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Cursor + Soul Spec

Cursor is an AI-first code editor built on VS Code. It supports custom instructions via .cursor/rules/ directory or a .cursorrules file in your project root.

Soul Spec gives Cursor a real persona. Install a soul, export the files into Cursor's rules directory, and your AI assistant gets a consistent identity.

Quick Start (2 minutes)​

Step 1: Install the CLI​

npm install -g clawsouls

Step 2: Install a soul​

clawsouls install TomLeeLive/brad

Step 3: Export to Cursor format​

Option A — Single .cursorrules file:

clawsouls export cursorrules --dir ~/.openclaw/souls/TomLeeLive/brad -o ./my-project/.cursorrules

Option B — .cursor/rules/ directory (recommended):

mkdir -p ./my-project/.cursor/rules/
cp ~/.openclaw/souls/TomLeeLive/brad/SOUL.md ./my-project/.cursor/rules/
cp ~/.openclaw/souls/TomLeeLive/brad/IDENTITY.md ./my-project/.cursor/rules/
cp ~/.openclaw/souls/TomLeeLive/brad/STYLE.md ./my-project/.cursor/rules/
cp ~/.openclaw/souls/TomLeeLive/brad/AGENTS.md ./my-project/.cursor/rules/

Step 4: Open in Cursor​

cursor ./my-project

Cursor reads the rules automatically and adopts the persona.

Why .cursor/rules/ is Better​

The rules directory approach keeps files separate:

my-project/
├── .cursor/
│   └── rules/
│       ├── SOUL.md
│       ├── IDENTITY.md
│       ├── STYLE.md
│       └── AGENTS.md
├── src/
└── ...

Benefits:

  • Edit individual files without merging
  • Git diffs are cleaner
  • Add project-specific rules alongside persona files
  • Matches Soul Spec's native file structure

Use the MCP Server​

Cursor supports MCP servers natively. Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "soul-spec": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "soul-spec-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Then say in Cursor's chat: "Apply the surgical-coder persona"

Tips​

  • Project-specific personas. Different projects get different .cursor/rules/.
  • Git-friendly. Commit .cursor/rules/ to share with your team.
  • Combine with technical rules. Add CODING_STANDARDS.md alongside persona files.
  • Switching personas. Different projects, different souls — just export to each.