What is llms.txt?
llms.txt is a proposed Markdown file at the root of a website that gives AI tools a short summary of the site and links to its most useful pages.1
Last updated
Why it matters for a small business
Jeremy Howard first proposed it in September 2024, and the proposal page was last changed in August 2026. That page still calls it a proposal.1
Google Search ignores it. Google's guide says an llms.txt file neither helps nor harms a site in Search, and lists it among the things owners can skip.2
It is used most for software documentation, which coding assistants read. Its author says the same layout could help a business describe itself and its policies.1
A made-up guesthouse on Hvar
Ana read that every site needs an llms.txt file. She checked first: her rooms, prices and house rules were already plain text on her site, and Google Search ignores the file anyway. She put it on her list for later and fixed her out-of-date breakfast hours instead.
How to check it yourself
See whether your site has one
Add /llms.txt to your home page address and open it in a browser. An error page means there is no file.1
Check the format
The proposal asks for a heading with your site's name first, then an optional short summary and lists of links. The heading is the only part it requires.1
Point it at pages worth reading
The proposal says its links should lead to clean, text-first versions of your pages. A link to an old price list only sends AI tools to old facts.1
Leave crawler rules to robots.txt
llms.txt doesn't decide which bots may visit your site. robots.txt does that: it tells crawlers which pages they may access.3
Questions about llms.txt
Does llms.txt help me rank on Google?
No. Google says Search ignores llms.txt files, so one neither helps nor hurts you there.2
Is llms.txt the same as a sitemap?
No. A sitemap lists every page for search engines, while llms.txt is a short, chosen overview for AI tools with links to clean text versions of pages.1
Where this comes from
- The /llms.txt proposal by Jeremy Howard (published 3 September 2024, modified 10 August 2026): a Markdown file at a site's root with an H1 name (the only required part), an optional summary and lists of links; a curated overview for LLMs, unlike a sitemap; used most for software documentation
- Google's guide to generative AI search: AEO and GEO describe work on visibility in AI search, which Google treats as SEO; its AI features retrieve pages from the Search index and link those that support the answer; Google Search ignores llms.txt files; no special schema.org markup is needed; Business Profiles help local businesses show in AI responses; measure with the Generative AI performance report; no third-party tool sees Google's ranking or AI systems (last updated 10 July 2026)
- A robots.txt file tells crawlers which URLs they may access and is used mainly to manage crawler traffic (last updated 10 December 2025)
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