llms.txt Explained: Does Your Site Need One?
QUICK ANSWER
llms.txt is a proposed plain-text file at the root of your website that gives AI tools a short, curated map of your most important pages. It is easy to add and can help AI tools find your best content, but it is not an official standard, and major AI engines do not guarantee they use it.
What llms.txt is
llms.txt is a simple Markdown file placed at yourdomain.com/llms.txt. It was proposed in 2024 as a way for websites to tell large language models which pages matter most and what they contain.
Think of it as a short, human-readable table of contents for AI: a summary of who you are, followed by links to your key pages with one-line descriptions.
What it can and can’t do
What it can do:
- Give AI tools and agents a clean list of your most useful pages.
- Provide a short, accurate summary of your business in your own words.
- Help developer tools and AI assistants that do read it find your documentation faster.
What it can’t do:
- It does not guarantee that ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude will read it or recommend you.
- It does not replace your sitemap, robots.txt or structured data.
- It cannot fix weak content, inconsistent facts or a lack of third-party trust.
Treat it as a low-cost extra, not a core GEO strategy.
What to put in your llms.txt
A good llms.txt usually has:
- A heading with your brand name.
- A one-paragraph summary: what you do, who you serve and where.
- Sections listing your key pages, such as services, pricing, about, contact and your best guides, each with a short description.
- Optionally, an “optional” section with lower-priority pages.
Keep it short and accurate. It should match the facts on your site and in your structured data exactly.
How to add one
- Write the file in plain Markdown.
- Upload it to your website root so it opens at /llms.txt.
- Make sure it is publicly accessible and not blocked by your security settings.
- Update it when you add or remove important pages. Some sites generate it automatically from their content.
You can see a live example at adviol.com/llms.txt.
What matters more than llms.txt
If you have limited time, focus first on the basics that every AI engine uses: crawlable pages, clear answers, consistent facts and third-party mentions. Our GEO checklist lists them in order. Then make sure the right AI crawlers can reach you at all. We cover that in an upcoming post on which AI crawlers to allow.
Key takeaways
- llms.txt is a short, curated map of your site for AI tools.
- It is easy to add but not an official standard.
- It does not replace sitemaps, robots.txt or structured data.
- Fundamentals like clear content and consistent facts matter more.
Frequently asked questions
Does Google use llms.txt?
Google has not said it uses llms.txt for Search or AI Overviews. Treat it as optional.
Is llms.txt the same as robots.txt?
No. robots.txt controls crawling. llms.txt is a suggested reading list for AI tools.
Can llms.txt hurt my site?
Not if it is accurate. Just make sure it does not list private or outdated pages.
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