llms.txt is a plain text file placed at the root of your website (yoursite.com/llms.txt) that provides AI language models with a structured guide to your site. It follows a Markdown-like format with your site name, a brief description, and links to your most important pages with descriptions of what each covers. It is the AI equivalent of a sitemap.xml.

Which AI tools read llms.txt?

llms.txt is recognised by a growing number of AI systems including Perplexity, Cursor, and various AI research tools. OpenAI and Anthropic have not officially confirmed support, but the standard is widely adopted and the consensus in the AI search community is that it improves citation rates. Implementing it now positions your site well as AI systems evolve.

How is llms.txt different from robots.txt?

robots.txt tells crawlers which pages NOT to visit. llms.txt tells AI systems which pages ARE most important and what they cover. They serve complementary purposes. robots.txt is for access control. llms.txt is for content guidance. Both should be present on a well-optimised site.

How to Create and Deploy an llms.txt File for AI Tools

What a good llms.txt looks like

A well-structured llms.txt file has four sections: your site name as an H1, a brief description prefixed with >, an optional extended description, and a list of your most important pages grouped by section.

Example llms.txt structure:

# Your Site Name

> One sentence description of what your site does and who it serves.

## Core pages
- [Homepage](https://yoursite.com): Brief description of what the homepage covers
- [About](https://yoursite.com/about): Who runs the site and their credentials

## Key content
- [Guide to X](https://yoursite.com/guide-x): Comprehensive guide covering X, Y and Z

How to create and deploy your llms.txt

Option 1 — Generate automatically

Run the LLMs.txt Auditor — it crawls your site, identifies your key pages, and generates a ready-to-deploy llms.txt file tailored to your site structure. Download and upload to your server root.

Option 2 — Write manually

Create a plain text file named llms.txt. Follow the format above. List your 10-20 most important pages with clear descriptions. Upload to your server root so it is accessible at yoursite.com/llms.txt.

Verify deployment

Visit yoursite.com/llms.txt in a browser. It should display plain text content — not a 404 page or formatted HTML. Check your server returns Content-Type: text/plain for the file.

Keep it updated: Update your llms.txt whenever you add major new sections or pages. An outdated llms.txt that references deleted pages is worse than no llms.txt — it misleads AI systems about your site structure.

📄 Audit LLMs.txt Now

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llms.txt: AI Visibility File Setup in Under 10 Minutes

What a good llms.txt looks like

How to create and deploy your llms.txt

Option 1 — Generate automatically

Option 2 — Write manually

Verify deployment

📄 Audit LLMs.txt Now

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