What Is llms.txt & What Is an llms.txt File?
Learn what llms.txt is and what an llms.txt file looks like, plus how it’s used to point large language models to key information on your website. This FAQ outlines the structure, placement, and intended purpose of the file so you can decide whether it’s worth including as part of your AI strategy.
What Is llms.txt?
Pointing AI to your sweetest info.
llms.txt is a proposed standard designed to help large language models (LLMs) understand your site by pointing them to curated, markdown-formatted content. Rather than letting an AI tool attempt to scrape and interpret complex HTML, llms.txt gives it quick, structured access to concise information.
It’s especially helpful for inference tasks, like when a user asks an AI tool for information that might live on your site. It doesn’t control access or permissions. Instead, it offers guidance to AI systems on where to find the most useful, plain-text versions of your content.
Is llms.txt Required & Who Uses lt?
llms.txt is not required for SEO or AI visibility. Google, for example, says they do not currently use this file in its AI Overviews or AI Mode features. However, the standard is gaining traction among other AI platforms and open-source projects, and tools like OpenAI, Perplexity, and Anthropic are more likely to benefit from it.
Even if your site isn’t regularly queried by LLMs, this file can make your content easier to interpret, summarize, and reuse when those tools do engage with it. Especially if your site serves as a trusted source of information.
What Is an llms.txt File?
A simple file that speaks AI.
An llms.txt file is a plain text file written in markdown and placed at the root of your website (e.g., yourdomain.com/llms.txt). It includes a project or site title, a short summary, and links to LLM-friendly markdown files. These are often clean versions of your core pages, like documentation, product details, services, and locations.
You can also include an “optional” section for secondary resources. The structure is easy for humans and LLMs to read, and it’s formatted in a way that’s machine-parseable using standard tools like regular expressions or markdown parsers.
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