Updated
llms.txt is a text file in Markdown format placed in the root of a website (for example example.com/llms.txt). It gives language models and AI agents a compact overview of your most important content and pages.
What goes in the file?
- The name of the site or brand as a heading
- A short description of what you offer
- Grouped links to your key pages, each with a one sentence explanation
How it differs from robots.txt and the sitemap
Robots.txt controls what crawlers may visit. The XML sitemap lists all URLs for search engines. llms.txt, by contrast, is a curated summary for AI, much like a table of contents.
Is llms.txt worth it?
llms.txt was proposed in 2024 and is not yet an official standard. Major providers such as Google have not confirmed that they use it. It takes little effort, though, and for documentation, software and complex services it can help AI tools. Good content and a solid technical foundation still matter more.
Digitalman prepares websites for AI search. Learn more on our generative engine optimization page.
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