# What Does Agent Reach Uninstall Remove and How Does the `--keep-config` Flag Work? > Understand what agent reach uninstall removes and how the --keep-config flag preserves your settings. Learn about configuration directory deletion and skill file removal. - Repository: [Pnant/Agent-Reach](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-06-20 --- **Running `agent-reach uninstall` deletes your local configuration directory, installed skill files, and MCP server entries, while the `--keep-config` flag preserves your credentials and settings by skipping the config directory removal.** The `agent-reach uninstall` command provides a clean way to remove Agent Reach artefacts from your system. According to the Panniantong/Agent-Reach repository, the private `_cmd_uninstall()` function in [`agent_reach/cli.py`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/agent_reach/cli.py) orchestrates a three-step cleanup process targeting specific paths and configurations. Understanding exactly what gets removed—and how the `--keep-config` option modifies this behavior—ensures you do not accidentally lose important credentials while cleaning up installation files. ## What Agent Reach Uninstall Removes When you execute `agent-reach uninstall`, the CLI targets three distinct categories of data for removal. The `_cmd_uninstall()` function in [`agent_reach/cli.py`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/agent_reach/cli.py) (lines 64–124) orchestrates this process sequentially. ### Config Directory and Stored Credentials The command first targets the `~/.agent-reach` directory, which contains your [`config.yaml`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/config.yaml) file. This file stores all sensitive user data including saved tokens, cookies, API keys, and proxy settings. Without the `--keep-config` flag, the entire directory is permanently deleted, erasing every configured credential and environment preference. ### Skill Files and Symlinks Next, the uninstaller removes skill installations from known agent directories. The code loops through specific paths including `~/.openclaw/skills/agent-reach`, `~/.claude/skills/agent-reach`, and `~/.agents/skills/agent-reach`. Whether these locations contain actual directories or symbolic links, the uninstaller deletes them entirely, removing the [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/SKILL.md) files and reference materials copied during installation. ### MCP Server Entries Finally, the command cleans up entries added to the MCP server via the `mcporter` tool. If the `mcporter` binary is present on your system, the uninstaller executes `mcporter config remove` for each registered entry—such as `exa` and `xiaohongshu`—effectively unregistering these tools from your MCP configuration. ## How the `--keep-config` Option Affects Uninstallation The `--keep-config` flag modifies the uninstall behavior by preserving your user data while still removing application files. **Without `--keep-config`**: The CLI deletes the `~/.agent-reach` directory completely, removing all stored tokens, cookies, and proxy configurations. **With `--keep-config`**: The command skips the config directory removal step entirely. It prints "Skipping config directory (--keep-config)" and leaves `~/.agent-reach` intact, preserving your credentials and settings. However, it still removes skill files and MCP entries, as the flag only affects step one of the three-step process. ## Usage Examples Run a full uninstall to remove everything including your configuration: ```bash agent-reach uninstall ``` Preserve your credentials and settings while removing skills and MCP entries: ```bash agent-reach uninstall --keep-config ``` Preview what would be removed without making changes: ```bash agent-reach uninstall --dry-run ``` Combine flags to preview the action while preserving the config: ```bash agent-reach uninstall --dry-run --keep-config ``` ## Summary - The `agent-reach uninstall` command removes three categories of data: the `~/.agent-reach` config directory, skill files from agent directories (`~/.openclaw/skills/agent-reach`, `~/.claude/skills/agent-reach`, and `~/.agents/skills/agent-reach`), and MCP server entries via `mcporter`. - The `_cmd_uninstall()` function in [`agent_reach/cli.py`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/agent_reach/cli.py) handles this cleanup, targeting specific paths and invoking `mcporter config remove` for registered entries. - The `--keep-config` flag skips deletion of the config directory, preserving your [`config.yaml`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/config.yaml) and all stored credentials while still removing skill files and MCP entries. - After execution, the CLI suggests manual cleanup of the Python package (`pip uninstall agent-reach`) and external tools, but does not execute these automatically. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Does `agent-reach uninstall` remove the Python package itself? No, the uninstall command does not remove the `agent-reach` Python package or the `mcporter` npm package. According to the source code in [`agent_reach/cli.py`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/agent_reach/cli.py), the command only removes local configuration files, skill directories, and MCP entries. You must manually run `pip uninstall agent-reach` or `npm uninstall -g mcporter` to remove the actual binaries. ### What happens if I run uninstall without `--keep-config` by mistake? Without the `--keep-config` flag, the command permanently deletes your `~/.agent-reach` directory containing [`config.yaml`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/config.yaml). This erases all saved tokens, API keys, cookies, and proxy settings. You will need to reconfigure these credentials by running the setup process again or restoring from a backup. ### Why does `--keep-config` still remove MCP entries and skill files? The `--keep-config` flag specifically targets only the configuration directory preservation step in the `_cmd_uninstall()` logic. The design separates user credentials (stored in `~/.agent-reach`) from application artefacts (skills and MCP registrations). This allows you to clean up installed components while retaining your API keys and preferences for potential reinstallation. ### Can I preview what will be removed before actually uninstalling? Yes, use the `--dry-run` flag to see what the uninstaller would delete without making any changes. This shows the config directory, skill paths, and MCP entries that would be targeted, helping you decide whether to include `--keep-config` based on what credentials you want to preserve.