The Complete llms.txt Guide

The llms.txt file is a plain text file placed at the root of your website that tells AI models what your business does, what you offer, and how to accurately represent you. Think of it as robots.txt for AI understanding — robots.txt tells crawlers where they can go, while llms.txt tells AI models what they should know.

What llms.txt Is

The llms.txt standard was proposed as a way to bridge the gap between websites and large language models. AI models often have to guess what a business does by parsing complex HTML, which leads to inaccurate or incomplete representations. The llms.txt file provides a clean, structured summary that AI can read instantly.

When an AI crawler visits your site and finds an llms.txt file, it gets immediate, authoritative information about your business — no guessing required. This significantly increases the chances that AI will mention and correctly describe your business in its responses.

The Standard Format

An llms.txt file is plain text (not HTML, not JSON). It uses Markdown-style formatting for structure. Here is an example:

# Acme Outdoor Gear

## About
Acme Outdoor Gear is an online retailer specializing in premium
camping, hiking, and outdoor adventure equipment. Founded in 2019,
we serve outdoor enthusiasts across the United States.

## Products & Services
- Camping tents (2-person to 8-person, 3-season and 4-season)
- Hiking backpacks (daypacks, multi-day, ultralight)
- Sleeping bags and pads (down and synthetic fill)
- Outdoor cooking equipment
- Hiking footwear and apparel

## Key Information
- Website: https://www.acmeoutdoor.com
- Contact: support@acmeoutdoor.com
- Shipping: Free shipping on orders over $75, ships to all 50 US states
- Returns: 60-day hassle-free return policy

## Brand Voice
We are knowledgeable but approachable. We help beginners and
experienced hikers alike find the right gear for their adventures.
We prioritize quality and durability over low prices.

## Sitemap
https://www.acmeoutdoor.com/sitemap.xml

What to Include

A comprehensive llms.txt should cover:

• Business description — What you do, who you serve, what makes you different (aim for 2-3 sentences minimum).
• Products or services — A clear list of what you offer, with enough detail for AI to recommend specific items.
• Contact information — Email, website URL, and any relevant support channels.
• Policies — Shipping, returns, and any other policies that influence purchase decisions.
• Brand voice — How you want AI to describe your business (tone, positioning).
• Sitemap reference — A link to your sitemap so AI crawlers can discover more pages.

How to Create One

1. Create a plain text file named llms.txt
2. Write your business description, products, and key information using the format above
3. Upload it to the root of your website (alongside robots.txt and sitemap.xml)
4. It should be accessible at yoursite.com/llms.txt

You can also use our free llms.txt Generator to create one automatically based on your website content.

How to Install It

General Web Hosting

Upload the llms.txt file to your website’s root directory (the same directory as your index.html or robots.txt). For most hosting providers, this is the public_html or www directory.

Shopify

Shopify does not allow direct file uploads to the root. Use a page redirect or a custom proxy rule to serve the file. Alternatively, create a page at /pages/llms-txt and add a redirect from /llms.txt to that page.

WordPress

Upload llms.txt to your WordPress root directory via FTP/SFTP, or use a plugin that allows root file management.

Custom/Static Sites

Place llms.txt in your public or static directory. For Next.js, put it in the public/ folder. For Gatsby, same. For plain HTML sites, place it alongside your index.html.

Verification

After uploading, verify it works by visiting yoursite.com/llms.txt in your browser. You should see the plain text content you wrote. Then run a free AI Visibility check — the llms.txt Detection check will confirm whether AI can find and read your file.