Firecrawl Developer Index Skill for Claude Code: What It Does and How to Install It

Makes your assistant look up current docs, release notes and public GitHub issues for a library before it answers.

Installs: 8.7K; on skills.sh
Stars: 142; on GitHub
Files: 1; besides SKILL.md
Updated: Oct 2026; last repo commit

SKILL.md tells your assistant to search the Firecrawl developer index with firecrawl developer before answering, because model knowledge stops at a training cutoff. Results carry the matched passages and a source URL, so the answer can quote the doc or issue.

It bundles 1 reference file, official-documentation.md, which handles documentation questions. It needs the Firecrawl CLI or the Firecrawl MCP server.

Good for

Developers upgrading a library or checking a version-specific behaviour
Anyone who pastes a library error and wants to know if it was reported or fixed
People who want answers cited to the doc page, issue or pull request

Install firecrawl-developer-index

Claude Code

Copy this prompt.

Install the firecrawl-developer-index skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

npm install -g firecrawl-cli@latest
firecrawl login --browser
npx skills add https://github.com/firecrawl/skills --skill firecrawl-developer-index

Then check that it loaded and tell me how to use it.

2
Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.

Requires Node.js, A Firecrawl account.

The skill only gives your assistant instructions. The Firecrawl command line tool (or the Firecrawl MCP server) does the work, so install the CLI first and sign in with firecrawl login --browser, or set FIRECRAWL_API_KEY. The plugin route installs the repo's firecrawl plugin: the Claude plugin.json lists 17 skills (12 core and 5 build), and the repo root has a .mcp.json that starts the firecrawl-mcp server with npx. The README says the plugin includes Firecrawl MCP configuration. There is no Claude app upload route because the skill drives a local CLI or MCP tools.

From the vendor's docs. Source.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Searches current documentation, release notes, API references and public repository issues for libraries, frameworks, SDKs, APIs and CLI tools with `firecrawl developer`. Use before answering when the user names a version, is upgrading, pastes an error from a library or tool, or asks how to use, configure or migrate a specific library or API. Model knowledge stops at a training cutoff and misses new releases, renamed APIs, changed defaults and recent fixes, so when a version, option, error or API is unfamiliar or may have changed, look it up instead of guessing. Also checks whether a bug was fixed and in which release. Not for general programming concepts, code that uses no specific library, or refactoring code the user supplied.

Sections in SKILL.md

The tools, and what each is uniquely good at
Filters, and what each one costs you
Match the approach to the question
Principles
See also

Key facts

Author: Firecrawl (firecrawl/skills catalog)
Repo: firecrawl/skills
License: ISC (LICENSE and README agree)
Installs on skills.sh: 8,746 (Nov 2, 2026)
GitHub stars: 142 for the whole firecrawl/skills repo (Nov 2, 2026)
Last repo commit: Oct 22, 2026
Audits on skills.sh: Gen Agent Trust Hub: pass, Socket: pass, Snyk: warn
What it includes: 2 files: SKILL.md and references/official-documentation.md (counted from the repo tree)
Needs: The Firecrawl CLI or the Firecrawl MCP server, plus Node.js to install the CLI
Part of plugin: firecrawl (listed in the Claude plugin.json)
Source of truth: The README says the skills/ folders in this repo are CI-synced mirrors and that core skills are maintained in firecrawl/cli

What it includes

Ranked search over docs, issues, pull requests and READMEs, with matched passages.
The default first move. Each result has an id with a doc:, issue:, pull_request: or readme: prefix, a URL and the matched passages.
Try: “Search for the exact error message from my build.”
Network · firecrawl developer
The same search as an MCP tool, with optional k and a skills=only switch.
Takes k from 1 to 100 (default 10). skills=only limits results to agent-skill files.
Network · firecrawl_developer_search (MCP)
The HTTP search with filters: types, repos, sources, passages and repository filters.
SKILL.md says it is keyless and that a Bearer FIRECRAWL_API_KEY header gives higher rate limits. Repository filters are language, topic, license, min_stars, max_stars, archived and fork.
Network · GET|POST api.firecrawl.dev/v2/search/developer
A web search that also returns developer hits in their own group.
Use it when you are already running a web search. It exposes none of the filters.
Network · firecrawl search --categories developer
General web fetch and search for what no primary source states.
Also used to read a full page when a hit is the right one but you need all of it.
Network · firecrawl scrape / firecrawl search
Bundled guide: search the index, read passages, answer with citations.
Runs `firecrawl developer "<question>" --json`, scrapes a supplied official page with `firecrawl scrape`, and falls back to a developer-category search.
Network · Official documentation workflow

From the official docs

Permissions

Low risk

What it can do

Read your data
Create and change things
Delete things
Read-only mode

Watch out for

Your question goes to Firecrawl
Searches are sent to the Firecrawl API. The bundled guide says not to put secrets or proprietary source code in queries. github.com
Setup installs a global npm package
The CLI is installed with npm install -g, and install.md says the one-command setup adds skills to every detected editor. The single-skill route in the install box avoids that. github.com
The plugin route adds an MCP config
The repo root has a .mcp.json that starts firecrawl-mcp with npx -y and reads FIRECRAWL_API_KEY. The README says the plugin includes Firecrawl MCP configuration. Use a skills route if you only want this skill. github.com

Technical details

Turning on read-only	No read-only switch is documented.
Talks to	Firecrawl's API (api.firecrawl.dev)
Sign-in and keys	firecrawl login --browser stores credentials in the CLI (install.md). You can set FIRECRAWL_API_KEY instead.
Scopes	Runs firecrawl commands in your shell, or calls Firecrawl MCP tools Sends your query text to Firecrawl

Questions

What does the firecrawl-developer-index skill do?

It makes your assistant look up current library documentation, release notes, API references and public repository issues with firecrawl developer before answering. SKILL.md says it is for version questions, upgrades, pasted library errors and checks on whether a bug was fixed.

When does it not apply?

SKILL.md says it is not for general programming concepts, code that uses no specific library, or refactoring code you supplied. It also says private or internal repositories are not in the index.

How do I install it?

Use the install box at the top of this page. You need the Firecrawl CLI installed and signed in, because the skill runs firecrawl developer.

Do I need an API key?

SKILL.md says the developer search is keyless and that sending a Firecrawl API key gives higher rate limits. The CLI install steps in install.md still use a browser sign-in or an API key.

Is it safe?

It runs Firecrawl commands in your shell and sends your question to Firecrawl. The bundled official-documentation.md says not to send secrets or proprietary source code in search queries. Our advice: strip tokens and private code from any error you paste.

Does it prove a fix is in my version?

No. SKILL.md says a merged fix reaches your version only once a release contains the merge, and tells the assistant to confirm that from release notes or a changelog.

How is it different from firecrawl-research-index?

The research skill searches paper abstracts. This one searches documentation, issues, pull requests and READMEs. Both sit in the firecrawl/skills catalog and use Firecrawl commands.

Is it official?

Yes. It is in the vendor's own repo, firecrawl/skills (owner Firecrawl). The README calls the repo a distribution catalog and says core skills, including this one, are maintained in firecrawl/cli and mirrored here.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: firecrawl/skills
Folder: skills/core/firecrawl-developer-index

firecrawl/skills skills.sh

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 7

firecrawl/skills README · github.com
firecrawl/skills marketplace.json · github.com
firecrawl/skills plugin.json · github.com
Firecrawl CLI install.md · github.com
firecrawl/skills .mcp.json · github.com
firecrawl-developer-index SKILL.md · github.com
firecrawl-developer-index official-documentation.md · github.com