firecrawl_deep_research
Analyze complex research questions by crawling multiple web sources and generating comprehensive LLM-based analysis.
Instructions
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:
{
"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.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| query | Yes | The query to research | |
| maxDepth | No | Maximum depth of research iterations (1-10) | |
| timeLimit | No | Time limit in seconds (30-300) | |
| maxUrls | No | Maximum number of URLs to analyze (1-1000) |
Implementation Reference
- src/index.ts:1296-1348 (handler)The handler for the 'firecrawl_deep_research' tool in the request-handling switch statement.
case 'firecrawl_deep_research': { if (!args || typeof args !== 'object' || !('query' in args)) { throw new Error('Invalid arguments for firecrawl_deep_research'); } try { const researchStartTime = Date.now(); safeLog('info', `Starting deep research for query: ${args.query}`); const response = await client.deepResearch( args.query as string, { maxDepth: args.maxDepth as number, timeLimit: args.timeLimit as number, maxUrls: args.maxUrls as number, // @ts-expect-error Extended API options including origin origin: 'mcp-server', }, // Activity callback (activity) => { safeLog( 'info', `Research activity: ${activity.message} (Depth: ${activity.depth})` ); }, // Source callback (source) => { safeLog( 'info', `Research source found: ${source.url}${source.title ? ` - ${source.title}` : ''}` ); } ); // Log performance metrics safeLog( 'info', `Deep research completed in ${Date.now() - researchStartTime}ms` ); if (!response.success) { throw new Error(response.error || 'Deep research failed'); } // Format the results const formattedResponse = { finalAnalysis: response.data.finalAnalysis, activities: response.data.activities, sources: response.data.sources, }; return { content: [ - src/index.ts:589-616 (registration)Definition of the 'firecrawl_deep_research' tool metadata and schema documentation.
const DEEP_RESEARCH_TOOL: Tool = { name: 'firecrawl_deep_research', description: ` 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. `, inputSchema: {