AI TOOLS • WEB SCRAPING
Firecrawl
Web scraping built for AI workflows.
Clean data extraction that actually works.
Extract structured content from any website. Handle JavaScript, dynamic pages, and complex layouts. Get AI-ready output - not raw HTML you have to parse.
Try Firecrawl Free →What is Firecrawl?
Firecrawl is a web scraping API designed for AI applications. It extracts clean, structured content from websites and returns data in formats optimised for LLM processing - markdown, JSON, or custom schemas.
Traditional web scrapers return raw HTML. You then spend hours parsing, cleaning, and structuring the data before an AI can use it. Firecrawl does this work for you - it handles JavaScript rendering, dynamic content, pagination, and returns ready-to-use output.
The 5 Products - Plain English
Scrape
Most CommonWhat it does: Give it a URL, get back clean content. One page at a time.
Plain English: “Here's a webpage - give me the text content as markdown, or take a screenshot, or pull out specific fields I define.”
Example: Scrape a competitor's pricing page and extract their service tiers.
Crawl
What it does: Give it a starting URL, it follows links and scrapes multiple pages automatically.
Plain English: “Start at this page, follow all the links, and scrape everything you find.”
Example: Crawl an entire documentation site to build a reference library.
Map
What it does: Discovers all the URLs on a website without scraping them.
Plain English: “Show me every page on this website so I can decide which ones to scrape.”
Example: Map a competitor's site to see their full content structure before extracting specific sections.
Search
NewWhat it does: Searches the web for your query, then scrapes the results automatically.
Plain English: “Find pages about X on the web, then extract the content from the top results.”
Example: Search for “UK SBTi target companies” and get full page content from the top 10 results.
Agent
AI-PoweredWhat it does: Describe what data you want in plain English - no URLs needed. Agent finds it.
Plain English: “I want all YC Winter 2024 companies with their founders and funding amounts” - Agent figures out where to look and extracts it.
Example: “Find UK sustainability consultancies with their pricing” - Agent searches, discovers relevant pages, and extracts structured data.
Which One Should You Use?
- Know the exact URL? → Use Scrape
- Want all pages on a site? → Use Crawl (or Map first to see what's there)
- Need to find pages first? → Use Search
- Don't know where the data lives? → Use Agent (it figures it out)
Firecrawl + Claude MCP Integration
The real power of Firecrawl comes from MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration. Configure it once, and you can scrape websites directly from Claude Code - no context switching, no copy-pasting, no separate tools.
Need help setting this up? We configure MCP integrations for clients as part of our AI workflow setup. Get in touch if you'd like a hand.
How It Works
- • Add Firecrawl to your
.mcp.jsonconfig - • Firecrawl tools appear in Claude Code
- • Scrape, map, and extract directly in conversation
- • Results flow straight into your AI workflow
Why This Matters
- • No context switching between tools
- • Claude can decide when to scrape
- • Data goes directly into analysis
- • Build research workflows that scale
Example: Competitive Research
“Scrape the service pages of these 10 competitor websites and create a comparison matrix of their offerings, pricing, and positioning.”
Claude uses Firecrawl to scrape each site, extracts the relevant information, and synthesises it into a structured comparison - all in one conversation.
What Can You Do With Firecrawl?
Real use cases - not theoretical possibilities.
Competitive Intelligence
Scrape competitor websites to understand their services, positioning, and pricing. Build comparison matrices without manual research.
We used this to map 15+ consultancies in a single afternoon.
Lead & Target Lists
Extract company information from directories, databases, and public registries. Build targeted outreach lists with structured data.
We extracted 1,740 UK companies with sustainability commitments in one session.
Reference Libraries
Scrape documentation sites, regulatory guidance, and framework pages. Build searchable reference libraries for client work.
Regulatory frameworks, industry standards, technical documentation - all structured.
Content Research
Extract articles, blog posts, and thought leadership content. Understand what topics are being discussed and how.
Market trends, content gaps, competitive positioning research.
Grant & Funding Research
Map funding opportunities from government sites, foundations, and industry bodies. Track deadlines and eligibility criteria.
Especially useful for sustainability and innovation funding landscapes.
Technology Landscape Mapping
Scrape product pages, feature lists, and pricing from SaaS platforms. Build technology evaluation matrices for clients.
Platform comparisons, capability matrices, vendor assessments.
Our Experience with Firecrawl
We use Firecrawl as part of our AI workflow - integrated via MCP into Claude Code. It's not a daily driver (most research works fine with native web tools), but when you need to extract data at scale or build structured datasets, it's the right tool.
When Firecrawl shines: Bulk extraction (100+ pages), structured data needs, dynamic/JavaScript-heavy sites, building reference libraries.
What We Like
- • Clean output saves processing time
- • MCP integration is seamless
- • Handles JavaScript-rendered content
- • Structured extraction with schemas
- • Responsive, helpful support team
Considerations
- • Credit-based pricing requires monitoring
- • Some sites may block (expected with any scraper)
- • Overkill for simple, single-page needs
- • Requires MCP setup for best experience
Plans
Firecrawl offers a free tier to test whether it fits your workflow, plus paid plans that scale with usage.
Free
Starter credits to evaluate
Hobby
Good for consultants
Growth+
Higher volume tiers
Credit-based pricing - check Firecrawl for current rates.
Affiliate link - we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Firecrawl?
Firecrawl is a web scraping API designed specifically for AI applications. It extracts clean, structured content from websites - handling JavaScript rendering, dynamic content, and complex page layouts - and returns data in formats optimised for LLM processing (markdown, JSON, structured extraction).
How does Firecrawl work with Claude?
Firecrawl integrates with Claude through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Once configured, you can scrape websites, map site structures, and extract data directly from Claude Code or any MCP-compatible AI interface - no separate tools or copy-pasting needed.
What can you use Firecrawl for?
Common use cases include: competitive intelligence (scraping competitor websites), research automation (extracting data from multiple sources), building datasets for AI training, creating reference libraries from documentation sites, lead generation (extracting company information), and content aggregation.
How is Firecrawl different from traditional web scrapers?
Traditional scrapers return raw HTML that requires parsing. Firecrawl returns clean, AI-ready content - markdown, structured JSON, or extracted data matching your schema. It handles JavaScript-rendered content, dynamic pages, and anti-bot measures that break simpler tools.
What does Firecrawl cost?
Firecrawl offers a free tier for testing, plus paid plans that scale with usage. Credits are consumed per page scraped, with different operations (scrape, map, crawl, agent) using different credit amounts. Check their website for current pricing.
Is Firecrawl good for consultants?
Yes - Firecrawl is particularly valuable for consultants doing research-intensive work. It enables rapid competitive analysis, market research, and building client-ready datasets. The MCP integration means you can work directly in your AI workflow without context switching.
When Not to Use Firecrawl
Firecrawl is excellent for bulk, structured extraction. But it's not always the right tool.
Use Native Tools When...
- • You need a single page, once
- • General research questions (use WebSearch)
- • Content is behind login/paywall
- • You just need quick facts, not data
Use Firecrawl When...
- • Extracting from 10+ pages
- • You need structured data (JSON, CSV)
- • Sites are JavaScript-heavy
- • Building datasets or reference libraries
Ready to Try Firecrawl?
Start with the free tier. See if it fits your workflow. If you need help setting up the MCP integration, we can help.