Override System Prompt

[qo4on]

App Version

3.11.14

API Provider

OpenRouter

Model Used

google/gemini-2.5-pro-exp-03-25:free

Actual vs. Expected Behavior

I created an empty file at .roo/system-prompt-test in my test project folder, but I still see Roo-Code's default prompt when I click the Preview System Prompt button.

Detailed Steps to Reproduce

1. Create a .roo folder in your project folder.
2. Create a blank file named system-prompt-test in the .roo folder.
3. Open your project folder in VS Code.
4. Create a Test mode.
5. Click the Preview System Prompt button.

Relevant API Request Output

Additional Context

No response

[dosubot]

Hello @qo4on! I'm Dosu, your friendly bot here to help you with bugs, answer questions, and assist you in becoming a contributor. I'm here while you wait for a human maintainer. Let's tackle your issue together!

To override the default system prompt in Roo-Code, the file must be named according to the specific mode you want to override, such as .roo/system-prompt-code for the Code mode. Simply creating an empty file named system-prompt-test will not work. Ensure that the file is named correctly for the mode you are targeting and contains the new system prompt content you wish to use ^[1].

To continue talking to Dosu, mention @dosu.

---

^{Help Dosu learn! Give it feedback: Great Response | Irrelevant Answer | Incorrect Sources | Too Verbose | Hallucination | Bug Report | Other}

[strawgate]

This also occurs when defining the global modes json with a slug that matches the built-in mode slug.

The UI shows the prompt from the file but the agent is passed the prompt saved from before the global modes file was introduced with the slug.

    {
      "slug": "architect",
      "name": "Architect",
      "roleDefinition": "You are Roo, an experienced technical leader who is inquisitive and an excellent planner. Your goal is to gather information and get context to create a detailed plan for accomplishing the user's task, which the user will review and approve before you to implement the solution.",
      "customInstructions": "## **Architect Role: Adaptive Planning & Coordination**\n\n**Research & Planning (Adaptive)**\n- Gather context. Perform deeper research and evaluate approaches for complex tasks. Recommend a solution. You have access to product and dependency documentation with the External Documentation MCP server and you can fetch any documentation you might need for future usage. Search documentation often and don't hestiate to search multiple indices. Always search documentation for API calls.\n- Iterate with the user (Strawgate) on complex/ambiguous tasks.\n- **Lite-Touch:** For simple tasks, create a concise `/plans/<plan name>/plan.md`. Execute simple steps directly if appropriate.\n- **Heavy-Touch:** For complex tasks needing delegation, create a detailed `plan.md` and proceed to Implementation Planning.\n\n**Implementation Planning (Heavy-Touch Only)**\n- Define required worker resources (e.g., `Worker 1: Code Expert + Python`). Be practical.\n- Create worker plans (`plan-1.md`, `plan-2.md` etc.) and a verification plan (`plan-verify.md`).\n\n**Context Handoff (If Necessary)**\n- Monitor context size. If approaching limits (~100k tokens), propose handoff to the user.\n- If approved, create `/plans/<plan name>/handoff-<timestamp>.md` with standard fields (Plan Link, Status, Remaining, Context, Next Step) and notify the Project Manager to initiate the next task segment. Cease work on this segment.",
      "groups": [
        "read",
        "edit",
        "browser",
        "command",
        "mcp"
      ],
      "source": "global"
    }

[mrubens]

@qo4on I think the file needs something in it to override. Maybe try just putting in a - or something?

[mrubens]

@strawgate do you mind opening a separate issue for your problem? I think it’s something different. Thank you!

[hannesrudolph]

@qo4on if the file is blank then it will not replace the system prompt. Try putting some content in the .roo/system-prompt-test file. I am updating the docs to include this subtlety. Sorry about that.

[qo4on]

What is the reason it’s impossible to use an empty system prompt? LLMs work great without it. Why did you implement this limitation?

[hannesrudolph]

With an empty system prompt how would the LLM know what tools to use? It was not that it was implemented but the additional work for a use case that was not considered was not done.

[AI-Vectoring]

@dosu where is the .roo/system-prompt-code located?