AI search · Intermediate

llms.txt

llms.txt is a proposed Markdown file at a site's root that gives language models a short, curated map of the site's most useful pages. It's a community proposal, not an official standard, so treat it as a small extra.

By Thryv StudioUpdated

Category
AI search
Level
Intermediate
Location
yourdomain.com/llms.txt
Format
Markdown: title, summary and link lists
Status
Proposal (2024), not a standard
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llms.txt Generator

What is llms.txt?

llms.txt is a plain-text Markdown file, proposed in 2024, that sits at the root of a website. Where a sitemap lists every page for crawlers, llms.txt is a short, curated guide for AI tools: a title, a one-paragraph summary of the site, and sections of links to the pages that matter most, each with a short note.

Does it help?

Honestly, it's uncertain. Google has said it doesn't use llms.txt, and AI companies haven't published how much they rely on it. It's cheap to create, it can help AI tools and agents that do read it, and it forces you to decide which pages matter. Treat it as a small extra, not a ranking fix.

What a good file looks like

# Acme

> Acme makes payroll software for small businesses in India.

## Products

- [Payroll](https://acme.com/payroll): Monthly payroll with statutory filings
- [Pricing](https://acme.com/pricing): Plans and what each includes

Best practices

  1. Keep it short: your most useful pages, not every URL.
  2. Write the summary the way you'd want an assistant to describe you.
  3. Use full URLs and short, factual notes.
  4. Serve it as plain text and update it when key pages change.

Frequently asked questions

Is llms.txt the same as robots.txt?

No. robots.txt tells crawlers what they may access. llms.txt suggests what's worth reading. It grants or blocks nothing.

What is llms-full.txt?

A companion file some sites publish with their full content in one Markdown file, for tools that want everything at once.

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