What is llms.txt?
Published:
llms.txt is a plain-text file you place at the root of your site — https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt — that gives large language models a concise, curated map of your most important content.
The problem it solves
When an AI assistant answers a question about your product, it has to make sense of pages built for browsers: navigation, menus, cookie banners, ads, and scripts. That's noisy and easy to get wrong. llms.txt cuts through the noise by pointing models straight at the pages that matter, in a format that's trivial to parse.
What's in the file
It's Markdown, in a fixed order:
- an H1 title — your project or site name (the only required element);
- a blockquote summary — one or two sentences of context;
- H2 sections — grouped lists of links to your key pages, each with a short description.
# Acme > Acme turns CSV files into charts. These links cover setup, the API, and pricing. ## Docs - [Quickstart](https://acme.com/start): Upload a CSV and get a chart in 60 seconds - [API reference](https://acme.com/api): Every endpoint and parameter
It is not robots.txt
A common mix-up: llms.txt does not block or allow anything. It only curates — access is controlled by robots.txt. Think of robots.txt as the gate and llms.txt as the map.
Who should have one
If people ask AI tools about your docs, API, or product, yes — it's a small file with real upside (see does llms.txt help SEO?). Documentation sites and developer tools benefit most.
Next steps
Ready to write one? Follow how to create an llms.txt file, then validate it to confirm the structure and that every link resolves.