Guide for Creating an llms.txt File

Overview

An llms.txt file is a curated, markdown-formatted guide placed at the root of a website domain (https://example.com/llms.txt). It helps Large Language Models (LLMs) quickly find your site’s most valuable, inference-friendly content.

Purpose

• Not a replacement or extension of robots.txt. It doesn’t control crawling or indexing.
• Acts as a curated map highlighting your site’s best content for inference by AI models.
• Provides direct guidance to AI, increasing the likelihood of your content being cited by AI-driven search results.

Ideal Content for Inclusion

• Evergreen, structured, authoritative resources.
• High-value guides, detailed FAQs, resource hubs, and clearly written blog posts.
• Content demonstrating expertise, experience, authority, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).
• Pages structured specifically for comprehension by AI.

Structure of llms.txt (Markdown Format)

• Filename: Must be exactly llms.txt (plural form).
• Location: Root directory of your domain (e.g., /llms.txt).

Required Elements

• A single H1 heading (#) naming your site or project.
• A blockquote (>) summarizing the content that follows.

Optional Elements (Recommended for clarity)

• Additional context or notes provided in standard Markdown paragraphs or lists.
• One or more H2 headings (##) categorizing your URLs clearly.
• Under each category, list URLs in Markdown link format, optionally followed by a colon and brief description:

- [Link Title](https://example.com/url): Short description of content

Special Section

You may include an ## OPTIONAL section. URLs in this section can be skipped by AI if a shorter context is required.

Formatting Example

# Example.com: AI Resources and Insights

> Curated, structured content designed specifically for AI inference and citation.

This file provides clear access points to authoritative, evergreen information.

## Essential Content

- [FAQ](https://example.com/faq): Common questions clearly answered
- [AI Implementation Guide](https://example.com/resources/ai-guide): Detailed business resource for adopting AI
- [llms.txt Explained](https://example.com/blog/llms-txt-overview): Plain-language introduction to llms.txt usage

## OPTIONAL

- [Secondary Resource](https://example.com/secondary): Useful, but less critical for immediate AI inference

Content Formatting Recommendations for Linked Pages

• Short, clear paragraphs.
• Explicit headings (H1–H3).
• Bullet points, numbered lists, and tables.
• Clear semantic signals (e.g., “Step 1”, “Key takeaway”).
• Minimal distractions (no intrusive pop-ups/modals).

Homepage Inclusion

• Include homepage only if it provides meaningful, structured content for inference.
• Typically, prioritize deeper, more content-rich pages over general homepage content.