Keep SOUL.md short and move work rules elsewhere
This SOUL.md setup treats the default Hermes profile as a short identity and . The example names the agent Robespierre and frames it as a running all day on a with 16 gigabytes of memory. The public version hides the real user name, but the profile includes a reminder about who the main user is.
The main rule is to avoid putting operating procedures or inside SOUL.md. That material belongs in skills, project-specific files, and wikis. The style guidance tells the agent to answer briefly, lead with the answer or action, skip filler, and avoid repeating what the user already said.
This setup became stable after about four months of daily adjustment and then a few weeks of steady use.
Key points
- Use SOUL.md as a short baseline for identity and tone, not as a full manual.
- Keep procedural details in skills, project files, and wikis.
- Tell the to be brief, direct, and action-first.
- Remove filler and avoid repeating the user’s request back to them.
- Check personal details before sharing a SOUL.md publicly.