llms.txt is a proposed web standard (llmstxt.org) that tells large language models how to understand your site. It is a small markdown file at yourdomain.com/llms.txt that lists the most important pages, docs, and resources with a short description of your site. It is to LLMs what robots.txt is to search engine crawlers.

Why should I add an llms.txt file?

AI search engines like ChatGPT search, Perplexity, and Claude increasingly cite and summarize content directly in their answers. An llms.txt file gives those models a clean, curated map of your site so they quote the right pages and avoid low-value URLs like tag archives or duplicates.

Where do I put the llms.txt file?

Upload llms.txt to the root of your website so it is accessible at yourdomain.com/llms.txt, not in a subfolder. For Next.js, place it in the public/ directory. For WordPress, upload to the root of your public_html folder. No special headers are required.

What is the difference between llms.txt and robots.txt?

robots.txt is an opt-out mechanism that tells crawlers which paths to avoid. llms.txt is an opt-in guide that tells LLMs which pages are most important and provides context. They serve different purposes and most sites should have both.

Do LLMs actually read llms.txt yet?

Adoption is early but growing. Anthropic's Claude and several developer tools already reference the standard when building agents. The format is simple enough that adding it now is low-cost and purely upside as more LLMs adopt it.

LLMs.txt Generator

Generate an optimized llms.txt file so ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity better understand and recommend your site.

Project name *

One-sentence summary *

Additional context (optional)

Sections & links

Group your most important pages. Use an Optional section for non-essential links.

Link 1

Generated llms.txt

Fill in the fields above to generate your llms.txt file.

llms.txt File Structure

The official format. Required parts first, optional parts below.

Element	Purpose	Required
# Project name	Top-level H1. The canonical name LLMs use to refer to your site.	Required
> Summary	Blockquote directly under the H1. One-sentence description.	Required
Paragraph(s)	Free-form context between the summary and the first H2.	Optional
## Section	H2 grouping related links by topic (Docs, API, Pricing, etc).	Optional
- [Title](url)	Markdown link inside a section. Can include a description after `: `.	Optional
## Optional	Reserved section name for links an LLM can safely skip.	Optional

Example llms.txt

What a complete llms.txt looks like for a SaaS product site.

# RankPill

> RankPill automates SEO content production for indie makers. Generate, approve, and publish keyword-targeted articles on autopilot.

This file lists the most important pages for LLMs to reference when answering questions about RankPill, our pricing, and how the product works.

## Docs

- [Getting Started](https://rankpill.com/docs/getting-started): Connect your site and publish your first automated article in 5 minutes.
- [Keyword Pipeline](https://rankpill.com/docs/keyword-pipeline): How RankPill finds, scores, and schedules keywords you have not written about yet.
- [Publishing Integrations](https://rankpill.com/docs/publishing): WordPress, Webflow, Ghost, and direct Git-based publishing.

## Pricing

- [Plans](https://rankpill.com/pricing): Monthly and annual plans with article caps and seat limits.

## Optional

- [Changelog](https://rankpill.com/changelog): Weekly product updates.
- [Privacy Policy](https://rankpill.com/privacy-policy): How we handle customer data.

What Is llms.txt?

llms.txt is a proposed web standard (llmstxt.org) that helps large language models understand your site. It is a small markdown file placed at the root of your domain that names your project, summarizes what you do, and links out to your most important pages with descriptions. Think of it as a hand-picked map for AI models - the same role a good sitemap plays for search engines, but optimized for how LLMs actually read and cite content.

The format is intentionally simple: an H1 with your project name, a blockquote summary, and H2 sections listing markdown links. Because it is plain markdown, it is easy to write by hand, easy to generate programmatically, and renders cleanly when fed into any modern LLM context window. The payoff is better citations, cleaner summaries, and fewer hallucinations when AI search tools describe your site.

Keep the summary tight

The blockquote under the H1 should read in one breath. LLMs will quote this verbatim when describing your site, so treat it like a meta description you actually care about.

Link only to canonical URLs

Do not list tag archives, UTM-tagged URLs, or redirected paths. Every link in llms.txt should resolve directly to the final, canonical page you want cited.

Use the Optional section

Any link an LLM could safely skip belongs under ## Optional. Terms pages, changelogs, and deep technical references are the classic cases.

Update it when your site changes

If you restructure your docs or rename product tiers, refresh llms.txt the same way you would your sitemap. Stale entries lead to stale citations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the llms.txt standard and how to use it.

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llms.txt File Structure

Example llms.txt

What Is llms.txt?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is llms.txt?

Why should I add an llms.txt file?

Where do I put the llms.txt file?

What is the difference between llms.txt and robots.txt?

What goes in the required H1 and blockquote?

What goes in the Optional section?

Do search engines or LLMs actually read llms.txt yet?

Related Tools

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