llms.txt

llms.txt is a Markdown file served at /llms.txt that summarizes what a website is and links to its most important pages, so large language models (LLMs) can read it quickly. It is a community proposal published by Jeremy Howard on September 3, 2024 at llmstxt.org, not an official standard.

What is llms.txt and where did it come from?

The stated purpose is to give LLM-based agents short, curated guidance plus links to detailed content. The file usually sits at the site root. The proposal also suggests offering a clean Markdown version of each important page at the same URL with .md appended (llmstxt.org, The /llms.txt file, accessed November 2026).

llms.txt is not an XML sitemap: a sitemap lists every URL for search engines, while llms.txt picks a few pages and describes each one in plain words.

What goes into an llms.txt file

Per llmstxt.org, the file has these parts, in order:

1. An H1 (#) with the name of the project or site. This is the only required section.
2. A blockquote (>) with a short summary.
3. Optional paragraphs of extra detail, with no headings.
4. H2 sections (##), each a list of links in the form [name](url), optionally followed by a colon and notes.
5. A section named “Optional” for secondary links that an agent can skip.

Do AI platforms read llms.txt?

In the official documentation I reviewed (November 2026), no major AI vendor confirms using llms.txt for ranking or for choosing which sources to cite.

• Google says Google Search does not use these files. Creating llms.txt for other services is fine, but it will neither help nor harm your rankings in Google Search, because Google Search ignores it (Google Search Central, last updated July 10, 2026). Google added this note on June 15, 2026 (Google Search Central, Documentation updates, accessed November 2026). You do not need new machine-readable files or AI text files to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode (Google, AI features, accessed November 2026).
• The crawler pages from OpenAI and Perplexity do not say their bots read llms.txt. Both companies publish an llms.txt for their own documentation sites, but publishing a file is not a commitment to use other sites’ files (OpenAI Crawlers, accessed November 2026; Perplexity Crawlers, accessed November 2026).

Whether AI can read your site still comes down to robots.txt and the content on your pages, the core of AIO and GEO.

Why the AI Search Checker still scores llms.txt

The checker gives 2 of 100 points when /llms.txt returns a text file (not an HTML page) longer than 50 characters. The weight is low because Google says the file has no effect on Google Search and no major platform has said it uses the file. It is scored anyway because it is cheap: 20 to 30 lines, no harm according to Google, and ready if a platform starts using it later.

How to add an llms.txt file to your website

1. Pick 10 to 30 key pages: home, products or services, pricing, policies, contact. Use only URLs that are indexed.
2. Write the file using the template below.
3. Put it at the root of your domain:
   • WordPress with Yoast SEO: Yoast SEO, Settings, Site Features, under AI tools go to LLMS.txt, switch it on and Save changes (Yoast, How to enable llms.txt, accessed November 2026).
   • WordPress with Rank Math: Rank Math SEO, Dashboard, turn on the LLMS Txt module, then General Settings, Edit llms.txt to choose which post types to include (Rank Math, How to Use llms.txt, accessed November 2026).
   • Shopify: the paid Yoast SEO for Shopify app has an Advanced, llms.txt setting (Yoast, llms.txt for Shopify, accessed November 2026). Without the app, ask a Shopify Partner.
   • Haravan, Sapo (Vietnamese ecommerce platforms): ask the platform’s support team.
   • Custom site or standard hosting: upload llms.txt to the root folder with your host’s File Manager or FTP.
4. Check your work: open yourdomain.com/llms.txt. It should show as plain text, not your theme’s 404 page. Then rerun the AI Search Checker.

Sample llms.txt for a water purifier store (hypothetical):

# ABC Water Purifiers

> Home water purifier store in Ho Chi Minh City, with in-home installation and a 24-month warranty.

Listed prices include VAT. Nationwide delivery.

## Products
- [RO water purifiers](https://www.example.com/ro-water-purifiers/): models, specs, prices
- [Replacement filters](https://www.example.com/filters/): filter replacement schedule by model

## Support
- [Warranty policy](https://www.example.com/warranty/): terms of the 24-month warranty
- [Contact](https://www.example.com/contact/): hotline, store address

## Optional
- [Blog](https://www.example.com/blog/): guides to choosing a water purifier

Frequently asked questions about llms.txt

Can llms.txt replace robots.txt?

No. Robots.txt allows or blocks bots. llms.txt only suggests pages worth reading and cannot block any bot.

Will llms.txt get me into AI Overviews?

No. Google says Google Search, including AI Overviews, ignores llms.txt. A page only needs to be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet. Whether other systems use the file is unconfirmed in any vendor’s official docs.

If you want a technical review for AI search, see Adtek’s SEO solution.