⚡ First agent free
Install guides / OpenClaw

Install your agent in OpenClaw

OpenClaw builds each agent from files in its workspace folder:

File What it does
SOUL.md Personality, tone and limits. Loaded every session.
AGENTS.md How it works, its rules and memory habits. Loaded every session.
IDENTITY.md Name, creature, vibe, emoji and avatar.
USER.md Who you are and how to address you. Fill this in.
skills/ Its skills, one folder each with a SKILL.md.

Option A: add it as a new agent (recommended, so your current agent stays as it is)

  1. Create the agent with its own workspace: openclaw agents add ava --workspace ~/.openclaw/workspace-ava
  2. Copy everything from the kit's openclaw/ folder into ~/.openclaw/workspace-ava/, including skills/ and avatar/.
  3. Open USER.md and fill in your name and how you'd like to be addressed.
  4. Load the name, emoji and avatar from the kit: openclaw agents set-identity --agent ava --workspace ~/.openclaw/workspace-ava --from-identity
  5. Choose what it's allowed to do. A new agent gets the same tools as your main one, including running commands and any email you've connected. To limit it, add a tools block to its entry in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json, e.g. "tools": { "deny": ["exec", "browser", "message"] }.
  6. Give it a chat channel. For example, create a new Telegram bot with @BotFather, add it with openclaw configure, then route it: openclaw agents bind --agent ava --bind telegram:<account-id>
  7. Restart: openclaw gateway restart

Option B: give your existing agent a new personality

  1. Back up first: copy ~/.openclaw/workspace somewhere safe, or commit it if you use git.
  2. Replace SOUL.md, AGENTS.md and IDENTITY.md with the kit's versions. Keep your own USER.md and MEMORY.md.
  3. Copy the kit's skills/ folders into the workspace's skills/ folder. Skills in the workspace take priority over others with the same name.
  4. openclaw agents set-identity --from-identity, then openclaw gateway restart

Telegram picture (optional, any time later)

Message @BotFather, send /setuserpic, choose your bot and send avatar/avatar-512.png.

Test it

  • Message the bot: "Who are you and what are your rules?" It should reply with the new name and personality.
  • Ask it to send an email. It should show a draft and wait for your OK. If you test real sending, send to yourself.
  • openclaw agents list should show your new agent.