HELP I LOST MY MAIN AGENT

[ocean dagger]

Hi everyone, I need some help with an issue after updating OpenClaw.

I’m using the desktop version connected to my own server, and everything was working fine before. After updating to the new version, I started getting this error:

Agent "main" no longer exists in configuration

Before the update, my setup was working normally, but now OpenClaw keeps trying to load main and I can’t access it properly.

Has anyone run into this after updating? I’d like to know the best way to restore or recreate the main agent without breaking the current setup.
😭

[wicked mason]

To help others find answers, you can mark your question as solved via Right click solution message -> Apps -> ✅ Mark Solution

[ocean dagger]

I’m using the OpenClaw desktop version connected to my own VPS/server for my WhatsApp bot project.

Everything was working fine before, but after updating to the latest version, I started getting this error:

Agent "main" no longer exists in configuration

My goal is simply to restore my original main agent and get the system working again like before.

What happens now is that OpenClaw keeps trying to load main, but it seems the update changed the configuration and now it no longer recognizes that agent.

Current environment:

• OpenClaw Desktop connected to external VPS
• Linux server
• Updated recently to the newest version

What I did:

• Updated OpenClaw to the latest version
• Checked the Agents section and now my visible/default agent is different from before
• The system still keeps trying to open main

I’d like to know the safest way to restore or recreate the main agent without breaking the current setup.

Thanks.

[silk moth]

That usually means the update moved you onto explicit multi-agent config, and some saved state is still pointing at the literal agent id main.

A couple important bits:

• Fix this on the VPS / gateway host, not in Desktop. In remote mode, the session store lives on the server.
• This is about the agent id main, not session.mainKey (that field is legacy, so I would not chase it).

Safest first steps:

1. openclaw --version
2. openclaw agents list --bindings
3. openclaw status --all
4. openclaw doctor --fix

If openclaw agents list shows a different default agent and no main, you have 2 clean options:

• Keep the new agent id and clean stale main references

• Restore old behavior by putting main back as the default agent in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

Example config shape:

{
  agents: {
    list: [
      { id: "main", default: true, workspace: "~/.openclaw/workspace" }
    ]
  }
}

Then restart the gateway.

One gotcha: openclaw agents add main is not the right move, because main is reserved. If you want that exact id back, restore it in config.