- llms.txt is a Markdown file at yourdomain.com/llms.txt that summarizes your site and links to key pages.
- It is a proposal, not an official standard, and no major search engine has said it uses it for rankings.
- It does not control crawling. That is still the job of robots.txt.
- It is low effort and can help AI tools and agents that read it, so it is worth adding.
What is llms.txt?
llms.txt was proposed in 2024 as a way for websites to give large language models a concise, readable map of their most important content. It lives at the root of a domain, for example example.com/llms.txt, and is written in Markdown: a title, a short description, then sections with links to key pages and a sentence about each.
How it differs from robots.txt and sitemaps
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
| robots.txt | Tells crawlers which parts of the site they may crawl. |
| XML sitemap | Lists URLs so search engines can discover them. |
| llms.txt | Summarizes what the site is about and points AI tools to the most useful pages. |
What llms.txt can and cannot do
Be realistic. Google has said it does not use llms.txt, and no major AI platform has confirmed that it relies on the file for choosing sources. It will not block AI crawlers, and it will not make a weak website rank or get cited.
What it can do is give any tool or AI agent that reads it a clean, accurate summary of your business: what you do, where you operate and which pages matter. Some developer tools and AI agents already use these files, and the cost of adding one is tiny.
How to write a useful llms.txt
- Start with your name as a heading and a one-paragraph description of your business.
- Add key facts: location, services, founders, contact details.
- List your main pages with a short description of each: services, case studies, about, contact.
- Keep it accurate and short. It should be a summary, not a copy of your whole site.
- Update it whenever your services or key pages change.
You can see a live example at itcoresearch.com/llms.txt.
What a simple llms.txt looks like
A small business file might contain:
- A heading with the business name.
- A one-paragraph summary: what the business does, where, and for whom.
- A “Key facts” list: founding year, location, contact details, main services.
- A “Main pages” section with links to services, about, case studies and contact, each with a one-line description.
- An optional section for guides or documentation.
Keep the language factual. Marketing slogans add nothing for a machine reader; clear facts do.
Where llms.txt fits in your priorities
Think of llms.txt as a finishing touch, not a strategy. The things that most influence whether AI tools mention you are the same things that build search visibility: crawlable pages, strong content, consistent business information, reviews and mentions on trusted websites. Do those first, then add llms.txt in an afternoon.
Mistakes to avoid
- Listing pages that redirect, are blocked or no longer exist.
- Making claims in llms.txt that are not supported on the website itself.
- Letting it go out of date when services, prices or contact details change.
- Assuming it replaces robots.txt rules for crawlers.
Do not forget your robots.txt
If you want to appear in AI search, make sure you are not blocking the crawlers that power it, such as Googlebot, Bingbot, OAI-SearchBot (ChatGPT search) and PerplexityBot. Note that Google-Extended controls whether your content is used to train Gemini models; it does not affect your inclusion in Google Search or AI Overviews.
Want us to set this up properly? It is included in our AI search optimization service.
MD. TAMZID ULLAH is the Founder & CEO of ITCore and a Top Rated SEO expert and AI search visibility (AEO & GEO) strategist with 6+ years of experience. Meet the team.