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crawl

Crawl a website from a seed URL to retrieve content from many pages. Index documentation, wikis, and multi-page references efficiently.

Instructions

Crawl a site from a seed URL and return content from many pages. Use for indexing docs, wikis, multi-page references. Built for offline reuse: every page lands in the local cache.

Key parameters:

  • strategy: "bfs" (default) | "dfs" | "sitemap" (fastest for doc sites) | "map" (URL-only discovery).

  • max_depth: link-following depth (default 2).

  • max_pages: page cap (default 20).

  • include_patterns / exclude_patterns: regex filters on URLs.

  • max_tokens_out / include_full_markdown / citation_format: budget + shape controls.

Returns pages[] with title, evidence, depth. Content is deduplicated across pages (anchor-fragment aware). All pages are cached for later cache / find_similar queries.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
urlYesSeed URL to start crawling from
strategyNoCrawl strategy: bfs (breadth-first), dfs (depth-first), sitemap (use sitemap.xml), map (URL-only discovery — returns list of URLs without content, faster than full crawl)
use_authNoUse stored auth credentials (default: false)
max_depthNoMaximum link depth from seed (default: 2)
max_pagesNoMaximum pages to crawl (default: 20)
extract_linksNoReturn link graph between pages (default: false)
max_tokens_outNoToken-budget cap on total output. Uses cl100k-base BPE; non-OpenAI tokenizer counts may drift ~5-15%. When both max_tokens_out and max_chars are set, max_tokens_out wins.
citation_formatNoCitation rendering style. 'numbered' (default) inline [N] markers; 'json' returns a citations[] array; 'anthropic_tags' wraps sources in <source id='...'> tags.
max_total_charsNoMax total chars across all pages (default: 100000)
exclude_patternsNoURL regex blacklist — skip matching URLs
include_patternsNoURL regex whitelist — only crawl matching URLs
include_full_markdownNoInclude full markdown body in the response. Default false on multi-result tools (returns evidence excerpts only); set true to restore.
Behavior4/5

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

With no annotations, the description carries the full burden. It details caching behavior, deduplication, strategy differences (e.g., map returns URLs only), and parameter interactions (max_tokens_out vs max_total_chars). However, it omits error handling and rate limit information.

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

Conciseness4/5

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

The description is structured with a clear purpose paragraph followed by a bullet list of key parameters. It is informative without being overly verbose, though slightly long for a concise tool definition.

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

Completeness4/5

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

Given the complexity (12 parameters, no output schema, no annotations), the description covers main behaviors, parameter interactions, and caching. It lacks information on error handling, timeouts, and auth specifics, but is otherwise fairly complete.

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 100%, so baseline is 3. The description adds value by explaining the use cases for each strategy (e.g., 'sitemap fastest for doc sites') and the token budget interaction, going beyond what the schema provides.

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

Purpose4/5

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

The description clearly states the tool crawls a site from a seed URL and returns content from many pages for indexing docs, wikis, and multi-page references. It does not explicitly differentiate from sibling tools like fetch or search, but the purpose is well-articulated.

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

Usage Guidelines3/5

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

The description mentions use cases (indexing docs, wikis, multi-page references) but does not provide explicit guidance on when not to use this tool or suggest alternatives. Usage context is implied but not thoroughly covered.

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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