Conduct deep web research on a query using intelligent crawling, search, and LLM analysis. **Best for:** Complex research questions requiring multiple sources, in-depth analysis. **Not recommended for:** Simple questions that can be answered with a single search; when you need very specific inf...
Accepts freeform code/query input (query); Single-target operation
Part of the Firecrawl Web Scraping Server MCP server. Enforce policies on this tool with Intercept, the open-source MCP proxy.
AI agents call firecrawl_deep_research to retrieve information from Firecrawl Web Scraping Server without modifying any data. This is common in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows where the agent needs context before taking action. Because read operations don't change state, they are generally safe to allow without restrictions -- but you may still want rate limits to control API costs.
Even though firecrawl_deep_research only reads data, uncontrolled read access can leak sensitive information or rack up API costs. An agent caught in a retry loop could make thousands of calls per minute. A rate limit gives you a safety net without blocking legitimate use.
Read-only tools are safe to allow by default. No rate limit needed unless you want to control costs.
tools:
firecrawl_deep_research:
rules:
- action: allowSee the full Firecrawl Web Scraping Server policy for all 8 tools.
Agents calling read-class tools like firecrawl_deep_research have been implicated in these attack patterns. Read the full case and prevention policy for each:
Other tools in the Read risk category across the catalogue. The same policy patterns (rate-limit, allow) apply to each.
Conduct deep web research on a query using intelligent crawling, search, and LLM analysis. **Best for:** Complex research questions requiring multiple sources, in-depth analysis. **Not recommended for:** Simple questions that can be answered with a single search; when you need very specific information from a known page (use scrape); when you need results quickly (deep research can take time). **Arguments:** - query (string, required): The research question or topic to explore. - maxDepth (number, optional): Maximum recursive depth for crawling/search (default: 3). - timeLimit (number, optional): Time limit in seconds for the research session (default: 120). - maxUrls (number, optional): Maximum number of URLs to analyze (default: 50). **Prompt Example:** "Research the environmental impact of electric vehicles versus gasoline vehicles." **Usage Example:** ```json { "name": "firecrawl_deep_research", "arguments": { "query": "What are the environmental impacts of electric vehicles compared to gasoline vehicles?", "maxDepth": 3, "timeLimit": 120, "maxUrls": 50 } } ``` **Returns:** Final analysis generated by an LLM based on research. (data.finalAnalysis); may also include structured activities and sources used in the research process. . It is categorised as a Read tool in the Firecrawl Web Scraping Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Add a rule in your Intercept YAML policy under the tools section for firecrawl_deep_research. You can allow, deny, rate-limit, or validate arguments. Then run Intercept as a proxy in front of the Firecrawl Web Scraping Server MCP server.
firecrawl_deep_research 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_deep_research rule in your Intercept 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 Intercept policy for firecrawl_deep_research. 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_deep_research is provided by the Firecrawl Web Scraping Server MCP server (NYO2008/firecrawl-mcp-server). Intercept sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Open source. One binary. Zero dependencies.
npx -y @policylayer/intercept