llms.txt Guide

The emerging standard for helping AI systems understand and navigate your website content.

What is llms.txt?

llms.txt is a proposed standard that helps Large Language Models (LLMs) understand your website's structure and content. Unlike robots.txt which controls crawler access, llms.txt provides context and guidance for AI systems to better interpret your content.

Note: llms.txt is an emerging standard. While not universally adopted yet, implementing it now positions your site for better AI discoverability as adoption grows.

Why llms.txt Matters

AI Understanding

Helps AI systems understand your brand, products, and content structure.

Faster Processing

LLMs can quickly understand your site without parsing entire pages.

Accurate Citations

Point AI to authoritative pages, improving citation quality.

Reduced Ambiguity

Clarify what your organization does, reducing AI misinterpretation.

File Format & Structure

The llms.txt file is placed at your domain root (e.g., https://example.com/llms.txt) and uses Markdown format:

llms.txt

# Acme Corporation

> Acme Corporation provides enterprise software solutions 
> for logistics and supply chain management.

## Products

- [Acme Logistics](https://acme.com/products/logistics): 
  End-to-end logistics platform for enterprise
- [Acme Analytics](https://acme.com/products/analytics): 
  Business intelligence and reporting tools

## Documentation

- [Getting Started](https://acme.com/docs/start): 
  Quick start guide for new users
- [API Reference](https://acme.com/docs/api): 
  Complete REST API documentation
- [Tutorials](https://acme.com/docs/tutorials): 
  Step-by-step integration guides

## Optional

- [llms-full.txt](https://acme.com/llms-full.txt): 
  Complete documentation in a single file

Key Sections

# TitleYour organization or website name
> QuoteBrief description of what you do (1-2 sentences)
## SectionsOrganize content by type (Products, Docs, Blog, etc.)
- [Link](url)Links with descriptions to key pages

Extended Files

The llms.txt specification supports additional files for more comprehensive content:

llms-full.txt

A comprehensive file containing your entire documentation in a single Markdown document. This is useful for AI systems that want to understand everything at once.

https://example.com/llms-full.txt

.md versions of pages

Some implementations provide Markdown versions of key pages. For example,/about might have/about.md.

llms.txt vs robots.txt

Aspect	robots.txt	llms.txt
Purpose	Control crawler access	Provide content guidance
Format	Custom directive syntax	Markdown
Function	Allow/Disallow paths	Describe & link content
Adoption	Universal standard	Emerging standard

Use both: robots.txt controls what AI can crawl, llms.txt explains how AI should understand your content.

Best Practices

Keep it concise: LLMs have context limits. Focus on your most important content.
Use clear descriptions: Each link should have a brief, informative description.
Prioritize authority: Link to your most authoritative and up-to-date pages first.
Update regularly: Keep llms.txt current when you add new products or documentation.
Include contact info: Add support or contact links so AI can direct users appropriately.

Implementation

1Create a file named llms.txt in your domain root
2Add your organization name and description using the Markdown format above
3Organize links by category (Products, Documentation, Blog, etc.)
4Optionally create llms-full.txt with comprehensive content
5Verify the file is accessible at https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt