What is llms.txt?
llms.txt is a Markdown file at the root of a website that gives AI agents a short summary of the site and links to its most useful pages.
Last updated 29 October 2026
What goes in the file
- An H1 with the name of the site or project. This is the only required part.
- A short summary in a blockquote, with the key facts needed to understand the rest of the file.
- Optional notes in paragraphs or lists, but no headings, with more detail about the site.
- Sections under H2 headings, each a list of links with a short note on what each page covers.
- By convention, a section called "Optional" for links an agent can skip when it needs less to read.
What it does and doesn't do
- It helps agents that look for it find the right pages. Its heaviest use today is software documentation, where coding agents follow it to API references and tutorials.
- Google Search doesn't use it. Google says you don't need AI text files such as llms.txt to appear in Google Search, including its AI features.
- It can't allow or block crawlers. That is what robots.txt is for.
- It is still a proposal, open for community input, not a formal web standard. Version 2 was published in August 2026.
Who publishes one
Thousands of sites publish an llms.txt file, according to the proposal's author, and OpenAI, Anthropic and Google publish one for their own developer docs. Documentation platforms such as Mintlify and GitBook, and website builders such as Wix, can generate one for you.
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Start freeQuestions
Does llms.txt help my Google rankings?
No. Google says Google Search doesn't use llms.txt files, and that you don't need them to appear in Search or its AI features.
Is llms.txt the same as robots.txt?
No. robots.txt tells crawlers which URLs they may fetch. llms.txt is read on demand, when an agent needs information about your site while helping someone.
How do I write one?
Start with your name, a two- or three-sentence summary, and links to the pages that answer what people ask about you, such as features, pricing and docs, each with a short note. Our full llms.txt guide on the blog covers the format, a complete example, hosting and common mistakes.
Does BeforeQuery help with llms.txt?
Yes. The AI Marketer's SEO Agent checks for robots.txt, sitemap.xml and llms.txt in its homepage audit, and the Coding Agent can add an llms.txt built from your site in a GitHub pull request for you to review and merge.
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