The short answer
llms.txt is a proposed Markdown file, usually placed at the root of a site, that lists and summarizes the most useful pages for language models. It is a proposal, not an agreed standard.
Updated Oct 18 2026
Why llms.txt matters
It is cheap to add, but Google’s AI features guidance says you do not need AI text files to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, and I know of no assistant provider that has confirmed it uses llms.txt to choose sources. It should never be sold as a ranking lever.
How to measure or use it
Check your server logs for requests to the file. If no assistant fetches it, it is not doing anything yet.
# Example Studio
> Brand and web design for small studios.
## Key pages
- [Services](https://www.example.com/services): what we design and for whom
- [Pricing guide](https://www.example.com/pricing): how projects are scopedHow I handle it
I treat it as optional housekeeping and never as a feature to charge for.
Related terms
- AI CrawlersThe bots AI companies run to fetch pages for training, search indexes or live answers.Read
- AI Crawl PathwayThe route AI bots can follow to discover, render, understand and revisit your important pages.Read
- Schema MarkupStructured data added to a page so machines can read what the page is about.Read
llms.txt questions
Should I add one?
It is harmless and takes minutes, so add one if you like. Do not expect it to change what assistants say.
Is it the same as robots.txt?
No. robots.txt controls what bots may fetch. llms.txt only suggests what to read.