# What Is llms.txt? Format, Uses and Limits | Gr8r > llms.txt is a proposed Markdown file that gives AI tools a short guide to a website's most useful content. What goes in it, who reads it, and vs robots.txt. Source: https://gr8rstudio.com/glossary/llms-txt Glossary 路 Search # llms.txt llms.txt is a proposed convention for a Markdown file, usually at /llms.txt, that gives AI tools a short, curated guide to a website. It lists the site's most useful pages with brief notes, so an agent can find what it needs quickly. [Build an AI-ready website](https://gr8rstudio.com/services/website-design-development)[All terms](https://gr8rstudio.com/glossary) In one line llms.txt is a proposed convention for a Markdown file, usually at /llms.txt, that gives AI tools a short, curated guide to a website. It lists the site's most useful pages with brief notes, so an agent can find what it needs quickly. Related - [AEO](https://gr8rstudio.com/glossary/answer-engine-optimisation) - [GEO](https://gr8rstudio.com/glossary/generative-engine-optimisation) - [MCP](https://gr8rstudio.com/glossary/model-context-protocol) - $115M+ Client Funding - [ 1.8K+ GitHub Stars ](https://github.com/gr8rstudio/gr8r-studio) - 50+ Projects Shipped AI helps us move faster. Our team makes the decisions and stands behind the work. - hyperAI On this page 1. [Where llms.txt came from](#s-0) 2. [What goes in an llms.txt file](#s-1) 3. [llms.txt vs robots.txt vs sitemap.xml](#s-2) 4. [Does llms.txt help with AI search?](#s-3) 5. [How Gr8r handles llms.txt](#s-4) ## Where llms.txt came from Jeremy Howard of Answer.AI proposed llms.txt in September 2024\. His point was that web pages are built for people, and turning HTML into clean text for a model is messy and imprecise. It's an open proposal published at llmstxt.org, not a standard from a standards body. The current version of the proposal says thousands of sites now publish one, including AI labs for their own developer docs. ## What goes in an llms.txt file The format is plain Markdown in a set order. An H1 with the site or project name is the only required part. After it come a short blockquote summary, optional notes, then H2 sections listing links with a line of description each. A section titled "Optional" holds links an agent can skip when space is tight. The proposal also suggests offering clean Markdown copies of useful pages at the same URL with .md added. ## llms.txt vs robots.txt vs sitemap.xml robots.txt tells crawlers what they may access. sitemap.xml lists the pages you want indexed. llms.txt is a short, hand-picked reading list for AI tools that are working on a user's question. None of them replaces the others. The proposal describes llms.txt as working alongside robots.txt and sitemaps. It also notes that a sitemap usually covers far more than fits in a model's context window. ## Does llms.txt help with AI search? Not with Google. Google's guide to optimising for generative AI in Search says Google Search doesn't use llms.txt files. It adds that keeping one will neither harm nor help your rankings there. The proposal itself says the files are used most heavily for software documentation, where coding agents follow them to API references. For a docs site, that's a real use. For a marketing site, treat it as a cheap extra and put most of the effort into clear pages and structured data. ## How Gr8r handles llms.txt We generate our own llms.txt from the site content on every build, so it never drifts from the pages it lists, and we do the same for clients who want one. We point it at the pages that answer buyer questions, like services, pricing, docs and policies. We don't sell it as a ranking tactic. If you want AI assistants to work with your product more directly, a protocol like MCP is a different route. Gr8r runs a free MCP connector, Gr8r UX Advisor, that works this way: assistants call its tools instead of reading a file. Example A developer tools company publishes /llms.txt with its product name and a two-line summary. Its sections link to Markdown versions of the quickstart, API reference and pricing page. A coding assistant reads it to find the right API page. ## Go deeper on llms.txt - [ The Startup Website Launch Checklist, Page by Page A startup website launch checklist, page by page: sitewide checks, homepage, pricing, demo and sign up, blog, legal, AI crawlers and the first week. ](https://gr8rstudio.com/blog/startup-website-launch-checklist) Reviewed by [Tanjim Islam](https://gr8rstudio.com/about/tanjim-islam), Founder & CEO 路 Updated 8 November 2026 Sources - [llmstxt.org: The /llms.txt file](https://llmstxt.org/) - [Answer.AI: /llms.txt, a proposal to help LLMs use websites](https://www.answer.ai/posts/2024-09-03-llmstxt.html) - [Google Search Central: Optimizing for generative AI features](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guide) FAQ ## llms.txt questions answered Ask anything else - Does Google use llms.txt? No. Google's Search documentation says Google Search doesn't use llms.txt files. Having one will neither harm nor help your visibility or rankings in Google Search. - Where do I put an llms.txt file? At the root of your site, at /llms.txt. The current proposal also allows a file at a subpath, such as /docs/llms.txt, which covers the pages under that path. - Is llms.txt an official standard? No. It's an open proposal by Jeremy Howard, first published in 2024 and hosted at llmstxt.org. Anyone can adopt it, and each AI tool decides for itself whether to read it. - What is the difference between llms.txt and robots.txt? robots.txt tells automated crawlers what they may access. llms.txt doesn't grant or block anything. It gives AI tools a curated list of your most useful pages to read when they need information. - Should my business website have an llms.txt file? It's cheap to add, so there's little downside. Expect the most value if you publish documentation that coding agents use. For a typical marketing site, clear pages and structured data matter more. - Can WordPress create an llms.txt file? Yes, through plugins. The llms.txt proposal lists Yoast SEO and AIOSEO as WordPress plugins that generate one. Docs platforms such as Mintlify and GitBook create them automatically. ## Terms related to llms.txt - [ 01 AEOAnswer engine optimisation (AEO, also spelled optimization) is the practice of structuring a website so AI assistants and answer engines can find, understand and quote it. It favours direct answers, clear page structure, structured data and content that matches real buyer questions. Explore ](https://gr8rstudio.com/glossary/answer-engine-optimisation) - [ 02 GEOGenerative engine optimisation (GEO, also spelled optimization) is the work of making your brand and content more likely to be mentioned, summarised or cited by generative AI tools. It overlaps heavily with AEO, with extra focus on brand presence across the wider web. Explore ](https://gr8rstudio.com/glossary/generative-engine-optimisation) - [ 03 MCPThe Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard for connecting AI assistants and agents to external tools and data, such as files, databases and business apps, through a common interface instead of one-off integrations. Explore ](https://gr8rstudio.com/glossary/model-context-protocol) ## Book a call with our CEO. Pick a time that suits you. A product idea or a workflow that slows your team down: a clear problem is enough, no full specification needed. 5.0 [11 verified reviews Read them on Contra ](https://contra.com/tanjimislam/reviews) - Tanjim is a great designer without any doubt. I love the way he heard my project details and created the better design I was looking for. I highly recommend Tanjim to other Business owners. Thanks Tanjim 馃 Muhammad Talha 路 Founder, SetFrame - Amazing work as always! 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