What is llms.txt and How It Can Help in SEO?

If you stay updated with SEO and AI trends, you might have heard about a new file called llms.txt. It is not yet a standard SEO file like robots.txt or sitemap.xml, but it is starting to get attention. In this article, I will explain what llms.txt is, how it works, and whether you should use it on your website.

What is llms.txt?

llms.txt is a new file format created to help large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and others better understand your website. Just like robots.txt guides search engine bots, llms.txt is meant to guide AI models. It gives them a simple and clean overview of what your site is about.

This file is written in plain text, using Markdown formatting, and is placed in the root directory of your website. For example:
https://yourwebsite.com/llms.txt

The goal is to help AI systems read and understand your content easily, without going through messy code or complex layouts.

Why Was llms.txt Introduced?

AI models are being used more and more in search engines and content discovery. Tools like ChatGPT, Google’s SGE, and Perplexity AI are already summarizing and showing information from websites.

But the way websites are built is often not ideal for AI to understand. This is where llms.txt comes in. It gives a clear and structured summary of your content, so AI tools can pick up the most important parts of your site.

The idea was first introduced by Jeremy Howard of Answer.AI in late 2024.

How Does llms.txt Help in SEO?

While it is not a confirmed ranking factor or officially supported by search engines yet, here is how it could help:

• Better AI Visibility: When AI tools understand your content better, they are more likely to mention your site in their responses.
• Simplified Summaries: You can control how your content is presented to AI by writing your own summaries.
• Highlight Important Pages: You can guide LLMs to focus on key services, blog posts, or products.

Example of a Basic llms.txt File

Here is a simple example:

# About Us
We are a digital marketing agency helping small businesses grow online.

# Services
- SEO Services: https://yourwebsite.com/seo
- Web Design: https://yourwebsite.com/web-design

# Blog
Check our blog for SEO tips: https://yourwebsite.com/blog

# Contact
Reach us here: https://yourwebsite.com/contact

This file gives a quick summary of your site. It is short, easy to read, and uses headings and bullet points to organize content.

Should You Use llms.txt?

Right now, using llms.txt is optional. Google and other search engines have not officially announced support for it. In fact, Google’s John Mueller recently said it is similar to the old meta keywords tag, which had little SEO value.

But AI tools are evolving fast. Even if it does not help today, it might help tomorrow. Adding a llms.txt file is simple, so there is no harm in trying it—especially if you want your content to be picked up by AI tools.

How to Create llms.txt for Your Website

1. Open a plain text editor.
2. Use Markdown to summarize your website’s key pages and services.
3. Save the file as llms.txt.
4. Upload it to the root of your site (like you do with robots.txt).

If you use WordPress or another CMS, some tools and plugins may soon start offering automated llms.txt generation.

Wrap Up

llms.txt is still very new. It is not yet a proven SEO technique, but it shows where the future is heading. As AI plays a bigger role in search, files like this could become more important.

If you want to stay ahead in SEO and make your content more AI-friendly, adding a llms.txt file to your website might be a smart move.

Let me know if you want help creating one for your site!

Deepanker

Tech enthusiast and blogger. Passionate about exploring the latest tech trends and sharing insights.