## Context
[Self-Host] Question: how to set the API key when running Firecrawl locally / what value to use in client SDKs and integrations like Dify.

## Verified resolution
Collaborator rafaelsideguide: set USE_DB_AUTHENTICATION=false in .env and use any string as the API key; follow the self-host guide. Lesson: local Firecrawl needs no real key - any string works once DB authentication is disabled, but it must match what clients send or you get 401 Unauthorized.