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docs: document SOUL.md as primary agent identity (#1927)

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Update all SOUL.md documentation to reflect that it now occupies
slot #1 in the system prompt, replacing the hardcoded default identity.

Updated pages:
- user-guide/features/personality.md — SOUL.md is primary identity, not just a layer
- developer-guide/prompt-assembly.md — updated prompt layer order, context files list
- guides/use-soul-with-hermes.md — SOUL.md replaces built-in identity
- user-guide/configuration.md — updated context files table and directory tree

Co-authored-by: Test <test@test.com>
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Teknium 2026-03-18 04:18:08 -07:00 • committed by GitHub
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website/docs/guides/use-soul-with-hermes.md
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@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ description: "How to use SOUL.md to shape Hermes Agent's default voice, what bel
# Use SOUL.md with Hermes
`SOUL.md` is the easiest way to give Hermes a stable, default voice.
`SOUL.md` is the **primary identity** for your Hermes instance. It's the first thing in the system prompt — it defines who the agent is, how it speaks, and what it avoids.
If you want Hermes to feel like the same assistant every time you talk to it — without repeating instructions in every session — this is the file to use.
If you want Hermes to feel like the same assistant every time you talk to it — or if you want to replace the Hermes persona entirely with your own — this is the file to use.
## What SOUL.md is for
@ -65,11 +65,11 @@ Important:
## How Hermes uses it
When Hermes starts a session, it reads `SOUL.md` from `HERMES_HOME`, scans it for prompt-injection patterns, truncates it if needed, and injects the content directly into the prompt.
When Hermes starts a session, it reads `SOUL.md` from `HERMES_HOME`, scans it for prompt-injection patterns, truncates it if needed, and uses it as the **agent identity** — slot #1 in the system prompt. This means SOUL.md completely replaces the built-in default identity text.
No wrapper language is added around the file.
If SOUL.md is missing, empty, or cannot be loaded, Hermes falls back to a built-in default identity.
So the content itself matters. Write the way you want Hermes to think and speak.
No wrapper language is added around the file. The content itself matters — write the way you want your agent to think and speak.
## A good first edit