search: --categories rejects "developer" client-side although POST /v2/search accepts it
- Dominant language
- TypeScript
- Stars
- 631
- Forks
- 100
- Avg merge
- 5h 9m
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 25
Description
### Summary
`firecrawl search --categories developer` exits 1 with `Error: Invalid category "developer". Valid categories: github, research, pdf` before any request is made, but the API accepts the category and returns results tagged `developer`.
### Version
`firecrawl-cli` 1.19.26 (npm), Node 24.12.0, Linux.
### Where
`dist/index.js` line 701 in the published package:
```js
const validCategories = ['github', 'research', 'pdf'];
```
### Reproduction
```
$ firecrawl search "foundationdb queue worker shutdown" --categories developer --limit 2 --json
Error: Invalid category "developer". Valid categories: github, research, pdf
```
The same request against the API succeeds (2026-09-13):
```
POST https://api.firecrawl.dev/v2/search
{"query": "foundationdb queue worker shutdown", "categories": ["developer"], "limit": 2}
-> HTTP 200, success: true, creditsUsed present, results with "category": "developer"
(forums.foundationdb.org pages, which the github category does not return)
```
The hosted MCP server's `firecrawl_search` tool already lists `developer` in its `categories` enum alongside `github`, `research`, and `pdf`.
### Suggested fix
Add `'developer'` to `validCategories`, or drop the client-side list and let the API validate so new categories work without a CLI release.
Contributor guide
No contributing guide indexed for this repository
Research direction
Start at dist/index.js line 701 and compare the CLI category validation with the hosted MCP categories enum and the API behavior described in the issue. Run the provided firecrawl search command with --categories developer; done means the CLI accepts developer and sends the request successfully instead of rejecting it locally.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- node.js, typescript
- Domain
- cli
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 2/5
- Estimated time
- 1-3 hours
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Clearly specified
- Newbie friendliness
- 75/100