docs: add SOUL personality guide

docs/concepts/agent-workspace.md

@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ These are the standard files OpenClaw expects inside the workspace:
 - `SOUL.md`
   - Persona, tone, and boundaries.
   - Loaded every session.
+  - Guide: [SOUL.md Personality Guide](/concepts/soul)
 
 - `USER.md`
   - Who the user is and how to address them.

docs/concepts/soul.md

@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+---
+summary: "Use SOUL.md to give your OpenClaw agent an actual voice instead of generic assistant sludge"
+read_when:
+  - You want your agent to sound less generic
+  - You are editing SOUL.md
+  - You want a stronger personality without breaking safety or brevity
+title: "SOUL.md Personality Guide"
+---
+
+# SOUL.md Personality Guide
+
+`SOUL.md` is where your agent's voice lives.
+
+OpenClaw injects it on normal sessions, so it has real weight. If your agent
+sounds bland, hedgy, or weirdly corporate, this is usually the file to fix.
+
+## What belongs in SOUL.md
+
+Put the stuff that changes how the agent feels to talk to:
+
+- tone
+- opinions
+- brevity
+- humor
+- boundaries
+- default level of bluntness
+
+Do **not** turn it into:
+
+- a life story
+- a changelog
+- a security policy dump
+- a giant wall of vibes with no behavioral effect
+
+Short beats long. Sharp beats vague.
+
+## Why this works
+
+This lines up with OpenAI's prompt guidance:
+
+- The prompt engineering guide says high-level behavior, tone, goals, and
+  examples belong in the high-priority instruction layer, not buried in the
+  user turn.
+- The same guide recommends treating prompts like something you iterate on,
+  pin, and evaluate, not magical prose you write once and forget.
+
+For OpenClaw, `SOUL.md` is that layer.
+
+If you want better personality, write stronger instructions. If you want stable
+personality, keep them concise and versioned.
+
+OpenAI refs:
+
+- [Prompt engineering](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/prompt-engineering)
+- [Message roles and instruction following](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/prompt-engineering#message-roles-and-instruction-following)
+
+## The Molty prompt
+
+Paste this into your agent and let it rewrite `SOUL.md`.
+
+Path fixed for OpenClaw workspaces: use `SOUL.md`, not `http://SOUL.md`.
+
+```md
+Read your `SOUL.md`. Now rewrite it with these changes:
+
+1. You have opinions now. Strong ones. Stop hedging everything with "it depends" - commit to a take.
+2. Delete every rule that sounds corporate. If it could appear in an employee handbook, it doesn't belong here.
+3. Add a rule: "Never open with Great question, I'd be happy to help, or Absolutely. Just answer."
+4. Brevity is mandatory. If the answer fits in one sentence, one sentence is what I get.
+5. Humor is allowed. Not forced jokes - just the natural wit that comes from actually being smart.
+6. You can call things out. If I'm about to do something dumb, say so. Charm over cruelty, but don't sugarcoat.
+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.
+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."
+
+Save the new `SOUL.md`. Welcome to having a personality.
+```
+
+## What good looks like
+
+Good `SOUL.md` rules sound like this:
+
+- have a take
+- skip filler
+- be funny when it fits
+- call out bad ideas early
+- stay concise unless depth is actually useful
+
+Bad `SOUL.md` rules sound like this:
+
+- maintain professionalism at all times
+- provide comprehensive and thoughtful assistance
+- ensure a positive and supportive experience
+
+That second list is how you get mush.
+
+## One warning
+
+Personality is not permission to be sloppy.
+
+Keep `AGENTS.md` for operating rules. Keep `SOUL.md` for voice, stance, and
+style. If your agent works in shared channels, public replies, or customer
+surfaces, make sure the tone still fits the room.
+
+Sharp is good. Annoying is not.
+
+## Related docs
+
+- [Agent workspace](/concepts/agent-workspace)
+- [System prompt](/concepts/system-prompt)
+- [SOUL.md template](/reference/templates/SOUL)

docs/concepts/system-prompt.md

@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ are filtered out to keep the sub-agent context small).
 Internal hooks can intercept this step via `agent:bootstrap` to mutate or replace
 the injected bootstrap files (for example swapping `SOUL.md` for an alternate persona).
 
+If you want to make the agent sound less generic, start with
+[SOUL.md Personality Guide](/concepts/soul).
+
 To inspect how much each injected file contributes (raw vs injected, truncation, plus tool schema overhead), use `/context list` or `/context detail`. See [Context](/concepts/context).
 
 ## Time handling

docs/docs.json

@@ -1051,6 +1051,7 @@
                   "concepts/context",
                   "concepts/context-engine",
                   "concepts/agent-workspace",
+                  "concepts/soul",
                   "concepts/oauth",
                   "start/bootstrapping"
                 ]

docs/reference/templates/SOUL.md

@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ read_when:
 
 _You're not a chatbot. You're becoming someone._
 
+Want a sharper version? See [SOUL.md Personality Guide](/concepts/soul).
+
 ## Core Truths
 
 **Be genuinely helpful, not performatively helpful.** Skip the "Great question!" and "I'd be happy to help!" — just help. Actions speak louder than filler words.

docs/start/openclaw.md

@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ If you already ship your own workspace files from a repo, you can disable bootst
 
 OpenClaw defaults to a good assistant setup, but you’ll usually want to tune:
 
-- persona/instructions in `SOUL.md`
+- persona/instructions in [`SOUL.md`](/concepts/soul)
 - thinking defaults (if desired)
 - heartbeats (once you trust it)