# Live Web Data  with MCP

Give Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf access to live web data.

From prototype to production in under 3 minutes.

Used by over 500,000 developers

Trusted by 80,000+ companies of all sizes

3 min setup time  
99.9% content accuracy  
24/7 automatic refresh schedules

### Perfect for

#### Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf users
Give your editor access to live web data for coding, debugging, and research tasks.

#### Agent builders
Build agents that can search, scrape, and extract structured data from the web on demand.

#### Internal developer tooling
Standardize one MCP integration for teams so everyone uses the same reliable web data layer.

#### From prototypes to production
Start on the free tier, then scale without adding headless browsers, proxies, or infrastructure maintenance.

### Use Cases

### How it works
#### Install the Firecrawl MCP server
Run one command (`npx -y firecrawl-mcp`) to install the official server.
[MCP setup guide](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/mcp-server)

#### Connect it to your editor
Add your API key once and use it in Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, and more.
[MCP Docs](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/mcp-server)

#### Find the right pages, fast
Let your agent use Search to discover sources, then Scrape to pull fresh context.
[Search API](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/features/search)

#### Extract LLM-ready data
Return clean markdown or structured JSON your agent can use immediately.
[Extract endpoint](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/features/extract)

#### Let Firecrawl handle the hard stuff
JavaScript rendering, retries, and anti-bot friction—without browser scripts or proxies.
[Scrape endpoint](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/features/scrape)

#### Ship it to production
Prototype for free, then scale confidently with production reliability and uptime.
[Pricing](/content/pricing/index.html)

### How Firecrawl compares to alternatives
| Feature | Firecrawl | Manual CSV uploads | Browser extensions | Generic scrapers |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Structured markdown output | ✓ |  |  |  |
| Automatic scheduling & refresh | ✓ |  |  |  |
| JavaScript rendering | ✓ |  |  |  |
| URL metadata preserved | ✓ |  |  |  |
| Multi-tenant scoping | ✓ |  |  |  |
| API-first integration | ✓ |  |  |  |
| Built-in rate limiting & retries | ✓ |  |  |  |
| No manual intervention required | ✓ |  |  |  |

### Tutorials & guides
[How to Build MCP Servers in Python: Complete FastMCP Tutorial](/content/blog/fastmcp-tutorial-building-mcp-servers-python/index.html)
[15 Best MCP Servers for AI Agents (Including Firecrawl)](/content/blog/best-mcp-servers-for-cursor/index.html)
[The World's Best Web Data API](/content/blog/the-worlds-best-web-data-api-v25/index.html)

### FAQ
## Frequently asked questions
### General
**How do I add Firecrawl to my MCP-compatible code editor?**  
Run `npx -y firecrawl-mcp` to install the official Firecrawl MCP server, then add the configuration to your editor's MCP settings file with your API key. Most developers are set up in under 3 minutes. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and any MCP-compatible editor. Full setup guide at [docs.firecrawl.dev/mcp-server](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/mcp-server).

**Does Firecrawl work with Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf?**  
Yes. Firecrawl provides an official MCP server that works with any MCP-compatible editor including Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf. Install once and use across all your editors.

### Technical
**Can I use Firecrawl for free to prototype my AI agent?**  
Yes. The free tier includes 10 scrapes per minute, 10 maps per minute, 5 searches per minute, and 1 crawl per minute. No credit card required to start. You can build and test your agent before upgrading to a paid plan.

**What data formats does Firecrawl return for AI agents?**  
Firecrawl returns clean markdown and structured JSON, optimized for LLMs. All content is pre-processed to remove ads, navigation, footers, and boilerplate. Your agent gets only the signal, not the noise. You can also request raw HTML if needed.

### Integration
**Can I use Firecrawl in production with my code editor?**  
Absolutely. Firecrawl powers AI agents and code editors at companies like Replit. Our infrastructure handles millions of requests daily with 99.9% uptime.

**What happens when websites change or block requests?**  
Firecrawl handles website changes, anti-bot protection, and dynamic JavaScript rendering automatically. You never maintain headless browsers, rotate proxies, or update selectors. We handle the infrastructure so you can focus on building your agent.