llms.txt is a plain Markdown file you put at the root of your website, for example yoursite.com/llms.txt, that tells AI tools what the site is and which pages matter most. It was proposed by Jeremy Howard in September 2024 as a way to give language models a clean, short map instead of making them wade through menus, scripts and adverts. It is a community proposal, not a web standard and not a requirement of any search engine.
Why it matters for your business
Mostly, it matters less than people selling it claim. Google says you do not need to create new machine-readable files, AI text files or markup to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. So an llms.txt file will not get you into Google's AI answers, and leaving it out will not keep you out.
Where it can help is with tools and agents that choose to read it, such as coding assistants reading software documentation, or an AI agent asked to summarise your services. For a business with a lot of documentation, or one that wants a single tidy summary of its facts, it is cheap to make and easy to keep up. Treat it as a small courtesy to machines, not a ranking lever.
An example
The proposal asks for a fixed order. Only the first line is required:
# Example Dental Clinic
> Family dental clinic in Noida, open Monday to Saturday. Check-ups, whitening, braces and implants.
## Services
- [Teeth whitening](https://example.com/whitening): options, time and aftercare
- [Braces](https://example.com/braces): types, duration and costs
## Optional
- [Blog](https://example.com/blog)
That is an H1 with the name, a short blockquote summary, then H2 sections of links with a note on each. The "Optional" section holds links a tool can skip when it needs less context.
What to do about it
- Get the basics right first: clear pages, accurate schema markup and robots rules that do not block crawlers you want.
- If you add llms.txt, keep it short and true. Every fact in it should match your site exactly.
- Link only to pages that are public and current.
- Update it when your services, prices or hours change. A stale file is worse than none.
Our guide to generative engine optimisation explains where llms.txt fits among the things that do matter for AI visibility. We add one where it is useful as part of our AEO and GEO service.
Frequently asked questions
Does Google use llms.txt?
Google's guidance for its AI features says no special AI text files are needed to appear in them. We have not seen Google say it reads llms.txt for ranking or for AI Overviews, so do not expect it to change your visibility there.
Is llms.txt the same as robots.txt?
No. robots.txt is a long-established file that tells crawlers which parts of a site they may visit. llms.txt does not grant or block access; it only offers a summary and a list of links for tools that choose to read it.
Should a small business bother with llms.txt?
It takes under an hour, so it does little harm if the facts are correct and kept current. Just put it at the bottom of the list, after your pages, Google Business Profile, reviews and structured data are in good order.
Last reviewed 22 Oct 2026 by the Astrafolio team.