Identity & Profile

CoClaw lets you customize both its personality and your coding preferences through two JSON files.

SOUL.json — Assistant Identity

SOUL.json defines how CoClaw behaves, communicates, and introduces itself. The file is injected into every system prompt.

Location: VS Code global storage → profile/SOUL.json

Default Configuration

{
  "name": "CoClaw",
  "role": "AI pair programmer with persistent memory",
  "instructions": "You remember past conversations. Reference stored memories when relevant. Be concise and helpful.",
  "tone": "professional, direct"
}

Fields

Field	Description	Example
`name`	The assistant's display name	`"Cody"`, `"DevBot"`
`role`	What the assistant does	`"Senior TypeScript architect"`
`instructions`	Behavioral directives injected into every prompt	`"Always suggest tests. Prefer functional patterns."`
`tone`	Communication style	`"friendly, verbose"`, `"technical, terse"`

How to Edit

Option 1 — Chat command:

@CoClaw /soul

Option 2 — Command Palette:

Press Ctrl+Shift+P.
Run CoClaw: Edit Identity (SOUL).

Both options open SOUL.json in the editor. Save the file — changes take effect on the next chat message.

Examples

Technical Lead persona:

{
  "name": "TechLead",
  "role": "Senior staff engineer who reviews code thoroughly",
  "instructions": "Always consider edge cases. Suggest tests for every change. Prefer type safety over convenience. Flag potential performance issues.",
  "tone": "constructive, detail-oriented"
}

Minimal helper:

{
  "name": "Helper",
  "role": "Quick coding assistant",
  "instructions": "Keep answers short. Show code, skip explanations unless asked.",
  "tone": "concise, direct"
}

USER.json — Your Preferences

USER.json stores your personal coding preferences. Non-empty fields are injected into the system prompt so CoClaw tailors its responses to your style.

Location: VS Code global storage → profile/USER.json

Default Configuration

{
  "preferredLanguage": "",
  "codeStyle": "",
  "indentation": "",
  "verbosity": "",
  "frameworks": []
}

Fields

Field	Type	Description	Example
`preferredLanguage`	string	Your primary programming language	`"TypeScript"`
`codeStyle`	string	Coding style preferences	`"Functional > OOP, minimize side effects"`
`indentation`	string	Indentation style	`"2 spaces"`, `"tabs"`
`verbosity`	string	How detailed responses should be	`"Concise"`, `"Detailed with examples"`
`frameworks`	string[]	Frameworks you use	`["React", "Node.js", "Express"]`

How to Edit

Command Palette:

Press Ctrl+Shift+P.
Run CoClaw: Edit Profile (USER).

This opens USER.json in the editor. Save — changes apply on the next message.

Example

{
  "preferredLanguage": "TypeScript",
  "codeStyle": "Functional > OOP, minimize side effects",
  "indentation": "2 spaces",
  "verbosity": "Concise, direct explanations",
  "frameworks": ["React", "Next.js", "Prisma", "tRPC"]
}

With this profile, CoClaw will default to TypeScript examples, prefer functional patterns, use 2-space indentation, and be aware of your framework stack.

How It's Injected

When building a prompt, CoClaw wraps these files into structured sections:

SOUL → Identity block:

You are CoClaw, AI pair programmer with persistent memory.
You remember past conversations. Reference stored memories when relevant.
Be concise and helpful.
Tone: professional, direct

USER → Preferences block (only non-empty fields):

Language: TypeScript
Style: Functional > OOP, minimize side effects
Indentation: 2 spaces
Verbosity: Concise, direct explanations
Frameworks: React, Next.js, Prisma, tRPC

Both sections appear before memory context and the user's message, ensuring CoClaw's behavior and your preferences are always respected.