What Is llms.txt, and Does Your Website Need One?

llms.txt is a plain-text file at the root of a website, at /llms.txt, that summarises the site for large language models and AI agents. It says who you are and what you do in a few lines, then lists your most useful pages with a one-line description of each, in Markdown. It is a proposed standard, not an official one, and it is cheap to add. It will not get you recommended on its own, but it makes your site easier for AI tools to read accurately.

Where llms.txt came from

The format was proposed in September 2024 by Jeremy Howard of Answer.AI. The idea is simple: websites are built for browsers, full of navigation, scripts and layout, and an AI tool trying to understand a site wastes effort getting through all that. A short, structured text file gives it the summary directly.

It sits alongside robots.txt and sitemap.xml but does a different job. robots.txt says where crawlers may go. A sitemap lists every URL. llms.txt explains what the site is and which pages matter.

What goes in an llms.txt file

The proposed format is Markdown with a fixed order:

1. An H1 with the name of the site or organisation.
2. A short blockquote summary: one or two sentences on what you do, for whom and where.
3. Optional paragraphs with any detail an AI tool should know, such as your service area or how to cite you.
4. H2 sections of links, each link with a short description, for example “Services”, “Case studies”, “Policies”.

A small business version might look like this:

# Example Accountants

> Chartered accountants in Milton Keynes for sole traders, limited companies and construction firms.

## Services
- [Bookkeeping](https://example.co.uk/bookkeeping/): monthly bookkeeping from £150 + VAT
- [Construction Industry Scheme](https://example.co.uk/cis/): CIS returns and refunds for subcontractors

## About
- [Team](https://example.co.uk/team/): partners and qualifications
- [Contact](https://example.co.uk/contact/): office address and opening hours

Ours is live at kickassonline.com/llms.txt, generated automatically from the site’s content so it never goes out of date.

Who reads it

This is where honesty matters, because llms.txt is sometimes oversold.

• Google has said it does not use llms.txt for search or AI Overviews.
• AI agents and coding tools that browse a site on someone’s behalf can and do read it, and some documentation platforms publish it by default.
• Other AI search tools have not confirmed whether they use it.

So treat it as cheap insurance: it costs an hour, it does no harm, and it gives any tool that does read it an accurate description of you in your own words.

What llms.txt will not do

• It will not override what AI tools learn from the rest of the web.
• It will not get you recommended if nobody else mentions you.
• It does not block AI crawlers. Use robots.txt for that.

The work that actually moves AI recommendations is wider: clear service pages, consistent details everywhere, third-party mentions and structured data. That is generative engine optimisation, and llms.txt is one small part of it.

How to add one

1. Write the H1, a one-line summary and a short paragraph on who you serve and where.
2. List your key pages: services, pricing, case studies, about, contact. One line each.
3. Save it as llms.txt and upload it to the root of your site so it loads at /llms.txt.
4. Check it loads as plain text, not as a download or a 404.
5. Update it when your services or key pages change, or generate it from your CMS so it updates itself.

On WordPress, several SEO plugins can now generate the file. On a custom or static site, a small template that reads your pages is the most reliable route.

Should your website have one?

Yes, if it takes an hour and you keep it accurate. It is a small part of making a site readable by machines, alongside structured data and pages that answer questions directly. If you are rebuilding, ask for it in the brief: it is standard on every agentic website we build.

For the bigger picture, see how to get recommended by ChatGPT or our GEO service.