What is llms.txt?
llms.txt is a proposed convention - a markdown file at the root of your site (like robots.txt) that gives AI coding assistants a clean map of your technical documentation. It was designed for limited context windows, not as an AI search ranking signal. Read what the evidence actually shows before treating it as an SEO requirement.
If you run dev docs or a public API, see our how-to guide for structure, automation, and the companion /llms-full.txt file. For crawl access and AI visibility on marketing sites, start with our AI crawler accessibility checklist.
Go further
An llms.txt is one small part of AI visibility. To see how ready your whole page is for AI search - can ChatGPT and Perplexity read it, are your business profiles linked - run a free AI visibility check, or a full waitlist signup. New to the terms? The glossary explains them in plain English.
From the blog
All postsllms.txt Explained: What It Is, Whether You Need One, and How to Write It
llms.txt won't get you cited in ChatGPT. But for developer documentation and public APIs, it's a cheap, useful file. What it is, what the evidence shows, who should bother, and exactly how to build one.
Read moreIs Your Site Blocking GPTBot, ClaudeBot & PerplexityBot? An AI Crawler Accessibility Checklist
AI answer engines can only cite your content if their crawlers can reach it. Here's how to check whether GPTBot, ClaudeBot, and PerplexityBot are actually allowed in.
Read moreWhy Isn't My Business Showing Up in AI Overviews or ChatGPT? How to Check and What to Fix
AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity now answer many questions before anyone clicks a link. How to check whether they mention your business, the usual reasons they don't, and what you can actually change.
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