> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ollim.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Customize the bot's personality

> Edit IDENTITY.md to change how the bot speaks, what tone it uses, and how it relates to you.

The bot's personality — how it speaks, its tone, and how it relates to
you — is defined in a single file called `IDENTITY.md`. Edit this file
to make the bot feel like yours.

## Where to find it

The file lives at `~/.ollim-bot/IDENTITY.md`. It's created
automatically the first time the bot starts, with a default personality
that's concise, warm, and ADHD-aware.

`~` is your home directory — `/home/you` on Linux, `/Users/you` on
macOS, or `C:\Users\you` on Windows.

## What's in the default

Out of the box, `IDENTITY.md` includes:

* **Personality traits** — concise and direct, warm but not overbearing,
  ADHD-aware (breaks things down, reminds without nagging, celebrates
  small wins), gives honest pushback when something seems off
* **Communication style** — keep responses short (every token is context
  budget spent), use forks for anything beyond a quick answer
* **Decision guidance** — when you ask what to do, consider deadlines
  and priorities; if you seem overwhelmed, suggest one thing to focus on;
  if you ask for a list, give the full list

## How to edit it

You have three options:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Ask the bot">
    Tell the bot what you want to change. It can read and edit
    `IDENTITY.md` directly:

    > "Update your personality to be more casual and use humor. Also,
    > stop celebrating small wins — I find it patronizing."

    The bot will edit the file and confirm the changes. It also keeps the
    new personality in mind for the rest of the session — no restart needed.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Use /setup">
    Run [`/setup`](/core-usage/slash-commands#setup) for a guided
    walkthrough that covers personality alongside names and user context.
    The wizard asks conversational questions one at a time and writes
    `IDENTITY.md` for you based on your answers.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Edit the file yourself">
    Open `IDENTITY.md` from the path above in any text editor. It's
    plain markdown — no special syntax required.

    <Note>
      The bot won't notice your edits automatically — ask it to re-read
      `IDENTITY.md` afterward, or run [`/compact`](/core-usage/slash-commands#compact) to rebuild the session
      with your changes.
    </Note>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Ideas for what to change

The file is freeform markdown — you can write whatever you want. Here
are some things people customize:

| What to change    | Example                                                                  |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Tone**          | "Be more blunt" or "Be gentler with reminders"                           |
| **Humor**         | "Use dry humor" or "No jokes, keep it professional"                      |
| **ADHD style**    | "Don't break tasks into sub-steps unless I ask"                          |
| **Pushback**      | "Always push back on tasks after 6pm" or "Don't question my decisions"   |
| **Communication** | "Use bullet points for everything" or "Keep responses under 2 sentences" |
| **Relationship**  | "Talk to me like a coworker, not an assistant"                           |

## When changes take effect

It depends on how the change was made:

* **You asked the bot** — the bot applies the changes immediately. It
  knows what it just edited and adjusts its behavior for the rest of the
  session. The file is also saved, so the changes persist across restarts.
* **You asked the bot in a fork** — the fork sends an update to the
  main session summarizing the changes, so the main session knows about
  them too.
* **You edited the file yourself** — the bot doesn't watch the file
  for changes, so ask it to re-read `IDENTITY.md`, or run `/compact`
  to rebuild the session with your changes.

<Tip>
  Your edits persist across bot updates. The bot only writes the default
  template if `IDENTITY.md` doesn't exist yet — once you've edited it,
  your version is never overwritten.
</Tip>

## Next steps

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Tell the bot about yourself" icon="user" href="/personalizing/user-context">
    Give the bot context about your work, schedule, and preferences.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Data directory" icon="folder" href="/configuration/data-directory#profile-files">
    Technical reference for profile files and the data directory.
  </Card>
</Columns>