> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://firecrawl-claude-eager-dijkstra-27eiio.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Run Firecrawl MCP locally

> Start and configure the open-source Firecrawl MCP server over stdio or Streamable HTTP.

Run Firecrawl MCP locally when a client needs to launch a local process, when you need a local HTTP transport, or when the MCP server must connect to a self-hosted Firecrawl API. For the managed service, start with [MCP setup](/mcp-server).

## Prerequisites

* Node.js 22 or newer
* npm and `npx`, included with Node.js
* A Firecrawl API key for the cloud API, or a self-hosted Firecrawl API URL

Confirm the installed Node.js version:

```bash theme={null}
node --version
```

## Start the server

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="stdio">
    Use stdio when the MCP client launches Firecrawl as a local process:

    ```bash theme={null}
    env FIRECRAWL_API_KEY=fc-YOUR-API-KEY \
      npx -y firecrawl-mcp@3.23.7
    ```

    Configure the client to run `npx -y firecrawl-mcp@3.23.7` and provide `FIRECRAWL_API_KEY` through the client's protected environment or secret mechanism.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Streamable HTTP">
    Use HTTP when a client such as n8n connects to an already-running server:

    ```bash theme={null}
    env HTTP_STREAMABLE_SERVER=true \
      FIRECRAWL_API_KEY=fc-YOUR-API-KEY \
      npx -y firecrawl-mcp@3.23.7
    ```

    Connect the client to:

    ```text theme={null}
    http://localhost:3000/mcp
    ```

    Confirm the server is ready:

    ```bash theme={null}
    curl http://localhost:3000/health
    ```

    The health check returns `ok`. The local route is `/mcp`; `/v2/mcp` belongs to the hosted Firecrawl service.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Configure the Firecrawl API

| Environment variable     | Purpose                                                                                                               |
| ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `FIRECRAWL_API_KEY`      | Authenticates to the Firecrawl cloud API. It is optional only when a self-hosted API does not require authentication. |
| `FIRECRAWL_API_URL`      | Sends requests to a self-hosted Firecrawl API instead of the cloud API.                                               |
| `HTTP_STREAMABLE_SERVER` | Set to `true` to start the local Streamable HTTP transport instead of stdio.                                          |

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Cloud API theme={null}
  export FIRECRAWL_API_KEY=fc-YOUR-API-KEY
  npx -y firecrawl-mcp@3.23.7
  ```

  ```bash Self-hosted API theme={null}
  export FIRECRAWL_API_URL=https://firecrawl.your-domain.com
  export FIRECRAWL_API_KEY=your-api-key # Omit if the instance does not require authentication
  npx -y firecrawl-mcp@3.23.7
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Note>
  Direct local-file parsing with `firecrawl_parse` requires `FIRECRAWL_API_URL` pointing to a self-hosted Firecrawl API. A local MCP server connected only to the cloud API cannot upload a local file through that tool; the [hosted server uses a signed upload handoff](/mcp-server/tools#important-behavior) instead.
</Note>

## Install globally

Use `npx` for the shortest setup. To install the same reviewed release globally instead:

```bash theme={null}
npm install -g firecrawl-mcp@3.23.7
```

Then run:

```bash theme={null}
env FIRECRAWL_API_KEY=fc-YOUR-API-KEY firecrawl-mcp
```

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The client reports spawn npx ENOENT">
    Install Node.js 22 or newer, confirm that `npx` is on the client's `PATH`, and fully restart the client. On Windows, run `where npx` in Command Prompt and configure the client to use the returned `npx.cmd` path.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The HTTP client cannot connect">
    Confirm that `HTTP_STREAMABLE_SERVER=true`, then call `http://localhost:3000/health`. Use `http://localhost:3000/mcp` as the client endpoint, not the hosted `/v2/mcp` path.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A tool is unavailable">
    Tool availability depends on the Firecrawl services enabled in the target deployment. Compare the connection in [Tools](/mcp-server/tools) and check the local process output for registration or authentication errors.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The server is rate-limited">
    Rate limits are enforced by the connected Firecrawl API. Review the current [rate limits](/rate-limits) and the limits configured for a self-hosted deployment.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>