The short answer
- llms.txt is a short Markdown file at yoursite.com/llms.txt that tells AI tools what your site is and which pages matter most.
- Jeremy Howard proposed it in September 2024. It's a community proposal, not an official web standard.
- Google says you don't need AI text files to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. Treat llms.txt as a cheap extra, not a fix.
- It takes about ten minutes: your name, a one-line summary, a few key facts and links to your best pages.
What is llms.txt?
llms.txt is a plain text file, written in Markdown, that sits at the root of your website. It gives AI tools a short, clean summary of who you are and links to the pages worth reading, without menus, cookie banners or scripts in the way.
It was proposed by Jeremy Howard of Answer.AI in September 2024, mainly so AI tools could find the right documentation on software sites. Some businesses now publish one too.
What goes in an llms.txt file?
The proposal at llmstxt.org sets a simple order. Only the first item is required:
- A heading with your business or site name (
# Name). Required. - A one-line summary in a quote block (
> …). - A few lines of key facts, without headings.
- Sections (
## …) listing links as[name](url): short note. - An optional section titled
## Optionalfor links an AI tool can skip when it's short on space.
An example for a fictional bakery
# Example Bakery
> Sourdough bakery and café in Hackney, London. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 8 am to 4 pm. Walk-ins only.
- Everything is baked on site each morning; vegan and gluten-free options daily.
- Celebration cakes need 72 hours' notice.
## Key pages
- [Menu and prices](https://www.example.com/menu): breads, pastries, coffee and lunch
- [Celebration cakes](https://www.example.com/cakes): flavours, sizes and how to order
- [Visit us](https://www.example.com/visit): address, opening hours, step-free access
## Optional
- [Our story](https://www.example.com/about)Does ChatGPT or Google actually read it?
Google says plainly that you don't need new machine-readable files or AI text files to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. OpenAI's, Anthropic's and Perplexity's crawler documentation talks about robots.txt, not llms.txt.
So don't expect llms.txt to move your search or AI visibility on its own. Its real value is as a tidy, accurate summary that any AI tool or agent can pick up if it looks, and as a forcing exercise: if you can't describe your business in one line, assistants will struggle too.
Is llms.txt the same as robots.txt?
| Row | robots.txt | llms.txt |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Says which bots may fetch which pages | Describes your site and points to key pages |
| Status | Internet standard (RFC 9309) | Community proposal |
| Who reads it | Every major search and AI crawler | Some AI tools and agents |
| If it's missing | Bots assume they may read everything | Nothing breaks |
| Can it block AI? | Yes, bot by bot | No |
If you want to control which assistants can read your site, that's robots.txt. llms.txt only describes.
What is llms-full.txt?
Some sites also publish /llms-full.txt: the full text of their key pages in a single Markdown file, so an AI tool can read everything in one request. It isn't part of the original proposal; it's a convention some documentation tools generate. For most small businesses, the short llms.txt is enough.
How do I add an llms.txt file?
- Write it. The free llms.txt generator builds one from your business details.
- Check every fact: hours, address, prices. An AI tool may repeat them word for word.
- Save it as a plain text file named
llms.txt. - Upload it so it opens at
yoursite.com/llms.txt. On WordPress, your host's file manager or an SEO plugin can do this. Some builders don't allow files at the root; if yours doesn't, the file isn't worth fighting the platform for. - Open the address in your browser. You should see plain text, not your website's design or a 404 page.
Questions people also ask
Type to search these questions, or ask anything about getting found on Google and AI.
Will llms.txt improve my Google rankings?
No. Google says you don't need AI text files for its AI features, and llms.txt isn't part of how Google Search ranks pages.
Does llms.txt replace my sitemap?
No. A sitemap lists every page you want search engines to find. llms.txt is a short, human-written summary of the few pages that matter most. Keep both.
Can llms.txt stop AI companies training on my content?
No. llms.txt doesn't control access. To opt out of AI training, add rules for training bots such as GPTBot and ClaudeBot to your robots.txt.
Sources
- The /llms.txt file(opens in a new tab) · llmstxt.org
- AI features and your website(opens in a new tab) · Google Search Central
- RFC 9309: Robots Exclusion Protocol(opens in a new tab) · IETF
- Overview of OpenAI crawlers(opens in a new tab) · OpenAI
Checked on . AI products change quickly; the operators' own pages are the final word.