Personalizing Hefty

Hefty can be personalized along two dimensions: who the agent is (name, avatar, personality) and who the user is (display name, linked accounts, preferences).

Agent Profile (Admin Only)

The agent profile is accessed via User Menu → Agent Profile.

  • Agent name — A custom name for the agent. The default is "HEFTY". The name is displayed in the header next to the logo, and the command bar placeholder text adapts to read "Ask <name> a question…". The tutorial also references the agent name.
  • Avatar — A custom image that replaces the default logo in the header when set. Upload an image with a maximum size of 512 KB. The avatar can be removed or replaced at any time.
  • Custom instructions — Free-text behavioral preferences that the agent follows in all conversations. For example: "Keep answers short. I prefer step-by-step explanations." These instructions are sent to the model as persistent system-level context and apply to every new conversation. Write clear, specific instructions focused on output format preferences and behavioral guidelines — avoid contradictory statements.
Custom Instructions Tips

Keep instructions concise and specific. Focus on output format preferences and behavioral guidelines, and avoid contradictory instructions. The agent follows these instructions in every conversation.

User Settings

User Settings is accessed via User Menu → User Settings and contains three tabs: Profile, Accounts, and Usage Stats.

Profile Tab

The Profile tab contains a Display name field — the name Hefty uses to address the user in conversations and throughout the UI. This is a simple text field that personalizes the interaction experience.

Accounts Tab

Linked accounts connect the user's identity across platforms. The agent uses this information for bridge interactions — for example, messaging through Telegram or Discord integrations.

  • Telegram and Discord are pre-populated as built-in account types, each with placeholder hints for the handle or ID
  • Custom account types can be added by specifying a platform name and a value (handle or ID)
  • Custom accounts can be removed at any time, while built-in account types (Telegram, Discord) remain visible but can be emptied
  • Each account entry consists of a platform key and a value field

Usage Stats Tab

The Usage Stats tab displays lifetime usage statistics aggregated across all conversations and sessions. Tracked metrics include:

  • Total tokens — prompt tokens plus completion tokens
  • Activity count — total number of activities recorded
  • Total actions executed — cumulative count of all actions performed
  • Total action duration — aggregate time spent executing actions
  • LLM call count — total number of calls made to the language model
  • Per-instrument usage breakdown — how many times each tool or instrument has been invoked
  • Learning counts by type — learning events grouped by category
  • Embedding statistics — embedding call count, texts embedded, characters processed, and errors
Lifetime Statistics

All usage statistics shown on this tab are lifetime totals aggregated across every conversation and session.

Installation

The desktop app is a single executable that bundles everything:

  • Linux - AppImage (download and run, no installation needed)
  • macOS - DMG installer
  • Windows - NSIS installer

Knowledge & Learning

Hefty's learning system is enabled by default. You can control it with:

  • HEFTY_LEARNING_ENABLED - set to false to disable automatic learning
  • HEFTY_MAINTENANCE_ENABLED - set to false to disable automatic knowledge maintenance (pruning, merging)

Data Location

All Hefty data (conversations, knowledge, settings) is stored in ~/.hefty by default. Change it with HEFTY_DATA_DIR. You can back up, move, or delete this folder at any time.