itself and you. Spend time on them — collaboration gets smoother after.