Help AI assistants understand your website with the new standard for AI visibility.
The AI-era robots.txt
Just as robots.txt tells search engine crawlers what to index, llms.txt tells AI assistants how to understand and represent your brand.
Why llms.txt matters
AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are becoming primary ways people discover information. When users ask about topics related to your business, these AI systems need clear, structured information to:
- Accurately represent your brand and control how AI describes your business
- Surface relevant information and highlight key products, services, and content
- Cite your expertise and recommend you as a trusted source
- Drive qualified, high-intent traffic
llms.txt vs llms-full.txt
The standard supports two files for different purposes.
- llms.txt: a brief, token-efficient summary for quick context (quick brand identification, core value proposition, essential links). Recommended: 500-2000 characters.
- llms-full.txt: an expanded version with detailed context (full product descriptions, detailed company background, all important page links).
File format
The llms.txt file uses simple Markdown.
# Brand Name
> One-line description or tagline
## Section Title
Content about this section...
## Links
- [Link Text](https://url.com)
Required elements: a # Title (brand/site name), a > Quote (brief description), and at least one section with content. Recommended: an About section, key offerings, a Links section, and contact information.
Implementation
- Create your llms.txt file from a template and customize it with your brand information.
- Upload it to your root directory at yourdomain.com/llms.txt, the same location as robots.txt.
- Verify it is publicly accessible in your browser.
- Run an SEO scan with JustSEO.ai to verify detection and check your AI visibility score.
Best practices
- Do: keep it concise and focused, use clear language, include your unique value proposition, link to your most important pages, and update it when offerings change.
- Don't: include sensitive information, stuff keywords, make false claims, include broken links, or use complex HTML or scripts.
See the official llmstxt.org specification.
