Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Firecrawl MCP Server

Q: What is Firecrawl MCP Server? A: Firecrawl MCP Server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) that integrates with Firecrawl for powerful web scraping capabilities, allowing LLMs to access and interact with web data.

Q: What is MCP (Model Context Protocol)? A: MCP is an open protocol that standardizes how applications provide context to LLMs, enabling seamless integration between AI models and external data sources.

Q: What are the key features of Firecrawl MCP Server? A: Key features include web scraping with JS rendering, URL discovery and crawling, web search with content extraction, efficient batch processing with rate limiting, credit usage monitoring, and comprehensive logging.

Q: How do I install Firecrawl MCP Server? A: You can install it using npx or npm. See the installation instructions in the documentation for detailed steps.

Q: What environment variables do I need to configure? A: You need to set the FIRECRAWL_API_KEY for cloud API usage. Optional environment variables include FIRECRAWL_API_URL for self-hosted instances and variables for retry configuration and credit monitoring.

Q: How do I use Firecrawl MCP Server with Cursor? A: Configure Firecrawl MCP in Cursor settings by adding a new MCP server with the appropriate command and API key.

Q: Can I use Firecrawl MCP Server with Claude Desktop? A: Yes, you can configure it in the claude_desktop_config.json file with the necessary command, arguments, and environment variables.

Q: What is the purpose of the llms.txt file? A: The llms.txt file provides instructions for how large language models should interact with the website, promoting responsible and informed usage.

Q: What is UBOS and how does it relate to Firecrawl MCP Server? A: UBOS is a full-stack AI Agent Development Platform. The Firecrawl MCP Server is available on the UBOS Asset Marketplace, offering seamless integration for UBOS users.

Q: What are some example use cases for Firecrawl MCP Server? A: Use cases include market research, lead generation, content aggregation, financial analysis, and scientific research.

Q: How does Firecrawl MCP Server handle rate limiting? A: It utilizes Firecrawl’s built-in rate limiting and implements exponential backoff for automatic retries, ensuring efficient and reliable data extraction.

Q: What kind of error handling is included? A: The server provides robust error handling, including automatic retries, rate limit handling with backoff, detailed error messages, and credit usage warnings.

Q: How can I monitor credit usage? A: The server includes credit usage monitoring with configurable warning and critical thresholds, helping you prevent unexpected service interruptions.

Q: What tools are available with Firecrawl MCP Server? A: Available tools include firecrawl_scrape, firecrawl_batch_scrape, firecrawl_check_batch_status, firecrawl_search, firecrawl_crawl, firecrawl_extract, firecrawl_deep_research and firecrawl_generate_llmstxt each designed for specific web scraping and data extraction tasks.

Q: What does the Deep Research Tool do? A: The Deep Research Tool conducts web research using intelligent crawling, search, and LLM analysis. You provide a query, and it returns a final analysis generated by an LLM based on the research.