docs: default Firecrawl URL to public API

.env.example

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-# Optional: local Firecrawl endpoint for targeted botanical source search.
+# Firecrawl endpoint for targeted botanical source search.
-# Example: http://localhost:3002 or http://firecrawl:3002
+# Public Firecrawl API by default; replace with your self-hosted endpoint if needed.
-FIRECRAWL_API_URL=
+FIRECRAWL_API_URL=https://api.firecrawl.dev
 
-# Optional if your Firecrawl instance requires it.
+# Required for the public Firecrawl API; optional for some self-hosted instances.
 FIRECRAWL_API_KEY=
 
 # Optional: comma-separated allow-list used by search_botanical_sources.

README.md

@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ Uses Wikimedia Commons to return:
 
 ### `search_botanical_sources(query: str, limit: int = 5)`
 
-Uses a local Firecrawl instance if `FIRECRAWL_API_URL` is configured. If not configured, the tool returns source-constrained suggested queries rather than pretending to have scraped content.
+Uses the configured Firecrawl endpoint if `FIRECRAWL_API_URL` is configured. The examples default to the public Firecrawl API (`https://api.firecrawl.dev`), and you can replace it with a self-hosted endpoint if preferred. If Firecrawl is not configured, the tool returns source-constrained suggested queries rather than pretending to have scraped content.
 
 ## Sources
 
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ mcp_servers:
     timeout: 120
     connect_timeout: 60
     env:
-      FIRECRAWL_API_URL: "http://localhost:3002"
+      FIRECRAWL_API_URL: "https://api.firecrawl.dev"
       FIRECRAWL_API_KEY: ""
       BOTANICAL_ALLOWED_DOMAINS: "gbif.org,powo.science.kew.org,missouribotanicalgarden.org,tela-botanica.org,inpn.mnhn.fr,rhs.org.uk,edu,wikimedia.org,wikipedia.org"
       OPENHERBARIUM_TIMEOUT: "20"
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ Hermes JSON-style snippet:
       "timeout": 120,
       "connect_timeout": 60,
       "env": {
-        "FIRECRAWL_API_URL": "http://localhost:3002",
+        "FIRECRAWL_API_URL": "https://api.firecrawl.dev",
         "FIRECRAWL_API_KEY": "",
         "BOTANICAL_ALLOWED_DOMAINS": "gbif.org,powo.science.kew.org,missouribotanicalgarden.org,tela-botanica.org,inpn.mnhn.fr,rhs.org.uk,edu,wikimedia.org,wikipedia.org",
         "OPENHERBARIUM_TIMEOUT": "20"
@@ -218,8 +218,8 @@ Available parameters:
 
 | Environment variable | Required | Default | Purpose |
 |---|---:|---|---|
-| `FIRECRAWL_API_URL` | No | unset | Local Firecrawl base URL. Enables `search_botanical_sources` and richer source search in care/species tools. |
+| `FIRECRAWL_API_URL` | No | unset | Firecrawl base URL. The examples use the public API `https://api.firecrawl.dev`; replace it with your self-hosted endpoint if preferred. Enables `search_botanical_sources` and richer source search in care/species tools. |
-| `FIRECRAWL_API_KEY` | No | unset | Optional bearer token if your Firecrawl instance requires authentication. |
+| `FIRECRAWL_API_KEY` | No | unset | Bearer token for the public Firecrawl API, or for any self-hosted instance that requires authentication. |
 | `BOTANICAL_ALLOWED_DOMAINS` | No | built-in allow-list | Comma-separated source domains used to constrain targeted botanical searches. |
 | `OPENHERBARIUM_TIMEOUT` | No | `20` | HTTP timeout in seconds for public APIs and Firecrawl calls. |
 
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ Generic JSON example with all configurable parameters:
         "openherbarium-mcp"
       ],
       "env": {
-        "FIRECRAWL_API_URL": "http://localhost:3002",
+        "FIRECRAWL_API_URL": "https://api.firecrawl.dev",
         "FIRECRAWL_API_KEY": "",
         "BOTANICAL_ALLOWED_DOMAINS": "gbif.org,powo.science.kew.org,missouribotanicalgarden.org,tela-botanica.org,inpn.mnhn.fr,rhs.org.uk,edu,wikimedia.org,wikipedia.org",
         "OPENHERBARIUM_TIMEOUT": "20"
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ mcp_servers:
     timeout: 120
     connect_timeout: 60
     env:
-      FIRECRAWL_API_URL: "http://localhost:3002"
+      FIRECRAWL_API_URL: "https://api.firecrawl.dev"
       FIRECRAWL_API_KEY: ""
       BOTANICAL_ALLOWED_DOMAINS: "gbif.org,powo.science.kew.org,missouribotanicalgarden.org,tela-botanica.org,inpn.mnhn.fr,rhs.org.uk,edu,wikimedia.org,wikipedia.org"
       OPENHERBARIUM_TIMEOUT: "20"
@@ -308,11 +308,11 @@ For direct local execution outside an MCP client, you can also copy `.env.exampl
 to `.env` and set the same parameters there:
 
 ```bash
-FIRECRAWL_API_URL=http://localhost:3002
+FIRECRAWL_API_URL=https://api.firecrawl.dev
 FIRECRAWL_API_KEY=
 ```
 
-If Firecrawl is not configured, source-search tools return explicit suggested queries and a `not_configured` status.
+If Firecrawl is not configured, source-search tools return explicit suggested queries and a `not_configured` status. With the public API URL, set `FIRECRAWL_API_KEY` to your Firecrawl key.
 
 ## Development
 

examples/claude-desktop-mcp.json

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
       "timeout": 120,
       "connect_timeout": 60,
       "env": {
-        "FIRECRAWL_API_URL": "http://localhost:3002",
+        "FIRECRAWL_API_URL": "https://api.firecrawl.dev",
         "FIRECRAWL_API_KEY": "",
         "BOTANICAL_ALLOWED_DOMAINS": "gbif.org,powo.science.kew.org,missouribotanicalgarden.org,tela-botanica.org,inpn.mnhn.fr,rhs.org.uk,edu,wikimedia.org,wikipedia.org",
         "OPENHERBARIUM_TIMEOUT": "20"

examples/cursor-mcp.json

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
       "timeout": 120,
       "connect_timeout": 60,
       "env": {
-        "FIRECRAWL_API_URL": "http://localhost:3002",
+        "FIRECRAWL_API_URL": "https://api.firecrawl.dev",
         "FIRECRAWL_API_KEY": "",
         "BOTANICAL_ALLOWED_DOMAINS": "gbif.org,powo.science.kew.org,missouribotanicalgarden.org,tela-botanica.org,inpn.mnhn.fr,rhs.org.uk,edu,wikimedia.org,wikipedia.org",
         "OPENHERBARIUM_TIMEOUT": "20"

examples/generic-mcp.json

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
       "timeout": 120,
       "connect_timeout": 60,
       "env": {
-        "FIRECRAWL_API_URL": "http://localhost:3002",
+        "FIRECRAWL_API_URL": "https://api.firecrawl.dev",
         "FIRECRAWL_API_KEY": "",
         "BOTANICAL_ALLOWED_DOMAINS": "gbif.org,powo.science.kew.org,missouribotanicalgarden.org,tela-botanica.org,inpn.mnhn.fr,rhs.org.uk,edu,wikimedia.org,wikipedia.org",
         "OPENHERBARIUM_TIMEOUT": "20"

examples/hermes-mcp.json

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
       "timeout": 120,
       "connect_timeout": 60,
       "env": {
-        "FIRECRAWL_API_URL": "http://localhost:3002",
+        "FIRECRAWL_API_URL": "https://api.firecrawl.dev",
         "FIRECRAWL_API_KEY": "",
         "BOTANICAL_ALLOWED_DOMAINS": "gbif.org,powo.science.kew.org,missouribotanicalgarden.org,tela-botanica.org,inpn.mnhn.fr,rhs.org.uk,edu,wikimedia.org,wikipedia.org",
         "OPENHERBARIUM_TIMEOUT": "20"

examples/hermes-openherbarium-uvx.yaml

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ openherbarium:
   connect_timeout: 60
   env:
     # Optional: enable targeted botanical source search through your local Firecrawl.
-    FIRECRAWL_API_URL: "http://localhost:3002"
+    FIRECRAWL_API_URL: "https://api.firecrawl.dev"
     FIRECRAWL_API_KEY: ""
 
     # Optional: tune source filtering and HTTP timeout without editing code.

examples/local-dev-mcp.json

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
       "timeout": 120,
       "connect_timeout": 60,
       "env": {
-        "FIRECRAWL_API_URL": "http://localhost:3002",
+        "FIRECRAWL_API_URL": "https://api.firecrawl.dev",
         "FIRECRAWL_API_KEY": "",
         "BOTANICAL_ALLOWED_DOMAINS": "gbif.org,powo.science.kew.org,missouribotanicalgarden.org,tela-botanica.org,inpn.mnhn.fr,rhs.org.uk,edu,wikimedia.org,wikipedia.org",
         "OPENHERBARIUM_TIMEOUT": "20"

examples/windsurf-mcp.json

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
       "timeout": 120,
       "connect_timeout": 60,
       "env": {
-        "FIRECRAWL_API_URL": "http://localhost:3002",
+        "FIRECRAWL_API_URL": "https://api.firecrawl.dev",
         "FIRECRAWL_API_KEY": "",
         "BOTANICAL_ALLOWED_DOMAINS": "gbif.org,powo.science.kew.org,missouribotanicalgarden.org,tela-botanica.org,inpn.mnhn.fr,rhs.org.uk,edu,wikimedia.org,wikipedia.org",
         "OPENHERBARIUM_TIMEOUT": "20"