An llms.txt file is a simple text file at the root of your site that tells AI engines who you are, what you do, and which pages matter most. It works like a plain-language site summary built for large language models, helping them parse and cite your best content faster. You add it at yoursite.com/llms.txt.
The short version: llms.txt is a simple text file you put on your website that tells AI engines who you are, what you do, and which pages matter most. Think of it as a cheat sheet for ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and the rest, written in plain language they can read in a second. It will not get you cited on its own, but it removes friction and helps the engines understand and quote you correctly. Here is what it is, whether you need one, and how to check if AI names you now, free, with my AI visibility tool.
What is llms.txt?
llms.txt is a plain text file that lives at the root of your site, at yoursite.com/llms.txt. It is a short, structured summary of your business written for AI engines rather than for people. It points them to your most important pages and explains, in clean language, who you are and what you offer.
The idea borrows from robots.txt, the old file that tells search crawlers where they are allowed to go. An llms.txt file does something similar for the AI era. Instead of making ChatGPT or Perplexity work your whole site out from scratch, you hand them a clear briefing.
Why would an AI engine care?
Because most websites are messy. Menus, pop-ups, old pages, half-finished sections. When an engine tries to understand who you are, it has to wade through all of it and guess. An llms.txt file cuts the guesswork. It says, in plain words, here is who I am, here is what I do, here are the pages that matter. The cleaner the briefing, the more likely the engine gets you right when it quotes you.
It will not invent authority you have not earned. But when an engine is deciding how to describe you, you want it reading your summary, not guessing from a stray blog post from 2019.
Does your business need one?
Honest answer: it helps, it is not a miracle. Adding an llms.txt file is low effort and low risk, so there is little reason not to. It makes you easier to read and quote, and as more engines start looking for these files, the businesses that already have one are a step ahead.
But keep it in proportion. llms.txt makes you readable. It does not make you trusted. The thing that gets you named by AI is appearing on the sources the engines already trust for your topic, which is a much bigger piece of work. If you want the full picture of how that fits together, read what generative engine optimisation is. The file is the easy first step, not the whole job.
What goes in an llms.txt file?
Keep it short and plain. A good one includes:
- A one-line description of who you are and what you do
- Links to your most important pages, each with a short note on what it covers
- Your main areas of expertise, in plain words
- A line on how to find your about page or contact details
No jargon, no padding. Write it the way you would explain your business to a smart stranger in thirty seconds.
How to add one
1. Write the summary as plain text, following the structure above. 2. Save it as a file called llms.txt. 3. Upload it to the root of your site, so it sits at yoursite.com/llms.txt. 4. Check it loads by typing that address into your browser. If you see your text, it is live.
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That is the whole job. No plugin required, though some platforms now offer one to generate it for you.
Does llms.txt get you cited by AI?
No file gets you cited on its own. llms.txt clears the path. It helps the engines read and describe you accurately, which matters, but being named in the answer still comes down to authority and to being quotable. So add the file, then do the real work: clean pages, answer-first content, and mentions on the sources AI trusts.
The fastest way to see where you stand is to check. Run your name and topics through the free AI visibility checker and see whether the engines name you, who they name instead, and which sites they pull from.
FAQ
Is llms.txt an official standard? It is an emerging convention, not a formal rule yet. More tools and engines are adopting it, and because it is cheap to add, getting ahead of it costs you almost nothing.
Where do I put the llms.txt file? At the root of your domain, so it loads at yoursite.com/llms.txt, the same place your robots.txt sits.
Will llms.txt get my business into ChatGPT? Not by itself. It helps engines read and describe you correctly, but being named in answers comes from trusted mentions and quotable content. Check where you stand with a free tool.
Do I need a developer to add one? No. It is a plain text file you can write and upload yourself in a few minutes.
Start here
Check if AI names your business, free. If you would rather have the whole job handled, that is what I do.
Keep reading on GEO and AEO
- What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?
- How to get cited by ChatGPT
- How to get cited by Perplexity
- Work with me on GEO and AEO
Related reading: How to Let AI Crawlers Read Your Site and How to Get Featured on the Sources AI Trusts.
