What isllms.txt?
A small text file that gets a lot of attention and, so far, has little effect.
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Check your AI visibility or call: +49 151 1576 5566llms.txt is a Markdown text file in the root directory of a website that gives language models a short explanation of what the site is about. It consists of a brief introduction and a list of links to the most important pages. It is not a binding standard, more an open proposal you can follow or ignore.
- Jeremy Howard of Answer.AI proposed the file on 3 September 2024, and a revised second version followed on 10 August 2026.
- It does not control access. You allow or block AI crawlers in robots.txt.
- Google says you need no AI text files to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode.
- Its most realistic use today is helping AI agents in online shops and software documentation.
What goes into an llms.txt file so AI systems can actually use it
The only required element is a main heading with the name of the website or company. The proposal then recommends two or three sentences on who you are and what you offer, followed by sections with subheadings that link your key pages, each with a one-line note. People also search for it as llms txt.
Ideally the links point to Markdown versions of those pages, plain text without menus and scripts. Writing the file takes about an hour. The real effort is upkeep, because every text version has to change whenever the website does.
Whether ChatGPT and Google read llms.txt and what that means for your visibility
So far there is no public evidence that the big AI providers use it. Google states in its own documentation that you do not need new machine-readable files or AI text files for AI Overviews and AI Mode. OpenAI and Anthropic each publish an llms.txt for their own developer documentation, but neither has said that their crawlers use other sites' files for answers.
The numbers point the same way. Ahrefs analysed the server logs of 137,210 domains for May 2026, and 97 percent of the valid llms.txt files were not requested a single time all month. More mentions in ChatGPT are not something the file delivers today.
Which websites still benefit from an llms.txt
AI agents are a different story: programs that visit a website on someone's behalf to look something up or buy something. Google's Lighthouse tool describes the file in exactly that context. For online shops and software documentation it can make sense, for service businesses without a shop it is a low priority, and as long as it is maintained it does no harm.
Frequently asked questions
How do I create an llms.txt file?
As a Markdown file in your website's root directory, reachable at yourdomain.com/llms.txt. Start with the main heading, then add the summary and link lists. Decide right away who updates it when pages change.
Can I block AI crawlers with llms.txt?
No, the file controls no access at all. That is the job of robots.txt.
Where to go deeper
llms.txt: What the File Does and When It Pays Off
AI Crawlers in robots.txt: Managing GPTBot and Co.
Terms you should know in the same context
AI crawler · GPTBot · Structured data · GEO (generative engine optimization) · AI visibility · Back to the AI glossary A to Z
An llms.txt is no substitute for a website that AI systems can read without detours.