diff --git a/apps/python-sdk/firecrawl/__init__.py b/apps/python-sdk/firecrawl/__init__.py
index 2fe16ba..fbb2bdb 100644
--- a/apps/python-sdk/firecrawl/__init__.py
+++ b/apps/python-sdk/firecrawl/__init__.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import os
 
 from .firecrawl import FirecrawlApp
 
-__version__ = "0.0.15"
+__version__ = "0.0.16"
 
 # Define the logger for the Firecrawl project
 logger: logging.Logger = logging.getLogger("firecrawl")
diff --git a/apps/python-sdk/firecrawl/__tests__/e2e_withAuth/test.py b/apps/python-sdk/firecrawl/__tests__/e2e_withAuth/test.py
index 90a6498..452d498 100644
--- a/apps/python-sdk/firecrawl/__tests__/e2e_withAuth/test.py
+++ b/apps/python-sdk/firecrawl/__tests__/e2e_withAuth/test.py
@@ -27,14 +27,14 @@ def test_scrape_url_invalid_api_key():
     invalid_app = FirecrawlApp(api_url=API_URL, api_key="invalid_api_key")
     with pytest.raises(Exception) as excinfo:
         invalid_app.scrape_url('https://firecrawl.dev')
-    assert "Failed to scrape URL. Status code: 401" in str(excinfo.value)
+    assert "Unexpected error during scrape URL: Status code 401. Unauthorized: Invalid token" in str(excinfo.value)
 
 def test_blocklisted_url():
     blocklisted_url = "https://facebook.com/fake-test"
     app = FirecrawlApp(api_url=API_URL, api_key=TEST_API_KEY)
     with pytest.raises(Exception) as excinfo:
         app.scrape_url(blocklisted_url)
-    assert "Failed to scrape URL. Status code: 403" in str(excinfo.value)
+    assert "Unexpected error during scrape URL: Status code 403. Firecrawl currently does not support social media scraping due to policy restrictions. We're actively working on building support for it." in str(excinfo.value)
 
 def test_successful_response_with_valid_preview_token():
     app = FirecrawlApp(api_url=API_URL, api_key="this_is_just_a_preview_token")
@@ -86,14 +86,14 @@ def test_crawl_url_invalid_api_key():
     invalid_app = FirecrawlApp(api_url=API_URL, api_key="invalid_api_key")
     with pytest.raises(Exception) as excinfo:
         invalid_app.crawl_url('https://firecrawl.dev')
-    assert "Unexpected error occurred while trying to start crawl job. Status code: 401" in str(excinfo.value)
+    assert "Unexpected error during start crawl job: Status code 401. Unauthorized: Invalid token" in str(excinfo.value)
 
 def test_should_return_error_for_blocklisted_url():
     app = FirecrawlApp(api_url=API_URL, api_key=TEST_API_KEY)
     blocklisted_url = "https://twitter.com/fake-test"
     with pytest.raises(Exception) as excinfo:
         app.crawl_url(blocklisted_url)
-    assert "Unexpected error occurred while trying to start crawl job. Status code: 403" in str(excinfo.value)
+    assert "Unexpected error during start crawl job: Status code 403. Firecrawl currently does not support social media scraping due to policy restrictions. We're actively working on building support for it." in str(excinfo.value)
 
 def test_crawl_url_wait_for_completion_e2e():
     app = FirecrawlApp(api_url=API_URL, api_key=TEST_API_KEY)
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ def test_crawl_url_with_idempotency_key_e2e():
 
     with pytest.raises(Exception) as excinfo:
         app.crawl_url('https://firecrawl.dev', {'crawlerOptions': {'excludes': ['blog/*']}}, True, 2, uniqueIdempotencyKey)
-    assert "Failed to start crawl job. Status code: 409. Error: Idempotency key already used" in str(excinfo.value) 
+    assert "Conflict: Failed to start crawl job due to a conflict. Idempotency key already used" in str(excinfo.value) 
 
 def test_check_crawl_status_e2e():
     app = FirecrawlApp(api_url=API_URL, api_key=TEST_API_KEY)
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ def test_search_invalid_api_key():
     invalid_app = FirecrawlApp(api_url=API_URL, api_key="invalid_api_key")
     with pytest.raises(Exception) as excinfo:
         invalid_app.search("test query")
-    assert "Failed to search. Status code: 401" in str(excinfo.value)
+    assert "Unexpected error during search: Status code 401. Unauthorized: Invalid token" in str(excinfo.value)
 
 def test_llm_extraction():
     app = FirecrawlApp(api_url=API_URL, api_key=TEST_API_KEY)
diff --git a/apps/python-sdk/firecrawl/firecrawl.py b/apps/python-sdk/firecrawl/firecrawl.py
index f20d4bd..7ec0d33 100644
--- a/apps/python-sdk/firecrawl/firecrawl.py
+++ b/apps/python-sdk/firecrawl/firecrawl.py
@@ -53,10 +53,8 @@ class FirecrawlApp:
             Exception: If the scrape request fails.
         """
 
-        headers = {
-            'Content-Type': 'application/json',
-            'Authorization': f'Bearer {self.api_key}'
-        }
+        headers = self._prepare_headers()
+
         # Prepare the base scrape parameters with the URL
         scrape_params = {'url': url}
 
@@ -89,13 +87,10 @@ class FirecrawlApp:
                 return response['data']
             else:
                 raise Exception(f'Failed to scrape URL. Error: {response["error"]}')
-        elif response.status_code in [402, 408, 409, 500]:
-            error_message = response.json().get('error', 'Unknown error occurred')
-            raise Exception(f'Failed to scrape URL. Status code: {response.status_code}. Error: {error_message}')
         else:
-            raise Exception(f'Failed to scrape URL. Status code: {response.status_code}')
+            self._handle_error(response, 'scrape URL')
 
-    def search(self, query, params=None):
+    def search(self, query: str, params: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None) -> Any:
         """
         Perform a search using the Firecrawl API.
 
@@ -109,10 +104,7 @@ class FirecrawlApp:
         Raises:
             Exception: If the search request fails.
         """
-        headers = {
-            'Content-Type': 'application/json',
-            'Authorization': f'Bearer {self.api_key}'
-        }
+        headers = self._prepare_headers()
         json_data = {'query': query}
         if params:
             json_data.update(params)
@@ -129,13 +121,14 @@ class FirecrawlApp:
             else:
                 raise Exception(f'Failed to search. Error: {response["error"]}')
 
-        elif response.status_code in [402, 409, 500]:
-            error_message = response.json().get('error', 'Unknown error occurred')
-            raise Exception(f'Failed to search. Status code: {response.status_code}. Error: {error_message}')
         else:
-            raise Exception(f'Failed to search. Status code: {response.status_code}')
+            self._handle_error(response, 'search')
 
-    def crawl_url(self, url, params=None, wait_until_done=True, poll_interval=2, idempotency_key=None):
+    def crawl_url(self, url: str,
+                  params: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
+                  wait_until_done: bool = True,
+                  poll_interval: int = 2,
+                  idempotency_key: Optional[str] = None) -> Any:
         """
         Initiate a crawl job for the specified URL using the Firecrawl API.
 
@@ -166,7 +159,7 @@ class FirecrawlApp:
         else:
             self._handle_error(response, 'start crawl job')
 
-    def check_crawl_status(self, job_id):
+    def check_crawl_status(self, job_id: str) -> Any:
         """
         Check the status of a crawl job using the Firecrawl API.
 
@@ -186,7 +179,7 @@ class FirecrawlApp:
         else:
             self._handle_error(response, 'check crawl status')
 
-    def _prepare_headers(self, idempotency_key=None):
+    def _prepare_headers(self, idempotency_key: Optional[str] = None) -> Dict[str, str]:
         """
         Prepare the headers for API requests.
 
@@ -208,7 +201,11 @@ class FirecrawlApp:
             'Authorization': f'Bearer {self.api_key}',
         }
 
-    def _post_request(self, url, data, headers, retries=3, backoff_factor=0.5):
+    def _post_request(self, url: str,
+                      data: Dict[str, Any],
+                      headers: Dict[str, str],
+                      retries: int = 3,
+                      backoff_factor: float = 0.5) -> requests.Response:
         """
         Make a POST request with retries.
 
@@ -233,7 +230,10 @@ class FirecrawlApp:
                 return response
         return response
 
-    def _get_request(self, url, headers, retries=3, backoff_factor=0.5):
+    def _get_request(self, url: str,
+                     headers: Dict[str, str],
+                     retries: int = 3,
+                     backoff_factor: float = 0.5) -> requests.Response:
         """
         Make a GET request with retries.
 
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ class FirecrawlApp:
                 return response
         return response
 
-    def _monitor_job_status(self, job_id, headers, poll_interval):
+    def _monitor_job_status(self, job_id: str, headers: Dict[str, str], poll_interval: int) -> Any:
         """
         Monitor the status of a crawl job until completion.
 
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ class FirecrawlApp:
             else:
                 self._handle_error(status_response, 'check crawl status')
 
-    def _handle_error(self, response, action):
+    def _handle_error(self, response: requests.Response, action: str) -> None:
         """
         Handle errors from API responses.
 
@@ -300,8 +300,19 @@ class FirecrawlApp:
         Raises:
             Exception: An exception with a message containing the status code and error details from the response.
         """
-        if response.status_code in [402, 408, 409, 500]:
-            error_message = response.json().get('error', 'Unknown error occurred')
-            raise Exception(f'Failed to {action}. Status code: {response.status_code}. Error: {error_message}')
+        error_message = response.json().get('error', 'No additional error details provided.')
+
+        if response.status_code == 402:
+            message = f"Payment Required: Failed to {action}. {error_message}"
+        elif response.status_code == 408:
+            message = f"Request Timeout: Failed to {action} as the request timed out. {error_message}"
+        elif response.status_code == 409:
+            message = f"Conflict: Failed to {action} due to a conflict. {error_message}"
+        elif response.status_code == 500:
+            message = f"Internal Server Error: Failed to {action}. {error_message}"
         else:
-            raise Exception(f'Unexpected error occurred while trying to {action}. Status code: {response.status_code}')
+            message = f"Unexpected error during {action}: Status code {response.status_code}. {error_message}"
+
+        # Raise an HTTPError with the custom message and attach the response
+        raise requests.exceptions.HTTPError(message, response=response)
+    
\ No newline at end of file