llms.txt

llms.txt in plain English

llms.txt is a proposed convention for a plain text or Markdown file at the root of a website that summarises the site for large language model tools. It isn't a web standard. Google's AI optimisation guide says Google Search ignores llms.txt files, so they neither help nor harm your visibility in Google Search, including its AI features.

How to check an llms.txt file on your site

Visit your domain followed by /llms.txt to see whether one exists. If a plugin created it, check it isn't publishing anything you'd rather keep private. Then put your effort into the fundamentals Google says matter: crawlable, useful, original pages.

A worked example

A tutoring company is quoted for "AI readiness" work centred on an llms.txt file. After reading Google's guidance, it skips the file and spends the time improving its subject pages with tutor profiles, clear prices and real examples of how lessons work.

Where it usually goes wrong

• Believing llms.txt is a ranking factor.
• Paying for it as a standalone service.
• Confusing it with robots.txt, which does control crawling.
• Duplicating your whole site into it.

Why a small site should care

You may be told that an llms.txt file will get you into AI answers. For Google, that isn't the case. Some other tools may read these files, and Google says it's fine to keep one for those services. But it's not a priority for most small businesses.

It's a good example of a wider pattern: new ideas get sold as must-haves before anyone knows whether they matter. Checking Google's own guidance first saves money.

Connected technical terms

• GEO / AEO: Informal terms for visibility in generative or AI answer experiences.
• AI Overview: Google's AI-generated summary unit on some queries.
• robots.txt: A file that suggests which parts of a site crawlers may fetch.