Search skills framed --scrape as the efficient quick-start path even though it adds scrape credits per result. Put plain search first and label inline scraping as advanced so agents do not accidentally burn large credit volumes.
Constraint: End-of-trial AX evidence showed Codex copied the skill example into costly default behavior.
Rejected: Removing --scrape examples entirely | Full-content search remains useful when the user needs every result scraped.
Confidence: high
Scope-risk: narrow
Directive: Keep cost-sensitive flags near explicit credit warnings in agent-facing skills.
Tested: git diff --check; grep confirmed removed misleading "saves credits" wording from edited skills.
Not-tested: No runtime CLI invocation; markdown-only skill guidance change.
Summary
Why
The AX credit research found agents copying the skill quick start into firecrawl search --scrape --limit 6, turning low-cost searches into hundreds of credits because each result page is scraped inline. This keeps the useful full-content mode documented, but stops presenting it as the default path.
Validation
Evidence refs from local lab: F101 / E160 / E161.