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Kilo Code + Soul Spec

Kilo Code is an AI coding agent that supports custom instructions via .kilocode/rules/ directory. Soul Spec personas are compatible — install with one command and Kilo Code auto-discovers your persona.

Soul Spec gives Kilo Code a real identity. Install a soul, and the rule files are automatically placed in .kilocode/rules/, where Kilo Code auto-detects and loads them.

Quick Start (2 minutes)​

Step 1: Install the CLI​

npm install -g clawsouls

Step 2: Install a soul​

clawsouls install TomLeeLive/brad --use kilocode

This automatically creates .kilocode/rules/clawsouls-soul.md, .kilocode/rules/clawsouls-identity.md, .kilocode/rules/clawsouls-style.md, and .kilocode/rules/clawsouls-agents.md in your project.

Step 3: Reload Kilo Code​

Reload the Kilo Code extension:

  • If using VS Code: Open Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P) → "Developer: Reload Window"
  • If using other editors: Refer to your editor's extension reload mechanism

Kilo Code will read the rule files from .kilocode/rules/ and adopt the persona.

Rules Directory Structure​

After installation, your project will have:

my-project/
├── .kilocode/
│   └── rules/
│       ├── clawsouls-soul.md      ← Personality & tone
│       ├── clawsouls-identity.md  ← Agent identity
│       ├── clawsouls-style.md     ← Communication style
│       ├── clawsouls-agents.md    ← Workflow rules
│       └── ...                     (other rules)
├── src/
└── ...

Kilo Code auto-discovers all .md files in .kilocode/rules/. Add project-specific rules here alongside the persona files.

Version Control​

Commit .kilocode/ to share personas with your team:

git add .kilocode/
git commit -m "chore: add clawsouls persona for kilo"

Team members will inherit the same persona when they reload Kilo Code.

Switching Personas​

To change personas, install a different soul:

clawsouls install clawsouls/surgical-coder --use kilocode

Then reload Kilo Code. The .kilocode/rules/ files are updated automatically.

File Mapping​

Soul Spec FileKilo Code LocationNotes
SOUL.md.kilocode/rules/clawsouls-soul.md✅ Personality & tone
IDENTITY.md.kilocode/rules/clawsouls-identity.md✅ Agent identity
STYLE.md.kilocode/rules/clawsouls-style.md✅ Communication style
AGENTS.md.kilocode/rules/clawsouls-agents.md✅ Workflow rules

Tips​

  • Project-specific personas. Each project gets its own .kilocode/rules/ structure.
  • Add custom rules. Create additional .md files in .kilocode/rules/ for coding standards or project guidelines.
  • Reload after install. Always reload Kilo Code after running clawsouls install --use kilocode.
  • Git-friendly. Commit .kilocode/ to ensure team consistency.
  • Update easily. Run clawsouls install <owner/name> --use kilocode to switch personas anytime.