What is llms.txt and does your website need one?

What is llms.txt?

llms.txt is a simple text file, written in Markdown, that sits at yoursite.co.uk/llms.txt. It tells large language models (the technology behind tools like ChatGPT) what your site is about and where the important pages are.

The idea was proposed by Jeremy Howard in September 2024. The project site describes it as “a proposal to standardise on using an /llms.txt file to provide information to help agents use a website” (llmstxt.org). The reasoning is that web pages are full of menus, adverts and scripts, and an AI tool reading your site would benefit from a short, clean summary.

It is easy to confuse with robots.txt, but the two do different jobs, as the table below shows.

Does Google or OpenAI use llms.txt?

Google has said clearly that it does not. OpenAI has not published guidance saying it does.

In June 2026 Google added a note to its documentation saying llms.txt files are not needed for Google Search and “won’t negatively or positively impact your visibility or rankings” (Google Search Central: latest updates). Its guide to AI features adds that you do not need to create new machine-readable files to appear in Search, although it is “completely fine” to keep one for other services (Google AI optimisation guide).

OpenAI’s guidance for website owners focuses on something else entirely: making sure you are not blocking its search crawler, OAI-SearchBot, in your robots.txt file (OpenAI publishers and developers FAQ). It does not mention llms.txt. Some AI coding tools and documentation platforms do read llms.txt files, which is where the idea has caught on most, but that is a long way from a local plumber’s or salon’s website.

Does a small business website need one?

Usually not. If your site is small, clearly written and easy to crawl, an llms.txt file adds very little today.

The file was designed with large, complex sites in mind, such as software documentation with hundreds of pages. A typical local business site has a homepage, a handful of service pages, an about page and a contact page. AI tools can already read those directly.

That said, it does no harm, and it costs very little time to make. If you like being early to new conventions, or your site has a lot of content, adding one is reasonable. Just do not expect it to change your visibility on its own, and be wary of anyone selling it as a guaranteed way to appear in ChatGPT.

What does an llms.txt file look like?

It is a short Markdown file. The only required part is a top-level heading with your business name. A blockquote summary and sections of links are recommended.

# Smith Plumbing Ltd

> Gas Safe registered plumbers covering Maidstone
> and mid Kent. Boiler repairs, servicing and
> bathroom installations.

## Services
- [Boiler repair](https://www.example.co.uk/boiler-repair/): same-week call-outs
- [Bathroom fitting](https://www.example.co.uk/bathrooms/)

## Contact
- [Contact us](https://www.example.co.uk/contact/): phone and enquiry form

According to the specification, the file goes at the root of your site, with an H1 title, an optional summary in a blockquote, and H2 sections containing lists of links. An optional section can hold pages an AI tool may skip if it needs less detail.

What should you do instead, or as well?

Focus on the things that demonstrably shape how search engines and AI tools see you. These are the same basics that help customers.

• Check your robots.txt file is not blocking Googlebot, Bingbot or OAI-SearchBot by accident.
• Write clear service pages that answer real customer questions in plain English.
• Keep your name, address and phone number identical across your site and directories.
• Add LocalBusiness schema markup so your key details are labelled.
• Build a steady flow of genuine Google reviews.
• Make sure your site loads quickly and works well on mobile.

If you want to see whether AI tools are already sending you visitors, our guide to tracking AI traffic in GA4 shows you how. For the bigger picture, read AEO vs GEO vs SEO.

How do you add llms.txt if you decide to?

You create a text file, save it as llms.txt and upload it to the root folder of your website. It should then load at yoursite.co.uk/llms.txt.

1. Write a one-line H1 with your business name.
2. Add a two or three sentence summary of what you do and where.
3. List your main service pages, with a short note after each link.
4. Upload the file to your site’s root, or use a plugin if your platform offers one.
5. Open the address in a browser to check it displays as plain text.
6. Update it whenever you add or remove a key page.

On WordPress, several SEO plugins can now generate the file for you. On hosted platforms such as Shopify or Wix, root file access can be limited, so check your platform’s help pages first. If your site needs wider work, our web design team can help.

FAQs

Is llms.txt an official web standard?

No. It is a proposal first published in September 2024. It has not been adopted as a formal standard, and support varies between tools.

Will llms.txt help me rank in Google?

No. Google has said llms.txt files are not used by Google Search and will not positively or negatively affect your visibility or rankings.

Does ChatGPT read llms.txt?

OpenAI has not published guidance saying ChatGPT uses llms.txt. Its advice to website owners is to allow its OAI-SearchBot crawler in robots.txt.

Is it harmful to have an llms.txt file?

No. Google describes keeping one as completely fine. Just keep it accurate and up to date, like any other page on your site.

Is llms.txt the same as robots.txt?

No. robots.txt sets rules about what crawlers can access, while llms.txt is a summary of your site and its key pages written for AI tools.