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0xzapata

Firecrawl MCP Server

firecrawl_crawl

Initiates an asynchronous crawl of a website, extracting content from multiple pages. Use for comprehensive site coverage; monitor progress with returned operation ID.

Instructions

Starts an asynchronous crawl job on a website and extracts content from all pages.

Best for: Extracting content from multiple related pages, when you need comprehensive coverage. Not recommended for: Extracting content from a single page (use scrape); when token limits are a concern (use map + batch_scrape); when you need fast results (crawling can be slow). Warning: Crawl responses can be very large and may exceed token limits. Limit the crawl depth and number of pages, or use map + batch_scrape for better control. Common mistakes: Setting limit or maxDepth too high (causes token overflow); using crawl for a single page (use scrape instead). Prompt Example: "Get all blog posts from the first two levels of example.com/blog." Usage Example:

{
  "name": "firecrawl_crawl",
  "arguments": {
    "url": "https://example.com/blog/*",
    "maxDepth": 2,
    "limit": 100,
    "allowExternalLinks": false,
    "deduplicateSimilarURLs": true
  }
}

Returns: Operation ID for status checking; use firecrawl_check_crawl_status to check progress.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
urlYesStarting URL for the crawl
excludePathsNoURL paths to exclude from crawling
includePathsNoOnly crawl these URL paths
maxDepthNoMaximum link depth to crawl
ignoreSitemapNoSkip sitemap.xml discovery
limitNoMaximum number of pages to crawl
allowBackwardLinksNoAllow crawling links that point to parent directories
allowExternalLinksNoAllow crawling links to external domains
webhookNo
deduplicateSimilarURLsNoRemove similar URLs during crawl
ignoreQueryParametersNoIgnore query parameters when comparing URLs
scrapeOptionsNoOptions for scraping each page

Implementation Reference

  • src/index.ts:248-378 (registration)
    Tool definition/registration for firecrawl_crawl with its name, description, and input schema
    const CRAWL_TOOL: Tool = {
      name: 'firecrawl_crawl',
      description: `
    Starts an asynchronous crawl job on a website and extracts content from all pages.
    
    **Best for:** Extracting content from multiple related pages, when you need comprehensive coverage.
    **Not recommended for:** Extracting content from a single page (use scrape); when token limits are a concern (use map + batch_scrape); when you need fast results (crawling can be slow).
    **Warning:** Crawl responses can be very large and may exceed token limits. Limit the crawl depth and number of pages, or use map + batch_scrape for better control.
    **Common mistakes:** Setting limit or maxDepth too high (causes token overflow); using crawl for a single page (use scrape instead).
    **Prompt Example:** "Get all blog posts from the first two levels of example.com/blog."
    **Usage Example:**
    \`\`\`json
    {
      "name": "firecrawl_crawl",
      "arguments": {
        "url": "https://example.com/blog/*",
        "maxDepth": 2,
        "limit": 100,
        "allowExternalLinks": false,
        "deduplicateSimilarURLs": true
      }
    }
    \`\`\`
    **Returns:** Operation ID for status checking; use firecrawl_check_crawl_status to check progress.
    `,
      inputSchema: {
        type: 'object',
        properties: {
          url: {
            type: 'string',
            description: 'Starting URL for the crawl',
          },
          excludePaths: {
            type: 'array',
            items: { type: 'string' },
            description: 'URL paths to exclude from crawling',
          },
          includePaths: {
            type: 'array',
            items: { type: 'string' },
            description: 'Only crawl these URL paths',
          },
          maxDepth: {
            type: 'number',
            description: 'Maximum link depth to crawl',
          },
          ignoreSitemap: {
            type: 'boolean',
            description: 'Skip sitemap.xml discovery',
          },
          limit: {
            type: 'number',
            description: 'Maximum number of pages to crawl',
          },
          allowBackwardLinks: {
            type: 'boolean',
            description: 'Allow crawling links that point to parent directories',
          },
          allowExternalLinks: {
            type: 'boolean',
            description: 'Allow crawling links to external domains',
          },
          webhook: {
            oneOf: [
              {
                type: 'string',
                description: 'Webhook URL to notify when crawl is complete',
              },
              {
                type: 'object',
                properties: {
                  url: {
                    type: 'string',
                    description: 'Webhook URL',
                  },
                  headers: {
                    type: 'object',
                    description: 'Custom headers for webhook requests',
                  },
                },
                required: ['url'],
              },
            ],
          },
          deduplicateSimilarURLs: {
            type: 'boolean',
            description: 'Remove similar URLs during crawl',
          },
          ignoreQueryParameters: {
            type: 'boolean',
            description: 'Ignore query parameters when comparing URLs',
          },
          scrapeOptions: {
            type: 'object',
            properties: {
              formats: {
                type: 'array',
                items: {
                  type: 'string',
                  enum: [
                    'markdown',
                    'html',
                    'rawHtml',
                    'screenshot',
                    'links',
                    'screenshot@fullPage',
                    'extract',
                  ],
                },
              },
              onlyMainContent: {
                type: 'boolean',
              },
              includeTags: {
                type: 'array',
                items: { type: 'string' },
              },
              excludeTags: {
                type: 'array',
                items: { type: 'string' },
              },
              waitFor: {
                type: 'number',
              },
            },
            description: 'Options for scraping each page',
          },
        },
        required: ['url'],
      },
    };
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Discloses key behaviors: asynchronous nature, potential token overflow, returns operation ID for status checking, and warns about large responses. No annotations exist, so description carries full burden and meets it well.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Well-structured with sections (Best for, Warning, etc.), usage example, and prompt example. Every sentence is informative without redundancy.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a complex tool with 12 parameters and no output schema, the description covers purpose, usage, behavioral traits, and return value. It is complete enough for an agent to invoke correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 92%, so baseline is 3. Description adds value through usage example and common mistakes (e.g., setting limit too high), enhancing understanding beyond schema, but does not detail every parameter.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the tool starts an asynchronous crawl and extracts content from all pages, distinguishing it from siblings like scrape (single page) and map (for token concerns).

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicitly provides 'Best for', 'Not recommended for' sections with specific alternatives (scrape, map + batch_scrape), and common mistakes, guiding when to use this tool versus others.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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