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OpenClaw + Hermes8 files · 32 fields

The OpenClaw Workspace: Eight Files That Define How Your Agent Thinks

Every OpenClaw agent is defined by 8 markdown files across 32 fields. Learn what each file does, how they connect, and why getting them wrong costs you weeks of debugging.

How These 8 Files Work Together

Foundation

SOUL.md

Context

IDENTITY.md
AGENTS.md
USER.md

Capabilities

TOOLS.md
MEMORY.md
HEARTBEAT.md

Startup

BOOT.md
OpenClaw + Hermes
OpenClaw only

32 fields across 8 files

SOUL.md (7)IDENTITY.md (5)AGENTS.md (4)USER.md (5)TOOLS.md (4)MEMORY.md (2)HEARTBEAT.md (3)BOOT.md (2)

32 total fields across 8 files — that's why we handle this for you.

Why Proper Workspace Configuration Is Critical

Most OpenClaw deployments underperform not because of the AI model — but because the workspace files are incomplete or contradictory.

Identity confusion

Without SOUL and IDENTITY files, your agent switches personality mid-conversation and confuses users in group chats.

Broken tool calls

Without TOOLS.md constraints, agents burn through API quotas with random invocations and write to the wrong endpoints.

Memory drift

Without MEMORY.md, your agent forgets everything between sessions — preferences, decisions, and critical context.

Silent HEARTBEAT failures

Without HEARTBEAT.md and BOOT.md, your agent never acts proactively and fails silently on startup errors.

Skip the 32-field complexity.

We configure all 8 workspace files for your specific business, team, and tools — then handle every update as you grow.

Let SetupClaw Configure Your Workspace

Not yet on OpenClaw? Start with the Getting Started guide