llms.txt is a small Markdown file at the root of your site that gives language models a clean summary of who you are and which pages matter. It was proposed in 2024 and has been adopted by a growing number of sites. This guide shows how to write one, and is honest about what it can and cannot do.
What llms.txt is
It is a plain-text file, usually Markdown, that sits at /llms.txt. It has a title, a short summary and a list of links with one-line descriptions. The idea is to give an AI tool a tidy overview without it having to parse your navigation, scripts and ads.
What it cannot do
Be realistic. At the time of writing there is no confirmation that ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Google use llms.txt to decide what to cite. It will not rescue weak content. Think of it as a polite summary that costs almost nothing to publish.
How to write one
- Start with an H1 containing your name or brand.
- Add a one-paragraph blockquote summary: who you are, what you do, who it is for.
- Add sections (H2) such as Key facts, Pages, Services and Contact.
- Under each, list links with a short description.
- Keep it factual and under about a page. No marketing superlatives.
Example
# Example Co > Example Co makes invoicing software for freelancers in India. Founded 2021, based in Pune. ## Key facts - Product: invoicing and GST reports - Pricing: free plan, paid from INR 499 per month - Contact: hello@example.com ## Pages - [Pricing](https://example.com/pricing): plans and what each includes - [Docs](https://example.com/docs): setup guides - [Blog](https://example.com/blog): guides on GST and invoicing
Publishing checklist
- Upload to the site root so it loads at
/llms.txt. - Check it returns status 200 and a plain-text type.
- Link to it from the footer so people and crawlers can find it.
- Keep it in sync when pages or facts change.
- Make sure the same facts appear in your visible pages and schema.
See mine at /llms.txt. And if you want to check whether your site has one, the SEO AI Assistant extension from ExtCafe includes it among its GEO checks.
Frequently asked questions
Do ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude read llms.txt?
There is no public confirmation that the major providers use it for ranking or retrieval today. Treat it as a low-cost helper, not a growth lever.
Where does the file go?
At the root of your domain, for example example.com/llms.txt, served as plain text or Markdown.
Is llms.txt the same as robots.txt?
No. robots.txt controls which crawlers may fetch pages. llms.txt is an optional summary meant to help language models understand your site.
Written by Hiral Doshi, digital marketer in Mumbai. Last updated 2026-10-02.