How to Use Firecrawl to Generate llms.txt Files

By Zach · May 11, 2025 · 4 min read

As the llms.txt standard continues to gain traction since its introduction in September 2024, website owners are seeking efficient ways to generate these AI-friendly files. Firecrawl has emerged as a leading solution, offering multiple methods to create standardized, LLM-friendly summaries of your website’s key content. These files help AI models efficiently understand and interact with your site, ensuring more accurate representation in AI-generated responses.

What is Firecrawl?

Firecrawl is a specialized web crawling service designed specifically for generating llms.txt files. It analyzes your website’s content, structure, and key information, then transforms it into the markdown-formatted llms.txt standard. This service automates what would otherwise be a manual process of creating structured summaries of your website content for AI consumption.

The platform offers both a basic llms.txt (a concise index with summaries and links) and llms-full.txt (a comprehensive document containing all important content), giving website owners flexibility based on their specific needs and site complexity.

Using the Firecrawl Web Generator

The web-based generator provides the simplest approach for most users:

Visit the Generator: Navigate to http://llmstxt.firecrawl.dev
Enter Your Website URL: Input your complete website address in the provided field
Generate the File: Click the generate button and allow a few minutes for Firecrawl to process your site
Download Your Files: Once processing completes, download both the generated llms.txt (summary) and llms-full.txt (detailed) files

While no API key is required for basic use, obtaining a free Firecrawl API key removes usage limits and unlocks additional features, making it recommended for websites with more than a few pages.

Leveraging the Firecrawl API

For developers looking to automate the process or integrate it into existing workflows, Firecrawl offers a straightforward API:

Basic GET Request:

http://llmstxt.firecrawl.dev/{YOUR_URL}

For the full version:

http://llmstxt.firecrawl.dev/{YOUR_URL}/full

With API Key:

http://llmstxt.firecrawl.dev/{YOUR_URL}?FIRECRAWL_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY

Simply replace {YOUR_URL} with your website’s URL (URL-encoded) and YOUR_API_KEY with your Firecrawl API key. This approach is particularly useful for integrating llms.txt generation into CI/CD pipelines or content management workflows.

Implementing with the Python SDK

For Python developers or those requiring more programmatic control:

Install the SDK:
```
pip install firecrawl
```

Example Implementation:

from firecrawl import FirecrawlApp

firecrawl = FirecrawlApp(api_key="your_api_key")
results = firecrawl.generate_llms_text(
    url="https://your-website.com",
    max_urls=10,            # Number of pages to crawl
    show_full_text=True     # Also get llms-full.txt
)

if results.success:
    print(results.data['llmstxt'])       # The summary file
    print(results.data['llmsfulltxt'])   # The full content file
else:
    print(f"Error: {results.error}")

The SDK also supports asynchronous methods for larger sites and provides functionality to monitor job status, making it suitable for processing extensive websites without blocking execution.

Utilizing the NPX CLI Tool

For developers comfortable with Node.js environments, the NPX CLI tool offers a convenient command-line approach:

npx generate-llmstxt -k your_api_key -u https://your-website.com -m 20

Key parameters include:

-k or --api-key: Your Firecrawl API key (optional if set in .env)
-u or --url: Website URL to process
-m or --max-urls: Number of pages to crawl (default varies)
-o or --output-dir: Output directory (defaults to public)

This command will create both llms.txt and llms-full.txt in your specified directory, ready for deployment to your website’s root.

Using Firecrawl MCP with Cline (VS Code Integration)

For Visual Studio Code users, Firecrawl offers integration with Cline:

Interact with Cline in VS Code: Simply ask it to generate an llms.txt for your URL:
```
>> generate an llms.txt from your-website.com --short version
```
Monitor and retrieve the files: Cline will provide the generated files when complete, allowing for a seamless workflow within your development environment.

This approach is particularly useful for developers who prefer to stay within their IDE while generating and implementing llms.txt files.

Comparing Firecrawl Methods

When deciding which approach best fits your needs, consider these key factors:

Method	Ease of Use	Automation	Requires API Key	Output Files
Web Generator	Easiest	No	No (recommended)	llms.txt, llms-full.txt
API (GET Request)	Easy	Yes	Optional	llms.txt, llms-full.txt
Python SDK	Moderate	Yes	Yes	llms.txt, llms-full.txt
NPX CLI Tool	Easy	Yes	Optional	llms.txt, llms-full.txt
Firecrawl MCP + Cline	Advanced	Yes	Yes	llms.txt, llms-full.txt

Implementation Best Practices

After generating your llms.txt files, follow these steps for proper implementation:

Upload to Root Directory: Place both files at your website’s root (e.g., https://example.com/llms.txt)
Verify Accessibility: Ensure the files are publicly accessible by navigating directly to their URLs
Regular Updates: Set up a schedule to regenerate these files when your website content changes significantly
Consider Customization: Review the generated files and consider manual adjustments to emphasize your most important content or correct any misrepresentations

Choosing the Right Method for Your Needs

For individual website owners or small businesses: The web generator offers the simplest path with minimal technical requirements.
For developers managing multiple sites: The API or NPX CLI tool provides efficient automation capabilities.
For enterprise environments: The Python SDK offers the most flexibility and integration options for complex workflows.
For VS Code users: The Firecrawl MCP with Cline integration provides a seamless experience within your development environment.

Conclusion

Firecrawl’s suite of tools makes generating llms.txt files accessible regardless of your technical expertise or specific requirements. By implementing these files, you ensure your website communicates effectively with AI systems, leading to more accurate representation in AI-generated responses and improved visibility in AI-powered search environments.

As AI continues to transform how users discover and interact with online content, implementing the llms.txt standard represents a forward-thinking approach to digital presence management. Firecrawl’s tools simplify this process, allowing website owners to focus on creating quality content while ensuring that content is properly understood by the AI systems increasingly mediating user experiences.

For most users, the web generator or NPX tool offers the fastest path to a ready-to-use llms.txt file, while developers with more complex needs may benefit from the additional control offered by the API or Python SDK.