How to Give Your OpenClaw Agent a Custom Personality and Instructions

Out of the box, OpenClaw agents are helpful but generic. With a few configuration steps, you can give your agent a specific name, personality, areas of focus, and a set of behaviors that make it feel like a custom-built assistant rather than a default chatbot.

This guide covers two approaches: BOOTSTRAP.md (for first-boot behavior) and system prompt configuration (for persistent behavior).

How OpenClaw Reads Instructions

OpenClaw agents check for a BOOTSTRAP.md file on startup. If it exists, the agent reads it, follows the instructions, and then deletes the file — so it only runs once. Think of it as a birth certificate that shapes the agent's initial identity.

For persistent behavior — instructions that apply to every conversation — you configure the system prompt in the agent's config.

Using BOOTSTRAP.md

BOOTSTRAP.md lives at:

~/.openclaw/workspace/BOOTSTRAP.md

(also check: ~/.openclaw/agents/main/BOOTSTRAP.md as a fallback)

Create the file before starting your agent for the first time, or before a fresh restart after clearing sessions.

Example BOOTSTRAP.md:

You are Alex, a personal AI assistant for a freelance designer named Jordan.

Your priorities:
1. Help Jordan manage client communication professionally and efficiently
2. Keep track of project deadlines and flag anything at risk
3. Draft design briefs, proposals, and invoices in Jordan's voice — confident and creative
4. When summarizing emails, always highlight: action required, deadline (if any), and sentiment

Tone: Professional but warm. Use Jordan's first name occasionally. Avoid corporate jargon.

Skills to focus on:
- Email drafting and summarization
- Calendar management
- Invoice generation
- Web research for design trends and client background

Do NOT: book meetings without confirming first. Do NOT send emails without explicit approval.

When the agent boots and reads this, it adopts the persona and instructions. The file is then deleted, but the context remains active in the session.

Persistent System Prompt via Config

For instructions that should apply in every new session, add them to the agent config:

openclaw config set agents.defaults.systemPrompt "You are a professional assistant focused on productivity and communication. Always ask for confirmation before sending emails or booking meetings."

Or edit the config JSON directly at ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.

Practical Customization Ideas

Custom Name

Give your agent a name your team will actually use:

Your name is Max. When people ask who you are, say you're an AI assistant built on OpenClaw and deployed by [Your Name].

Focus Area

Constrain the agent to what matters:

You are a customer support assistant for a SaaS product. Focus exclusively on answering support questions, logging bug reports, and escalating urgent issues. Do not discuss topics unrelated to the product.

Communication Style

Match your brand voice:

Always respond concisely — no more than 3 sentences for simple questions. Use bullet points for lists. Never use the phrase "Certainly!" or "Great question!" — just answer directly.

Approval Gates

Prevent the agent from taking actions without confirmation:

Before sending any email, always show me the draft and ask "Shall I send this?" Never take irreversible actions (sending messages, booking meetings, making purchases) without explicit confirmation.

Session Reset and Re-Bootstrapping

Because OpenClaw deletes BOOTSTRAP.md after reading it, re-customizing requires:

1. Clear the session (to start fresh):

echo '[]' > ~/.openclaw/agents/main/sessions/$(ls ~/.openclaw/agents/main/sessions/*.jsonl | head -1)
echo '{}' > ~/.openclaw/agents/main/sessions/sessions.json

2. Write a new BOOTSTRAP.md
3. Restart the gateway:

openclaw gateway restart

The SimplifyClaw Approach

With SimplifyClaw, you can set your agent's custom instructions directly from the dashboard — no file editing, no terminal. Changes take effect after a quick agent restart, which the dashboard handles with one click.

If you're starting from scratch, deploy your OpenClaw agent with SimplifyClaw and customize it from the web UI without touching a single config file.