firecrawl-mcp

Firecrawl file parsing

firecrawl_parse

Read-only

Parse one supported document into markdown, HTML, links, summary, targeted answers, or JSON matching a schema. Supported inputs include common HTML, PDF, Word, RTF, OpenDocument, and spreadsheet files; PDF parsing can be bounded with pdfOptions.maxPages.

Local MCP reads filePath from the server filesystem. Hosted MCP uses two calls: first provide filePath to receive upload instructions, upload locally, then call again with the returned uploadRef; do not send both fields together. Remote web URLs belong in firecrawl_scrape.

Set redactPII to request redaction of personally identifiable information in the returned content. zeroDataRetention requires an eligible authenticated account; omit it for anonymous keyless use. Returns upload instructions for hosted phase one or parsed document content for the final call. Authenticated final responses can include a data.metadata.scrapeId for optional parse feedback.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`proxy`	No
`maxAge`	No	Ignored: parse never reuses or stores indexed content.
`formats`	No
`parsers`	No
`filePath`	No	Phase 1 only: path to the local file on the caller/harness machine. Hosted MCP will not read or stat this path; it is used only to produce upload instructions.
`redactPII`	No
`uploadRef`	No	Phase 2 only: short-lived upload reference returned by phase 1 after the local PUT upload completes.
`pdfOptions`	No
`contentType`	No	Phase 1 MIME type override. If omitted, the server infers it from the file extension without reading the file.
`excludeTags`	No
`includeTags`	No
`jsonOptions`	No
`queryOptions`	No
`storeInCache`	No
`onlyMainContent`	No
`declaredSizeBytes`	No	Optional phase 1 size declaration. Hosted MCP does not stat the file; provide this only if the caller already knows it.
`zeroDataRetention`	No
`removeBase64Images`	No
`skipTlsVerification`	No

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`raw`	No	Response body when it was not JSON.
`data`	No	Parsed document content; can include `data.metadata.scrapeId` for parse feedback.
`mode`	No	Which phase of the hosted flow produced this response.
`error`	No	Error message or error object when the call did not succeed.
`notes`	No	Hosted phase one: constraints on completing the upload flow.
`upload`	No	Hosted phase one: how to upload the local file.
`message`	No	Guidance for the next call.
`success`	No	Whether the API call succeeded.
`warning`	No	Non-fatal warning about the result.
`agent_hints`	No	Optional response guidance from the Firecrawl API.
`nextToolCall`	No	Hosted phase one: the second `firecrawl_parse` call to make once the upload succeeds, as `{name, arguments}`.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed1 schema field changedSep 28, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / agent_hints

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Optional response guidance from the Firecrawl API.",
+  "items": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

Changed1 schema field changedSep 24, 2026

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "description": "Parsed document content, or the upload instructions for the hosted two-call flow.",
+  "properties": {
+    "data": {
+      "description": "Parsed document content; can include `data.metadata.scrapeId` for parse feedback."
+    },
+    "error": {
+      "description": "Error message or error object when the call did not succeed."
+    },
+    "message": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ],
+      "description": "Guidance for the next call."
+    },
+    "mode": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ],
+      "description": "Which phase of the hosted flow produced this response."
+    },
+    "nextToolCall": {
+      "description": "Hosted phase one: the second `firecrawl_parse` call to make once the upload succeeds, as `{name, arguments}`."
+    },
+    "notes": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "items": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "type": "array"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ],
+      "description": "Hosted phase one: constraints on completing the upload flow."
+    },
+    "raw": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ],
+      "description": "Response body when it was not JSON."
+    },
+    "success": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "boolean"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ],
+      "description": "Whether the API call succeeded."
+    },
+    "upload": {
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "description": "Hosted phase one: how to upload the local file.",
+      "properties": {
+        "command": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "description": "Local command that performs the upload. It carries no Firecrawl API key."
+        },
+        "expiresAt": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "description": "When the upload URL expires."
+        },
+        "fields": {
+          "description": "Form fields the upload request must send, for a POST upload."
+        },
+        "headers": {
+          "description": "Headers the upload request must send."
+        },
+        "maxSizeBytes": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "type": "number"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "description": "Largest file the upload URL accepts."
+        },
+        "method": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "description": "HTTP method for the upload."
+        },
+        "uploadRef": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "description": "Reference to pass back on the second call."
+        },
+        "uploadUrl": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "description": "URL to upload the local file to."
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "warning": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ],
+      "description": "Non-fatal warning about the result."
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

Changed6 schema fields changedSep 20, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / contentType / description

Added value: +"Phase 1 MIME type override. If omitted, the server infers it from the file extension without reading the file."

addedInput schema / properties / declaredSizeBytes / description

Added value: +"Optional phase 1 size declaration. Hosted MCP does not stat the file; provide this only if the caller already knows it."

addedInput schema / properties / filePath / description

Added value: +"Phase 1 only: path to the local file on the caller/harness machine. Hosted MCP will not read or stat this path; it is used only to produce upload instructions."

addedInput schema / properties / maxAge / description

Added value: +"Ignored: parse never reuses or stores indexed content."

changedInput schema / properties / queryOptions / required

Previous value: -[
-  "prompt",
-  "mode"
-]New value: +[
+  "prompt"
+]

addedInput schema / properties / uploadRef / description

Added value: +"Phase 2 only: short-lived upload reference returned by phase 1 after the local PUT upload completes."

Changed6 schema fields changedJul 8, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"New value: +"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"

removedInput schema / properties / contentType / description

Removed value: -"Phase 1 MIME type override. If omitted, the server infers it from the file extension without reading the file."

removedInput schema / properties / declaredSizeBytes / description

Removed value: -"Optional phase 1 size declaration. Hosted MCP does not stat the file; provide this only if the caller already knows it."

removedInput schema / properties / filePath / description

Removed value: -"Phase 1 only: path to the local file on the caller/harness machine. Hosted MCP will not read or stat this path; it is used only to produce upload instructions."

changedInput schema / properties / jsonOptions / properties / schema / additionalProperties
```
Previous value: -{}New value: +false
```

removedInput schema / properties / uploadRef / description

Removed value: -"Phase 2 only: short-lived upload reference returned by phase 1 after the local PUT upload completes."

First observedJun 23, 2026

TDQS

A4.5/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already cover the safety profile (readOnly, non-destructive, closed-world), and the description adds substantial behavior beyond them: the two-phase upload protocol, the PII redaction option, the zeroDataRetention auth requirement, and what each phase returns. This is rich context that an agent could not infer from the annotations alone.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is dense but well-structured: purpose and formats first, then the local/hosted flow distinction, then behavioral options, then return values. Every sentence carries information, with only the final scrapeId sentence being marginal.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given a 19-parameter tool with a nested schema and a two-phase hosted flow, the description covers the critical decision points and return behavior; an output schema exists, so return details are supplementary rather than required. Minor gaps remain around several optional tuning parameters, but nothing blocking correct invocation is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is only 26% across 19 parameters, so the description must compensate. It explains filePath, uploadRef, redactPII, zeroDataRetention, pdfOptions.maxPages, and formats, but leaves proxy, parsers, contentType, includeTags/excludeTags, jsonOptions, queryOptions, storeInCache, onlyMainContent, removeBase64Images, skipTlsVerification, and declaredSizeBytes largely to the schema, which only partially documents them.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb (parse) and resource (one supported document) and enumerates the output formats (markdown, HTML, links, summary, query answers, schema JSON) plus supported input types. It explicitly separates itself from firecrawl_scrape by stating that remote web URLs belong there, so an agent can distinguish it from siblings without opening schemas.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives explicit routing: local MCP reads filePath directly, hosted MCP requires a two-call upload flow with filePath then uploadRef, and remote URLs go to firecrawl_scrape. It also states the do-not rule (never send both fields together) and the auth condition for zeroDataRetention, which is exactly the when/when-not guidance needed.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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