Mine are hard to the touch and go deep. Mine are easily confused with boils. I thought I had an outbreak last week and it turned out to be a huge boil. Never so happy to have a stupid boil on my butt cheek!!!!
They are not always necessarily a cluster of blisters. My very first outbreak looked like a flat boil (about the size of a pencil eraser) without a head. Like someone sliced the top of the boil off. It was an angry yellow with pus. I thought it was a boil. It felt like a boil but it wouldn't pop. (even the outbreak that showed up as clusters felt like a boil) When I couldn't get the "boil" to pop, that's when I went to my doc and asked,
"What is THAT?!?" She did a biopsy and when she said herpes, I was shocked!!! So no, not always clusters. They don't always look the same.

Genital herpes lesions can vary in appearance and texture. They typically start as small, red bumps which then develop into fluid-filled blisters that may be tender or painful to touch. These blisters can break open, forming ulcers or sores on the skin surface.

The texture of genital herpes lesions may feel different from normal skin due to the presence of fluid-filled vesicles or ulcerations. While they are not deep under the skin like abscesses or cysts, these sores usually affect the top layers of your skin and mucous membranes in genital areas.

If you suspect you have genital herpes based on symptoms such as clusters of sores around your genitals with pain or itching sensations, it's essential to consult a healthcare provider for proper diagnosis and treatment recommendations tailored to your specific situation.