Search the web and optionally extract content from search results. Best for: Finding specific information across multiple websites, when you don't know which website has the information; when you need the most relevant content for a query. Not recommended for: When you already know which website ...
AI agents call firecrawl_search to retrieve information from Firecrawl Web Scraping Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
tbs | string | — | Time-based search filter |
lang | string | — | Language code for search results (default: en) |
limit | number | — | Maximum number of results to return (default: 5) |
query | string | — | Search query string |
filter | string | — | Search filter |
country | string | — | Country code for search results (default: us) |
location | object | — | Location settings for search |
scrapeOptions | object | — | Options for scraping search results |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
This tool performs web search and content extraction without modifying data or executing arbitrary code. While it accesses external websites and could potentially be misused to gather sensitive information at scale, the core functionality is read-only data retrieval.
From the tool's definition Tool description states it will 'Search the web and optionally extract content from search results' with no mention of modification, deletion, or execution of code. The tool retrieves and queries data from websites.
Risk signalsAccepts freeform code/query input (query) · High parameter count (13 properties)
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access firecrawl_search gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Firecrawl Web Scraping Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for firecrawl_search:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"firecrawl_search": {}
}
}firecrawl_search is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
Free to start. No card required.
Search the web and optionally extract content from search results. Best for: Finding specific information across multiple websites, when you don't know which website has the information; when you need the most relevant content for a query. Not recommended for: When you already know which website to scrape (use scrape); when you need comprehensive coverage of a single website (use map or crawl). Common mistakes: Using crawl or map for open-ended questions (use search instead). Prompt Example: "Find the latest research papers on AI published in 2023." Usage Example: json { "name": "firecrawl_search", "arguments": { "query": "latest AI research papers 2023", "limit": 5, "lang": "en", "country": "us", "scrapeOptions": { "formats": ["markdown"], "onlyMainContent": true } } } Returns: Array of search results (with optional scraped content). It is categorised as a Read tool in the Firecrawl Web Scraping Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
firecrawl_search accepts 8 parameters: tbs, lang, limit, query, filter, country, location, scrapeOptions. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Firecrawl Web Scraping Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for firecrawl_search: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Firecrawl Web Scraping Server. Nothing to install.
firecrawl_search is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the firecrawl_search rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for firecrawl_search. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
firecrawl_search is provided by the Firecrawl Web Scraping Server MCP server (0xzapata/firecrawl-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Firecrawl Web Scraping Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
Free to start. No card required.
8 Firecrawl Web Scraping Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.