# How the Agent Reach Uninstall Command Handles Skills vs Configuration Files > Learn how the Agent Reach uninstall command removes skills and config files. Discover the --keep-config flag and MCP cleanup. - Repository: [Pnant/Agent-Reach](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach) - Tags: internals - Published: 2026-07-15 --- **The `uninstall` command in Agent Reach removes skill files from agent-specific directories while optionally preserving the `~/.agent-reach/` configuration directory via the `--keep-config` flag, and also cleans up MCP entries.** The Agent Reach CLI provides an `uninstall` sub-command to cleanly remove installed components from your system. Located in [`agent_reach/cli.py`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/agent_reach/cli.py), the `_cmd_uninstall` function handles the removal of three distinct data types: configuration files, skill files, and MCP entries. This article examines how the Agent Reach uninstall command differentiates between skills and configuration files during the cleanup process. ## Core Uninstall Logic The `_cmd_uninstall` function (lines 1375-1475 in [`agent_reach/cli.py`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/agent_reach/cli.py)) implements a three-phase removal process that distinguishes between global configuration and platform-specific skill files. ### Configuration Directory Handling The command targets the `~/.agent-reach/` directory, which contains the [`config.yaml`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/config.yaml) file storing tokens, cookies, and API keys. By default, this directory is deleted entirely unless the user specifies the `--keep-config` flag. When `--keep-config` is passed, the configuration directory is preserved while only skill files are removed. ### Skill File Removal Skill files consist of [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/SKILL.md) documents and their associated `references/` folders. The command identifies these across three supported agent platforms: - `~/.openclaw/skills/agent-reach` for OpenClaw - `~/.claude/skills/agent-reach` for Claude Code - `~/.agents/skills/agent-reach` for generic agents The implementation walks each path and removes the entire directory or symlink unless `--dry-run` is specified. This logic complements the `_install_skill` function (lines 55-65), which originally created these directories. ### MCP Entry Cleanup The command removes search-backend entries (`exa` and `xiaohongshu`) that were added during installation. If the `mcporter` binary exists on the system, the command invokes `mcporter config remove ` for each entry. During a dry run, it lists the would-be-removed actions without executing them. ## Command-Line Options The uninstall behavior is controlled through two primary flags: ### --keep-config Use this flag to preserve the `~/.agent-reach/` configuration directory while removing only skill files and MCP entries. This is useful when you want to retain API keys and tokens but remove the agent-specific implementations. ### --dry-run This flag displays all actions that would be performed without actually executing them. The command prints a concise summary distinguishing between real runs and dry runs, showing which directories and entries would be affected. ## Usage Examples ```bash # Full uninstall – removes config, skill files and MCP entries agent-reach uninstall # Keep the ~/.agent-reach config (only skill files are removed) agent-reach uninstall --keep-config # Show what would be removed without making changes agent-reach uninstall --dry-run ``` ## Summary - The `_cmd_uninstall` function in [`agent_reach/cli.py`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/agent_reach/cli.py) handles three distinct removal targets: configuration directories, skill files, and MCP entries. - Configuration files in `~/.agent-reach/` are deleted by default but preserved with `--keep-config`. - Skill files are removed from three agent-specific locations: `~/.openclaw/skills/agent-reach`, `~/.claude/skills/agent-reach`, and `~/.agents/skills/agent-reach`. - MCP entries for `exa` and `xiaohongshu` are cleaned up via `mcporter config remove` when the binary is available. - The `--dry-run` flag allows safe preview of removal actions before execution. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the difference between skills and configuration files in Agent Reach? Configuration files are stored in `~/.agent-reach/config.yaml` and contain global settings like API keys and tokens. Skills are platform-specific files ([`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/SKILL.md) and `references/`) installed in agent directories like `~/.claude/skills/agent-reach`. The uninstall command treats these separately, allowing you to preserve configuration while removing skills. ### Will uninstalling Agent Reach remove my API keys? By default, yes. The `uninstall` command deletes the entire `~/.agent-reach/` directory containing [`config.yaml`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/config.yaml) with all stored tokens. However, passing the `--keep-config` flag preserves these credentials while only removing skill files and MCP entries. ### Which agent platforms are supported for skill removal? The command supports three agent platforms: OpenClaw (`~/.openclaw/skills/agent-reach`), Claude Code (`~/.claude/skills/agent-reach`), and generic agents (`~/.agents/skills/agent-reach`). The uninstaller checks all three locations and removes the `agent-reach` skill directories from each. ### How does the dry-run option work? The `--dry-run` flag simulates the uninstall process without making actual changes. It lists all directories and MCP entries that would be removed, prints a summary of actions, and distinguishes between simulated and real execution, allowing you to verify the scope of removal before proceeding.