# Raw Source: SOUL.md Introduction & Methods — Approach A (Official / Pragmatic)

Source: https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/personality
Source: https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/guides/use-soul-with-hermes
Type: official documentation (Nous Research / Hermes Agent)
Confidence: high (primary source)
Date collected: 2026-09-25

## Summary
SOUL.md is the agent's primary identity file at `~/.hermes/SOUL.md` (or `$HERMES_HOME/SOUL.md`). It lives at slot #1 of the system prompt — the first text the model sees before any user message. It defines tone, personality, communication style, and how the agent handles uncertainty, disagreement, and ambiguity.

## Key rules
- Load path: ONLY from `HERMES_HOME` (never from cwd).
- Never overwritten by Hermes; starter file auto-seeded if missing.
- Empty/missing file → falls back to built-in default identity.
- Scanned for prompt injection before inclusion; content injected verbatim after truncation.
- Stable identity: durable voice, not project-specific rules.

## What goes in SOUL.md (official recommendation)
- Identity / who the agent is
- Style / how it communicates
- Avoid / stylistic prohibitions
- Defaults / behavior under ambiguity

## What does NOT go in SOUL.md
- Project conventions → AGENTS.md
- File paths, repo rules → AGENTS.md
- Tool preferences / commands → AGENTS.md or config.yaml
- Memory / user context → MEMORY.md / USER.md