What is an llms.txt File?
An llms.txt file is a standardized text file placed on your website to communicate specifically with Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI agents. Similar to how robots.txt gives instructions to traditional web crawlers, llms.txt provides a dedicated channel to define how AI systems should access, interpret, and use your content.
This file format was proposed to help website owners gain control over the AI training and retrieval process. By providing a clear, machine-readable file, you can ensure that AI models like GPT-4, Claude, and others have access to the most relevant, up-to-date, and accurate information about your project, product, or documentation.
Typically, this file is hosted at the root of your domain (e.g., https://example.com/llms.txt). It can point to a "full" version of your documentation (often called llms-full.txt) which consolidates your entire site's knowledge into a single, token-efficient text file for easier consumption by AI.
Why Your Website Needs an llms.txt File
In the age of AI-driven search and autonomous agents, having an llms.txt file is becoming as critical as having a sitemap. Here is why you should generate one today:
- Better AI Visibility: AI search engines (like Perplexity or ChatGPT Search) prioritize sources that are easy to parse. An
llms.txtfile acts as a fast lane for these engines. - Control Over Training Data: You can explicitly state your licensing terms, attribution requirements, and data retention policies, giving you a legal footing on how your data is used.
- Improved Accuracy: By pointing LLMs to a consolidated text file of your documentation, you reduce hallucinations and ensure the AI answers questions about your product correctly.
- Future-Proofing: As the "Agentic Web" grows, automated agents will look for this file first to understand your site's capabilities and API structure.
llms.txt vs. robots.txt: What’s the Difference?
Many developers confuse the two. While they share a similar location and syntax style, their purposes are distinct.
| Feature | robots.txt | llms.txt |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Audience | Search Engine Crawlers (Googlebot, Bingbot) | LLMs, AI Agents, and Research Crawlers |
| Main Goal | Indexing and Crawling Control | Content Understanding and Usage Policy |
| Content | Allow/Disallow rules for paths | Links to documentation, licensing info, model preferences |
| Complexity | Simple path matching | Can include metadata, summaries, and full text links |
How to Use the LLMS.txt Generator
Our free tool offers two powerful modes to help you create the perfect file for your needs.
Mode 1: Auto-Generation (Best for Existing Sites)
- Enter URL: Paste your website's homepage URL.
- Configure Profile: Select "Standard" for a basic file or "Full" for more detailed crawling rules.
- Generate: Click the button. We will automatically detect your
sitemap.xml,robots.txt, and privacy policy to populate the file. - Download: Review the output and download your
llms.txtfile.
Mode 2: Manual Template Builder (Best for New Projects)
- Choose a Template: Select from pre-built templates for Web Apps, APIs, Libraries, or Data Science projects.
- Fill Details: Enter your project name, description, and tech stack.
- Set Policies: Define your AI access rules, including attribution requirements and content licenses (e.g., CC BY 4.0).
- Export: Copy the generated Markdown content or download the file.
Understanding llms.txt Structure
The llms.txt standard uses simple Markdown formatting to organize information. Here are the key components:
| Component | Markdown Syntax | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Project Title | # Title |
The main heading (H1) identifies your project or website name. |
| Summary | > Description |
A blockquote immediately following the title provides a high-level summary for the AI. |
| Sections | ## Section Name |
H2 headers are used to group related resources (e.g., "Docs", "API", "Blog"). |
| Resource Links | - [Name](url): Note |
Bulleted lists contain links to your content. You can add an optional description after a colon. |
| Detailed Text | Plain text | Any plain text paragraphs provide additional context or instructions for the LLM. |
Industry Examples
Different types of websites have different needs when it comes to AI documentation. Here are a few scenarios:
1. SaaS Documentation
For a software company, accuracy is paramount. You want AI to read your latest API docs but ignore marketing fluff.
# MyApp Documentation > Official API documentation and guides for MyApp. ## Core Resources - [Sitemap](https://docs.myapp.com/sitemap.xml): Full site index ## API Reference - [Authentication](https://docs.myapp.com/auth): Auth flows - [Endpoints](https://docs.myapp.com/api): REST API details
2. News & Media
News sites might want to allow indexing for headlines but restrict full content scraping without attribution.
# Daily News > Breaking news, analysis, and market updates. ## Sections - [World News](https://news.com/world): Global events - [Technology](https://news.com/tech): Tech industry news - [Markets](https://news.com/markets): Financial data
3. Personal Blog
A personal blog might be fully open source to contribute to the knowledge commons.
# Jane's Blog > Thoughts on software engineering and open source. ## Content - [All Posts](https://jane.blog/archive): Full post archive - [About](https://jane.blog/about): Author bio
Best Practices for AI Documentation
To maximize the effectiveness of your llms.txt file, follow these industry best practices:
- Be Explicit: Clearly state your
accesslevel (public vs. private) andfollow_linkspreference. - Link Your Sitemaps: Always include
sitemap:directives. This is the most efficient way for AI to discover all your pages. - Use Standard Licenses: If you want to allow usage with attribution, use standard codes like
CC-BY-4.0orMITso agents understand them automatically. - Keep it Concise: The file itself should be lightweight. Use it to point to heavier resources (like
llms-full.txt) rather than embedding everything. - Validate Regularly: As your site structure changes, ensure your
llms.txtlinks remain valid.
Frequently Asked Questions
robots.txt is a legacy standard for controlling web crawler access (indexing). llms.txt is a modern standard designed specifically to help Large Language Models understand, attribute, and use your content correctly. They should coexist on your server.https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt. It should be publicly readable and served with a text/plain or text/markdown content type.llms.txt can express your preference (e.g., by setting access: private), it is a voluntary standard. To strictly block crawlers, you should also use robots.txt disallow rules and potentially server-side blocking for known bot user agents.robots.txt and Google Search Console settings. However, as Google integrates more AI features (like SGE), standards like llms.txt are likely to become increasingly relevant for optimization./llms.txt in your browser to ensure it loads. You should also check that the links inside (like your sitemap) are working. Our tool automatically formats the syntax correctly to minimize errors.Related Tools & Resources
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